Eighty years after her great uncle Henry Kondo was killed in the forests of France while serving in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Kristin Hayashi set out to retrace his final steps. As a historian and curator at the Japanese American National Museum, Kristin had spent years studying his story—but this journey brought her face to face with the land, the legacy, and the lingering silence surrounding Japanese American service in WWII. From the archives to the battlefield, she uncovers a deeper connection to family, history, and home.

When a long-lost ring is discovered in a forest in France, it sets off a remarkable chain of events that reconnects a Hawaii family with their fallen hero. Follow Kevin Kuroda’s journey as he retraces the steps of his uncle, Medal of Honor recipient Robert Kuroda, and honors the unexpected friendship that brought his legacy back to life.

There are marks on the history of our great country that must not be forgotten. Scars remind us of mistakes. They guide us and teach future generations.

This series documents and shares intimate moments of the descendants, relatives and sometimes those directly involved in the Japanese-American relocation camps that existed throughout this country during World War II. For years, families struggled to come to terms with the experience. Family members either considered sharing the stories to be dishonorable or it was simply too painful. As our understanding of the injustice evolved, so have perceptions and as memories fade, it becomes increasingly important to documents and share these stories so that we, as a nation, avoid the pitfalls of a past generation.