BOISE, IDAHO — With Veteran’s Day approaching, Boise State University held a reception for photographer Shane Sato on Thursday evening.
Sato’s book, The Go for Broke Spirit, tells an inspiring story that connects to his life. His uncles fought in the 442nd and his own mother was sent to an internment camp in Poston, Arizona. Through his struggle to reveal the stoic characters found within, he financed the first edition before running a Kickstarter to fund the second edition. The newest edition conveys a more comprehensive experience of the Nisei or second-generation Japanese-Americans who served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the 100th Battalion, and the Military Intelligence Service during World War II.
The 442nd Regimental Combat Team became known as the Purple Heart Battalion because they are the most decorated United States for its size and length of service. They received over 14,000, of which more than 4,000 were Purple Hearts. Sato wanted "...to thank the city of Boise and Boise State" for allowing him to "share the stories that people don't know across the country that there was a segregated Japanese-American unit that became the most decorated unit for its size and length of service.".
Sato explained the process of translating Veterans’ stories, in the words of his co-author, Robert Horsting, to “pictures that can touch a person’s soul”, by drawing on his background as a publicity photographer allows him to, "bring out the personality of his subjects." This was "...something I saw in them. From the portraits, hopefully you'll be able to see who these people really were and why they fought for this country when a lot of them had their family and friends put in America's concentration camps." Before elaborating that, "World War II Veterans do not like to share about the war, let alone Japanese-American Veterans...it was especially challenging to get them to let me take their photos and share their stories".
These are not merely photographs but a production revealing "...a story not told in history books". This humanizing glance portrays who these soldiers are through a genuine lens. Sato places significance on applying history’s lessons to modern society and specifically to the people of Idaho through his photos.
Sato invites the people of Idaho to come to Boise this Veterans Day to honor individuals who have made sacrifices. His desire is for “...people to remember what they did when they had everything against them. Hopefully, the next generation will be able to look at what these men did and talk about that.”
Shane Soto's pertinent photographs will be on display at Boise State University’s Albertsons Library now through Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024.
