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| Hon. Vincent H. Okamoto |
Vincent H. Okamoto (Poston 12-5-AB), was born in 1943 in the Poston, Arizona internment camp. He was the youngest of ten children born to Henry S. and Yone Okamoto. The Okamoto family was evacuated from Santa Ana on May 15, 1942 to the wartime desert home on the Colorado River Indian Reservation. His brother George, found outside employment in Greeley, Colorado and left Poston on September 6, 1943. Vincent's father found a job outside of Poston in Chicago, Illinois and left on May 2, 1944. His sister, Hannah was hired in Chicago and left on May 2, 1944. His brother Thomas reported to Fort Douglas, Utah for military service on August 4, 1944 and his brother Frank went to Washington DC on February 13, 1945. The rest of his family--his mother Yone; sisters, Helen and Dorothy; and brothers, Roy, Ben and Paul; along with Vincent, finally departed from Poston on May 22, 1945 and went to Miami Beach, Florida.
The Okamoto family eventually moved to South Chicago, where his parents ran a small grocery store. When Vincent was 12 years old, the family moved to Gardenia, California, where he attended Gardena High School, and elected senior class president, and became a three-year letterman in track and football, as well as belonging to the Men's Honor Society.
Following high school, Vincent attended El Camino College for three years, and received a B.A. degree in international relation in 1967 from University of Southern California.
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| 2nd Lt Vincent H. Okamoto |
In serving his country, Vincent became a 2nd Lieutenant of the B Company, 2nd Battalion., 27th Infantry, first stationed at Fort Bragg, then Vietnam, and finally in Berlin, Germany. He was a rifle platoon leader, infantry company commander, airborne ranger, and intelligence officer attached to the Special Forces. Vincent showed exceptionally valorous actions on August 24, 1968 while serving as a platoon leader with an infantry unit near Dau Tieng. He had been injured three times in combat and was “the highest decorated Japanese American to survive the Viet Nam War.” During his military service, he received the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, and three Purple Hearts.
After his military service, Vincent attended the University of California Law School from and earned a J.D. in 1973. He served four years as the deputy district Attorney for Los Angeles County. He was partner in the law firm of Okamoto & Wasserman for eight years practicing business and corporate law, family law, personal injury and criminal law. In 1981, he became founder of the Pacific Heritage Bank, and has been chairman of the Board, chief executive officer, and president. The bank, which he left in 1995, became one of the largest minority-controlled financial institutions in the United States.
Vincent served 4 years as a councilman for the Gardena City Council and mayor pro tem from 1977-1978. He was president of the Japanese American Vietnam Veterans Memorial Committee and has served on the board of the Japanese American Bar Association. In 2002, he was appointed by Governor Gray Davis as Los Angeles Superior Court Judge.
Vincent H. Okamoto was inducted into the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame at Fort Benning Georgia.
In 2008, the Nikkei Writers Guild announced its first publication, a book called, "Wolfhound Samurai" by Vincent H. Okamoto.
The book is a fictional story of one Japanese American soldier's experience during his tour of duty in Vietnam. Christopher Nagata, the main character, is raised American with American ideals and learns the harsh reality of serving in the American military while looking like the enemy.
Sources: http://www.metnews.com/articles/judg041502.htm
http://www.jalivinglegacy.org/press/2008/WolfhoundSamurai_2008.pdf
Distinguished Asian Americans: A biographical dictionary. By Hyung-chan Kim.
http://www.25thida.org/TLN/tln4-03.htm
