by John Elmore
2. November 2011 12:07
"I am an American." These words are repeated throughout a poem that Grand Rapids, Michigan, area resident Virgil Westdale wrote about his life.
The 93-year-old fought valiently in Europe during World War Two, but prior to that he was demoted in rank from a flight instructor to a private by an edict of then President Franklin Delano Roosevelt after military officials learned of his ethnicity. Westdale is half Japanese.
"I was pretty devastated because I’d studied hard and found I had a real gift for flying," said Westdale. The hurt from that 1942 incident and the memories of his subsequent war experiences weighed heavily on Virgil over the years during his accomplished life.
When he was in his 80s, his pent-up feelings began to trickle out. His outlet for releasing those painful experiences came in working with Stephanie Gerdes to write his memoir, Blue Skies and Thunder. It gives a detailed account of what it was like to be of Japanese descent in America during the 1920s and 1930s, and also shares Westdale's war experiences as a member of a segregated Japanese American artillery unit fighting in Europe -- including the liberation of Dachau concentration camp in Germany -- and his life after the war.
On Monday, Oct. 31, 2011, The Grand Rapids Press ran a front page story about Westdale receiving the Congressional Gold Medal for his wartime experiences. "I look at it as an award from the citizens of the United States," Westdale said. "They’re saying they appreciate what the 442nd did for the United States in spite of the prejudices inflicted on us."
READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE: http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/10/ada_veteran_virgil_westdale_to.html
Mark your calendar and hear Virgil Westdale speak at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011, in Trinity Chapel at The Terraces at MapleCreek, 2000 32nd Street SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan. This event is open to the public. Admission is free.
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