The Japanese American Veterans Association is offering 13 scholarships in 2020. The scholarships will benefit a range of graduating high school seniors, undergraduate, graduate and professional school students.
Application instructions, forms, and other details are posted on the JAVA website at www.java-us.org.
The scholarships include the Inouye Memorial Scholarship ($5,000) honoring the late U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye’s iconic career of military and civilian public service; the JAVA Founder’s Scholarship ($3,000), awarded in memory of JAVA’s founder, Army Colonel Sunao Phil Ishio, (Ret.), his wife Constance and son Douglas Ishio; the Kiyoko Tsuboi Taubkin Legacy Scholarship ($2,000), a tribute to Kiyoko Tsuboi Taubkin, a longtime supporter of JAVA; as well as JAVA Memorial Scholarships ($1,500), honoring former JAVA veteran members and/or their family members.
The 2020 JAVA Memorial Scholarships are:
• Dr. Americo Bugliani Scholarship ($1,500), in honor of his liberator, Paul Sakamoto, 442nd veteran.
• Ranger Grant Hirabayashi Scholarship ($1,500), in honor of Ranger Grant Jiro Hirabayashi, MIS veteran.
• Colonel Jimmie Kanaya Scholarship ($1,500), in honor of Colonel Jimmie Kanaya, U.S. Army, a three-war veteran – WW II, Korean and Vietnam.
• Mitsugi Kasai Scholarship ($1,500), in honor of CWO 4 Mitsugi Murakami Kasai, MIS veteran.
• Ben Kuroki Scholarship ($1,500), in honor of Sergeant Ben Kuroki, a gunner in the Army Air Corps, 505th Bombardment Group.
• Matsui Scholarship ($1,500), in honor of Victor Matsui, MIS veteran, and his wife Teru.
• Robert Nakamoto Scholarship ($1,500), in honor of past JAVA President and Korean War veteran, Bob Nakamoto.
• Major Mike Okusa Scholarship ($1,500), in honor of Major Muneo Michael Okusa, MIS veteran, and founding member of JAVA.
• Betty Shima Scholarship ($1,500), in honor of Betty Fujita Shima, lifelong partner of 442nd veteran, Terry Shima.
• Shirey Scholarship ($1,500), in honor of Major Orville Shirey, 442nd veteran, and wife Maud Shirey.
The JAVA Scholarship is open to descendants of WWII Nisei military members who served in the 100th Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the Military Intelligence Service, 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion, or other United States military units including the Women’s Army Corps or Army Nurses Corps.
Current members of JAVA whose membership began prior to April 1, 2018, are eligible to apply. Children of current JAVA members are also eligible to apply if the applicant’s parent or guardian was a member of JAVA prior to April 1, 2018. In the case of the Senator Inouye Memorial Scholarship, past or present members of the Army’s 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment, are encouraged to apply.
Applicants should first review published rules and forms, which can be found and downloaded at the JAVA website, https://java-us.org/. Applications and supporting documents must be electronically submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, April 19.
Applications not received by that date or that fail to meet the submission requirements will not be considered. Applicants will be notified of a decision by early June 2020.