22 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
Learn ‘The Final Chapter of World War II’
Rex and Keiko Ziak
to speak at Seaside
Public Library
SEASIDE — The Friends of
the Seaside Library will host
Rex and Keiko Ziak as they
present the program “The
Final Chapter of World War
II” at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 2.
The evening will also include
Pearl Harbor survivor Ed Jo-
hann. The event is held in con-
junction with a photographic
exhibit of images from the
OBON Society depicting the
story of the Yosegaki Hinoma-
ru that will be displayed in the
library May 25 to June 30.
When war broke out, the
Japanese called their young
men to serve in the military.
Each family prepared a unique
personal keepsake for their
son when he was away from
home. The family signed their
names and wrote messages on
a small lag, which each man
TURKISH
RUG
EVENT
Memorial
Day
Weekend
Friday and
Saturday
May
27th - 28th
SESAME
+LILIES
183 N. Hemlock St.
Cannon Beach
10am-5:30pm
4 3 6 . 2 0 2 7
carried with him and care-
fully guarded. It was called a
Yosegaki Hinomaru. When
American soldiers discovered
that every Japanese soldier car-
ried these lags, they became
highly prized treasures of war
and were brought back to the
U.S.
After 70 years, many U.S.
veterans and their children
realize these battleield
souvenirs are personal items
and want them to be returned
to their rightful owners in the
spirit of peace and reconcili-
ation. They send the lags to
the OBON Society, which
conducts a search across
Japan through a network of
priests, scholars and govern-
ment agencies. When the fam-
ily is found, the article is re-
turned at no cost. These lags,
for most Japanese families,
are the only surviving trace of
their husband, brother, son or
father.
The U.S. Ambassador to
PHOTO BY JOSHUA BESSEX
PHOTO BY JOSHUA BESSEX
Rex Ziak talked about the Yosegaki Hinomaru lags in March
2015 during the irst public transfer of the lags from U.S. vet-
erans to OBON 2015, the nonproit Ziak and his wife run that
locates the families in Japan and returns the lags to them.
Japan, Caroline Kennedy,
often speaks of her father’s
efforts to encourage reconcil-
iation and friendship between
the U.S. and Japan. President
John F. Kennedy even invited
the commander of the ship
that destroyed his PT boat
during World War II to his
presidential inauguration. The
Keiko Ziak unfolds a Yosegaki Hinomaru lag. Covered in
well-wishes by family and friends, the lags were carried into
battle by Japanese soldiers during World War II and taken by
American soldiers as prizes. The Ziaks are working to return the
lags to families in Japan.
program and photographic
exhibit that the OBON So-
ciety is presenting continues
President Kennedy’s spirit of
friendship and respect that
these two nations now share.
Seaside Public Library is
located at 1131 Broadway. For
more information, call 503-
738-6742.
CELEBRATING
VETERANS
CELEBRATING
FREEDOM
Follow the Old Soldiers Trail
and learn the story of Fort
Stevens the Defender at the
River of the West.
Weekend
Raffle tickets will be sold
for the chance to help fire
Civil War cannons.
FORT STEVENS STATE PARK HISTORIC AREA
SATURDAY & SUNDAY,
MAY 28 & 29 • 11AM-4PM
PARK HOURS 8AM-6PM
How do I get there? The Fort Stevens Historic Area entrance is
approximately one mile north of the Fort Stevens State Park camping
entrance on Ridge Road. Head west at the 4-way stop.
O LD
F RIENDS OF
F ORT S TEVENS , I NC .
503-861-1470
Ft. Stevens State Park, Hammond, OR
email: foofs@teleport.com Click on: www.visitfortstevens.com
STEVEN
RT
S
O
F
1863
1947
OREGON’S DEFENDER