News

Friday, June 6, 2008

Michito Fukuzawa will be Santa Barbara High School’s Honored Guest at the June 12 Graduation

In April 1942, 18-year-old Michito Fukuzawa, just two months away from his Santa Barbara High School graduation left school as part of a war time “evacuation.” The Fukuzawa family had to leave in accordance with federal Executive Order 9066, authorizing the internment of Japanese Americans.

While his fellow graduates completed their traditional “march down the hill” into Peabody Stadium as part of their graduation ceremony, Mr. Fukuzawa was in an internment camp in Gila River, Arizona. In a May 1942 letter to classmate Ruth Kallman he said, “…I am fortunate that they are giving me my diploma in a few weeks, but the idea of not marching down the hill makes me feel pretty sick…maybe someday I can go back to live a normal life. I am keeping my fingers crossed for that certain day.”

The diploma was mailed to Mr. Fukuzawa by the school’s principal, but the graduation experience eluded him. That is until now. On Thursday, June 12, at 3:00 p.m., Mr. Fukuzawa will take the traditional walk down the hill as the honored guest of the Class of 2008, 66 graduations later than scheduled.

Instead of participating in graduation, in 1942 (or 1943) Michito Fukuzawa registered to join the military and later served in the U.S. Army’s 100th Battalion-442nd Regimental Combat Team, an Asian American unit that served in France and Italy during World War II. They were not permitted to enlist in other branches of the Armed Forces. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was the most highly decorated unit in the history of the U.S. Armed Forces. Mr. Fukuzawa received three battle stars for action, a Bronze Star for bravery, a Presidential Citation with Oak Leaf Clusters, and a Combat Infantry Badge.

Following his military discharge in 1946, he attended U.C. Santa Barbara and earned his teaching credential. He taught at the junior high and senior high levels in Los Angeles from 1953 until his retirement in 1985.

At 3:00 p.m. on June 12, Mr. Fukuzawa, will realize his dream. He will have a place of honor when he joins the Class of 2008 as they march down the hill in Peabody Stadium at Santa Barbara High School. His presence will give special meaning to the school’s motto: “Once a Don, Always a Don.”