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.

These deeply personal accounts shine a light on the lesser-known corners of Japanese American history during and after World War II. From the battlefield courage of Lieutenant Takeichi "Chicken" Miyashiro, to the dramatic rescue of the Lost Battalion as remembered by those who were saved, to the heartbreak of post-war discrimination shared by Toshi Ito, these stories honor those who lived through unthinkable challenges. This collection also explores the long fight for justice through the Redress Movement—a decades-long campaign that led to a national apology and reparations for the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans. Together, these voices bring history to life with honesty, resilience, and enduring relevance.

In the dense, cold forests of the Vosges Mountains in 1944, a group of Texas soldiers became trapped behind enemy lines—cut off, surrounded, and running out of time. What happened next is one of the most extraordinary chapters in American military history. The daring rescue of the Lost Battalion by the Japanese American soldiers of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team came at a staggering cost. Many of these Nisei soldiers had volunteered or been drafted while their families were still incarcerated in U.S. camps. This section tells their story—of sacrifice, loyalty, and the painful irony of proving patriotism in a country that doubted them.

Ken Inouye, son of Senator Daniel Inouye, reflects on his father's remarkable journey from a Nisei soldier in World War II to a trailblazing U.S. Senator. Through personal memories and historical insight, he reveals the courage and conviction that defined his father's life and legacy.

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.

The Story Boldly Legacy Project is being funded, in part, by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program.

Produced: David Ono & Dylan Glockler
Cinematography: Dylan Glockler

Special thanks:

• Kristin Hiyashi, Collections Manager, Japanese American National Museum
• Kevin Kuroda
• Ann Burroughs, President/CEO, Japanese American National Museum
• Toshi Ito
• Bill Okubo
• Anne Okubo
• Shirlee Blonder
• Leslie Blonder
• Lindsay Horikoshi
• Jeff Hunt, Director, Texas Military Forces Museum
• Japanese American National Museum
• Sebastian Roure, Local Historian
• Gerome Villain, Local Historian
• Tiffany Villain, Stills Photographer
• Evelyne Lesaing and the Association AMV Vincey Reconstituteurs et Passionnés de Véhicules Militaires Américains WWII
• City Hall of Bruyeres
• Association Peace and Freedom (organisation of the commémoration of Bruyeres)
• Heroes of the Vosges Museum, Musee Henri-Mathieu in Bruyères, France