A year in review of Nisei Legacy Tours

“A year in review” is traditionally how we approach a new year. It makes us look back at what happened over the past year and encourages us to have a look ahead at things to come.

As we close out 2024, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your continued support and growing interest in our tours. Your enthusiasm in joining our efforts to preserve the Nisei legacy in Europe and add to your own family history has been truly amazing.

A look back at 2024

2024 has been an incredible year, full of significant anniversaries. Obviously, these special dates prompted many of you to come. They also inspired our local friends in Italy and France to go the extra mile. A review of the year would not be complete without putting the spotlight on them! Many new projects materialized as a result of their determination to not let the history of their territory disappear in the mists of time.

Spring

In April, we held our first Italian trip of the year, which covered the advance from the Gustav Line, where the 100th Battalion was stopped in the winter of 1944, to the Gothic Line. A new trail on Monte Belvedere opened due to rockfall on the path to Monte Folgorito. A commemorative plaque was unveiled on Hill 140. Oh, and it saw the first private wine label…!

A few short private trips to the Vosges filled up the rest of the spring calendar.

Summer

Continuing the year in review brings us to the summer. In July, we celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Rome to Arno Campaign. Significantly, a new memorial park was inaugurated in Castellina Marittima, overlooking Hill 140. The memorial allows visitors to learn about the Nisei’s role in local history. An additional information panel was added along the trail at the hill’s foot. Two new information panels were also added to the memorial park in Tendola. At Camp Darby, a beautiful commemorative event marked 80 years since the liberation.

September was dedicated to the 100th Battalion. A group from the 100th Club followed their path from Alife in southern Italy to the Vosges in France. The liberation of San Terenzo and the story of Stanley Hayami were highlighted with the unveiling of a new panel at the massacre museum.

In L’Escarene, the newly renamed “Avenue des Combattants Nisei 1944” was inaugurated, and families received a rock star welcome from local schoolchildren.

Fall

October concluded our 2024 tour series with the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Bruyeres and the rescue of the Lost Battalion. Both anticipated and spontaneous encounters allowed for meaningful exchanges between residents and visitors.

Last but not least in this review: our final tour took us into Germany for the first time. A large number of relatives of the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion joined the 522nd FAB Crosses the Rhine tour. Guides along the Holocaust Corridor offered valuable insights into German history and personal stories of families divided by the war.

A look ahead at 2025

Your enthusiasm for experiencing the Nisei legacy in Europe has been truly inspiring. Next year we will run 3 scheduled tours to Italy and one to France, as well as some private tours.

The two main anniversaries for 2025 are the Breaking of the Gothic Line and the end of WW2.

The tours scheduled for 2025 are

• The Breaking of the Gothic Line – 80th anniversary
• The End of War: the Po Valley Campaign – 80th anniversary
• The Italian Campaign: From Gustav to Gothic Line
• Battle in the Vosges and the End of War

We’ve been diligently working through our waiting lists and the response has been overwhelming. The fact that even the tour to Bruyeres has already filled up shows that experiencing the Nisei legacy now continues to grow beyond major anniversary years.

And even further ahead…

If you didn’t receive an invitation to book a spot this time, we understand the disappointment. Because so many of you registered your interest, places filled up before we reached the end of the lists. However, we’re already planning for 2026 and will add more departure dates and itineraries to accommodate as many of you as possible.

Like every organisation involved in preserving WW2 history, we are faced with the challenge of making events of the past relevant to the world of today. And so, while keeping the focus on the legacy of the Nisei soldiers for their role on the battlefields of Europe and their fight for civil rights at home, we will add more themes to our itineraries.

The Gothic Line, Hill 140, Bruyeres,… will of course continue to feature. And expect to see the German itinerary to return in 2026. But the “Women in War” tour will offer some different perspectives…

For now, we wish you a happy New Year. Thank you for being part of this journey, and we look forward to sharing more unforgettable experiences in the years ahead.