VAntage Point
Don Seki: Japanese American War Hero
Don Seki served as a member of the 442nd Regiment, a unit of Japanese American soldiers, during World War II.
Born in December 1922, Noboru “Don” Seki grew up in the Manoa Valley in Honolulu, where his parents worked as farmers on a sugar plantation. He was the youngest son and grew up barefoot; his family was at the bottom of the plantation economy. At the time, two of every five Hawaiians were Japanese American, and discrimination against Japanese American citizens was not as prevalent as it was on the mainland.
When Seki was 17, his parents moved back to Japan. Seki, however, stayed behind. On Dec. 7, 1941, only three days after they said their goodbyes, the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. Life as he knew it changed forever and Seki would not see his parents again until 1947.
VAntage Point
Joseph Demler: The Human Skeleton of World War II
World War II Veteran Joseph Demler became a Nazi prisoner of war and lived under miserable conditions. Even so, he remained positive throughout the experience.
Joseph G. Demler graduated from high school in June 1944. Ten days later, he received a draft letter to serve in the U.S. Army. With few options, the 18-year old packed his belongings and headed to Camp Blanding, Florida, for 17 weeks of basic training. After completing his training, Demler went to Camp Shanks, New York. There, he boarded a convoy and set sail for Europe on Nov. 22, 1944, leaving for a journey that put his resolve to the test.