Oregon Nisei Veterans WWII Memorial Highway

This highway is dedicated to the Oregon Nisei (2nd generation Japanese American) soldiers who served our country during World War II (1941-1946), even as many of their families were incarcerated in camps on American soil. Immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. entered war against Imperial Japan, Nazi Germany, and Fascist Italy. Anti-Japanese attitudes in the U.S. grew rapidly in the public arena, and U.S. military policy reflected this discrimination. Enlisted Nisei were discharged, assigned menial duties, or in Hawai'i, joined the 100th Infantry Battalion. On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 authorizing exclusion zones. Along the West Coast, over 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were forcibly removed from their homes; two-thirds were American-born citizens. In February 1943, the military formed the all-Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT). While some Nisei men and women were incarcerated, others were drafted or volunteered to serve our country.     In November 1944, the names of 16 Nisei soldiers were blotted from an honor roll of 1,600 veterans here in Hood River County. After the war, many Japanese American soldiers and their families were unwelcome at home. This highway honors all Oregon Nisei veterans for fighting discrimination at home and for freedom and liberty abroad. The Oregon State Legislature unanimously approved the Oregon Nisei Veterans World War II Memorial Highway and Governor Kate Brown signed it into law on March 7, 2022, reaffirming the Nisei contribution to our history.