HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — As a young man growing up in Texas, TV anchor David Ono never thought much about his Japanese heritage. But now, he’s the driving force behind one of the most riveting stories in World War II history, and he will be presenting it live on Monday at the Alley Theatre.
“People made the assumption that since I’m Japanese American and I grew up on military bases almost my entire life, I must be well versed on hearing about the Nisei Soldier,” Ono recalled from his anchor desk at KABC in Los Angeles. “But I’d never heard the story before, until I moved to California and was anchoring the news here. In my time here, I started to meet these soldiers and hear their remarkable stories. At first, you deal with a little bit of shame from your ignorance. Why didn’t I know this story already? But then I started to realize that it’s not our fault or America’s fault that we’ve never heard the story.”
With no history books to guide him, Ono embarked on a remarkable journey to learn about the Nisei soldier. He learned that these young men, with their families in internment camps, volunteered to serve their country in the face of unrelenting racism. And they were extraordinary fighters.
“They’re considered the greatest fighting unit in American military history for their size and length of service. Yet you don’t see the miniseries about them. You don’t see the movie about them. You don’t see Hollywood embracing them,” Ono said.
So, Ono decided to tell their story. He traveled to the battlegrounds of WWII across Europe and Asia, unearthing the history of these brave young men.
On Monday, May 20, doors will open at 5:30 p.m. The event will last from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. with a reception after. The event will be at Neuhaus Stage at Alley Theatre, 615 Texas Avenue Houston, TX 77002.
