Category Archives: Uncategorized

Ben Kuroki

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Ben Kuroki was a Technical Sergeant in the Air Force and is the only Japanese American known to have flown air combat missions in the Pacific Theater during WWII.

He completed 58 combat missions over Japan, Europe, and North Africa. He was awarded three Distinguished Flying Crosses and an Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters. In 2005, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.

In 1991, the New York Times recalled how “Gen. George Marshall asked to meet [Kuroki]; so did Generals Bradley, Spaatz, Wainwright and Jimmy Doolittle.”

Kuroki’s exploits were highly publicized, and he was even sent to Japanese American concentration camps to encourage people to enlist. My mom remembers seeing him when he came to Heart Mountain.

Kuroki speaking to people incarcerated in Heart Mountain. Mom remembers his visit.

Here is video excerpt from a 1998 interview of Kuroki describing that controversial visit and how he felt about it.

I was really quite shocked when I approached Heart Mountain and came up to the, to the gate and saw these armed guards and they were all wearing the same uniform I was wearing. And inside, behind the barbed wire, were all these, my own people, so to speak. Most of them, as you know, they were American citizens. It was really quite a shock. I never did get over that.

Ben Kuroki, 1998

The Fall of the Berlin Wall

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The Berlin Wall in 1989, just months before its sudden and unexpected fall

30 years ago, yesterday, the Berlin Wall separating East and West Berlin fell.

I had the extraordinary experience studying in the former East Germany (German Democratic Republic, or GDR). My junior year of college I spent studying one semester in Tübingen, West Germany (south of Stuttgart), followed by one semester in Rostock, in the GDR.

Standing on the beach at Warnemünde

Although the Iron Curtain had cracked open that year between Hungary and Austria, I don’t think anyone in Rostock, locals or foreign exchange students like me, would have predicted the Berlin Wall falling within even a decade. That event occurred just a few months after I completed my studies and returned home to the U.S. I was shocked at the time. I have reconnected with my fellow exchange student classmates from that year – they confirm they all shared my surprise.

East German Trabant (“Trabi”) crossing the open border Austria back to Hungary with a western appliance on its roof

During the summer and fall of 1989 there had been months of protests and demonstrations, and the hard-line leader of the GDR government of 18 years, Erich Honecker, was forced to step down. Mikhail Gorbachev had overseen significant changes (glastnost and perestroika) in the USSR for 4 years by this time. Despite some reforms starting to take place in the GDR, it seems they were too little, too late to mollify the demonstrators.

It is fascinating to see how the momentous events of November 9, 1989 were sparked by a relatively mundane press conference held by a GDR central committee spokesman. You can read the story here:
November 9, 1989 – the day that changed European history – from Deutsche Welle

Memories of my time in the GDR have been coming back to me. I have written several articles in a separate blog, Remembering Rostock, 1989. I invite you to take a look.

Nike Runs Afoul

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Mary Cain, who in 2013 was the youngest American athlete to represent the U.S. at the World Championships and was the 2014 World Junior Champion in the 3000 meters has come out with a harrowing and excoriating account of the treatment and poor coaching she received after joining Nike’s elite “Oregon Project.”

There was no certified sports psychologist or certified nutritionist – “it was really just a bunch of people who were [Head Coach Alberto Salazar‘s] friends.”

The physical and emotional abuse Cain experienced was so bad that her bones became fragile to the point that she broke five in the program. She also developed suicidal thoughts and began committing self-harm. Even when coaches – including Salazar – learned of this, she allegedly received no help or support. Here she is, in her own words, describing her experience.

I Was the Fastest Girl in America, Until I Joined Nike

I come from a family of runners. Although never a standout performer myself, my father ran 19 marathons and both my brothers were excellent long-distance runners. We attended the same high school as Olympic runner Steve Prefontaine, and my eldest brother broke Prefontaine’s freshman high school 2-mile record – a record that still stands, I believe. Although I don’t run or jog anymore, I still thrill to watch track and field events every now and then.

Cain’s account is heart-breaking, infuriating…and 100% believable. I applaud her courage and am grateful she is sharing this disturbing story. I believe her assertion that “young girls’ bodies are being ruined by an emotionally and physically abusive system.”

Cain concludes her video with a list of concrete, helpful, and wholly reasonable reforms for the protection of girls and women in the sport. I will watch to see whether Nike and other powerful forces in track and field will respond with substantive changes.

Just Keep Swimming

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So I’ve begun swimming again. It’d been 11 months since I last exercised, and long hours in front of the computer coupled with some serious viola practicing and performing left my back a hyper-extended slab of concrete.

I am not a good swimmer. A humiliating experience being the absolute, hands-down worst swimmer on the team when I was a freshman in high school calcified my dislike and active avoidance of swimming for nearly three decades (at the same time contributing to the likely calcification of my neck, shoulders, and back).

But my body demands I do more than treat the symptoms of non-activity. I don’t enjoy swimming and distract my mind during the laps counting strokes, memorizing my lap times, and measuring and remembering my peak and recovery heart rates.

What I do love is how I feel after I swim. My neck, shoulders, and back feel more limber and relaxed, and my body feels tired without the jarring and resulting stiffness, tightness, and pain other exercises can impart.

The pool is close – about a mile away, and is relatively inexpensive, so the convenience is great.

Hopefully the convenience and immediate relief I receive will keep me coming back.

Come enjoy the “Light the Fire” benefit in Newberg

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I will be performing on viola with my friend, Amelia Bierly on cello for this event to raise money for the Yamhill Community Action Partnership (YCAP). Come for some good food and wine while benefiting the needy in our community.

When: Thursday, November 7, 6pm-9-m
Where: Chehalem Cultural Center, 415 E. Sheridan, Newberg, OR 97132
What: Food, Wine, and art benefit for YCAP
Tickets: $65 per person, or $520 per table of 8
http://yamhillcap.org/lightthefire

Here is a description of the event:

Returning after a brief hiatus, this year’s event will be brightening the evening of Thursday, November 7th from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the luminous Chehalem Cultural Center in Newberg.

Chef Paul Losch and his friends will dazzle you with delicious cuisine while you enjoy brilliant entertainment and a resplendent wine bar filled with local favorites. An artistic silent auction and an illuminating raise the paddle will round out the evening in style.

The event kicks off the holiday giving season which helps lighten the hardships faced for many of those less fortunate in our community during the long winter months. If you join us for Light The Fire you will help ensure your neighbors have a place to stay, food to eat, heat to stay warm, and someone to give them a helping hand when they need it most.

Virginia’s Midterm Election Results and the ERA

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The midterm elections have flipped Virginia’s state House and Senate from GOP to Democrat and Virginia now has a female Speaker of the House. This result is historic not only because it is the first time in over 25 years that Democrats controlled both chambers, but because it also means that Virginia is likely to pass the Equal Right Amendment (ERA). Virginia would be the last state needed to make the ERA part of the U.S. Constitution.

Shikata Ga Nai – a new award-winning documentary

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“Shikata Ga Nai” (しかた が ない) roughly translates to “it cannot be helped,” and is a phrase often associated with the discipline and determination exemplified by Japanese Americans who sacrificed and persevered through their persecution and unconstitutional incarceration during World War II. It is also the name of a documentary sent to me today by a coworker. This award-winning documentary was created by recent St. Mary’s Academy graduate, Lauren Yanase.

Lauren Yanase, ’19, St. Mary’s Academy, Girl Scout Gold Award-winning documentary filmmaker

“Shikata Ga Nai: An Inconvenient American,” follows the story of her own family members as they were forced first to the Santa Anita Racetrack horse stalls, then to Heart Mountain, Wyoming – the latter being where my own family was incarcerated for two years.

The documentary is filled with excellent archival photos and video clips narrated by Yanase’s family members who experienced it first-hand.

The documentary took Yanase two years to complete and was awarded the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award.

It is 27 minutes long and excellent. You may view it here:

I have written and compiled a lot of links to short films, animations, photos, and video recordings of several talks my mother has given on the subject. You can find my list on my other blog:
https://tobyloftus.wordpress.com/2019/02/20/february-19-day-of-remembrance/

I highly recommend viewing “Shikata Ga Nai: An Inconvenient American” and am adding it to my blog listing.

Ending Daylight Savings Time

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We just turned our clocks back a couple days ago for Daylight Savings Time (DST). Some welcomed the extra hour of sleep and a little more light in the morning, while others bemoan the faster encroaching darkness in the evening. And there are all the clocks and timers that need manual resetting.

3 of the four states in the Pacific Time Zone have voted to abolish DST: Washington, Oregon, and Nevada have passed bills to end DST (Oregon and Nevada have areas in both Pacific and the Mountain time zone – their resolutions would only impact the Pacific Time Zone areas). The one remaining holdout state is California. A bill was introduced and passed in the California state assembly in 2018, but stalled in the state senate.

What are the arguments in favor of DST?
Road safety – some studies show that pedestrian fatalities may be reduced during dawn and dusk hours
Increased physical activity – the reasoning is longer daylight hours will motivate people to get out of the house for outdoor recreation
Tourism profits from longer, brighter evenings with people more likely to shop, go to restaurants, and attend events
Less artificial light/energy savings – if daylight hours coincide with people’s active lives, it is argued less artificial light may be needed, thus saving energy

What are the arguments against DST?
Doesn’t save energy – when it was introduced a century ago, there were significant energy savings because of less need for artificial light. Today, with so many modern technological devices, the energy saved by DST is insignificant. One study actually found that DST may increase energy use
Increased fatigue and illness – many people experience fatigue when forced to change their clocks one hour. The impact can be significant, however, leading to increased depression, auto accidents, workplace injuries, miscarriages, and suicides.
Increased costs – despite pro-tourism benefits, studies find decreased productivity associated with DST. NYC even invested $1.5 million in 2016 for a safety campaign for the DST change

To learn more about abolishing DST, check out End Daylight Savings Time.org

Impromptu sidewalk Karaoke

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Was on my way to an appointment when I passed a sidewalk busker at Pioneer Place playing guitar and singing Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer.”

Though I had little time, I couldn’t help but stop and sing harmony with him through a couple verses and choruses.

What a delightful impromptu and transient musical communion…