4A • December 18, 2015 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com
Views from the Rock
Would Donald Trump send
families from their homes?
F
or a preview of what
our country might look
like if Donald Trump
had his way, let’s go
back to 1942 Oregon.
In Seaside, the Signal reported
in April 1942: “Seaside’s Lone
Japanese leaves for Hood River.”
“Mason Akiyama, Seaside’s
lone Japanese national and a res-
ident of Seaside for the past 20
years, left with his family late
Saturday night for Hood River,
where he will meet other mem-
bers of his family and join them
as evacuees under the order evac-
uating enemy aliens from the Pa-
ci¿ c coast,” the Signal wrote.
Akiyama was the proprietor of
the Red Gate Curio shop.
Akiyama had been in the Unit-
ed States for about 20 years, the
Signal wrote. “His father has
been in the United States
for about 35 years and his
mother for nearly as long.
Mrs. Akiyama was born
in the United States. Their
children were born there and
attended Seaside schools.”
Akiyama’s wife and two
children had already left Sea-
side to live with his parents,
who ran an orchard near the
Hood River.
“Eventually, however they
will have to move still further
inland and he had made no
plans for the second move, an-
ticipated within a few weeks,”
the 1942 Signal reported.
Following the attack on Pearl
Harbor, Franklin D. Roosevelt
had ordered the evacuation of all
Japanese Americans to intern-
ment camps. Hood River not only
had a sizable Japanese popula-
tion, but when internment of Jap-
anese Americans began, became
a hub for rail traf¿ c to camps
throughout the West.
Evacuation of 111,000 people
was completed by Aug. 12, 1942
to 10 inland camps. Each block
contained about 20 barracks, and
each barrack housed ¿ ve to sev-
en families. There was a short-
age of toilets, showers, curfews,
100-degree temperatures and bit-
ing scorpions. Sentries in towers
held watch with searchlights over
families.
In the weeks in Seaside be-
fore Akiyama was sent to Mount
Hood and points beyond, he was
busy packing up stock, storing
some goods in Portland, while
former competitors and shop
owners in Seaside purchased ad-
ditional items.
CANNON SHOTS
R.J. MARX
Not until Dec. 18, 1944, did
the U.S. Supreme Court rule that
loyal citizens cannot be held in
detention camps against their
will.
The Mount Hood Cultural Cen-
ter and Museum has a monument
to these Japanese Americans, and
an exhibit in their honor. After the
war, in 1945, Hood River Valley
Japanese Americans were ¿ nally
permitted to return to their farms
and homes. But only 186 out of
462 pre-war Japanese Americans
returned to the Hood River Valley
by the following year.
R.J. MARX PHOTO/CANNON BEAC
H GAZETTE
Proclamation ordering the evacu-
ation of Japanese Americans from
their homes during World War II.
As for Mason Akiyama, from
records at the Mount Hood His-
torical Museum, it does not ap-
pear that he ever returned to Sea-
side.
There is a record of a Mason
Akiyama who died in Salt Lake
City in 1985 at the age of 81.
In Cannon Beach, Elaine
Trucke of the Cannon Beach Mu-
seum and History Center said
historians have determined more
than 100 Japanese Americans
lived in Clatsop County in 1940.
Of those 60 people were interned
¿ rst at the Portland Assembly
Center, and then sent on to either
Tule Lake or Minidoka intern-
ment camps.
In years to come, the intern-
ment of Japanese Americans be-
came a source of national shame.
Even while more than 100,000
citizens were in camps, many
Japanese Americans served our
nation valiantly, including the
formation of a combat team by
FDR himself. Despite the in-
congruity of his order on the
camps, Roosevelt said, “The
principle on which this coun-
try was founded and by which
it has always been governed is
that Americanism is a matter of
mind and heart. Americanism is
not, and never was, a matter of
race or ancestry.”
By the end of the war, 2,355
second-generation
Japanese,
or Nisei, from the camps en-
tered the U.S. armed forces.
They served with Military In-
telligence Service as linguists,
translators and interrogators
and, “would become the eyes
and ears of the Allied forces.”
By the end of the war, Nisei
linguists in the South Paci¿ c
had translated two million doc-
uments with more than 20 mil-
lion pages, interrogated 14,000
Japanese prisoners, and worked
with front-line troops in every
Paci¿ c campaign.”
General Charles Willoughby,
General Douglas MacArthur’s
chief of staff for intelligence,
said these soldiers “shortened
the war by two years.”
“Never before in history,”
General MacArthur said, did
one army know so much con-
cerning its enemy prior to
actual engagement as did the
American army during most of
the Paci¿ c campaign.”
If Republican president can-
didate Donald Trump’s words on
the segregation and isolation of
Americans of Islamic faith chill
us today, it is because they res-
onate with the worst of human
instincts throughout history.
Mason Akiyama had done
no wrong, committed no crime.
Substitute “Muslims” for Japa-
nese and we will soon ¿ nd our-
selves casting out our neighbors,
including those who valiant-
ly served their nation. If 9/11
should have taught us anything,
it is that blind national rage is
far worse than sound interna-
tional policy.
Perhaps the hardening of our
hearts is the ultimate goal of our
nation’s enemies.
R.J. MARX/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE
Memorial outside the Hood River Museum, a poem read at the annual
poetry-reading ceremony at the Imperial Palace in January 1974.
Belongings of Japanese
Americans on display
at the Mount Hood
Cultural Center and
Museum. Japanese
Americans were forced
from their homes to
internment camps
with limits on how
many personal items
they could transport.
R.J. MARX/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE
Exhibit casts light on internment
In Cannon Beach, Elaine Trucke
of the Cannon Beach Museum
and History Center said histori-
ans have determined more than
100 Japanese Americans lived
in Clatsop County in 1940. Of
those, 60 people were interned
fi rst at the Portland Assembly
Center, and then sent on to
either Tule Lake or Minidoka in-
ternment camps. The center has
been hard at work chronicling
local experiences.
The Cannon Beach Museum and
History Center recently hosted
artist Cathy Erickson’s solo show,
“What Remains: Japanese Amer-
icans in Internment Camps,”
an exhibit on display through
February. For more than a de-
cade, Erickson has focused her
artwork on the hardships that
Japanese Americans faced when
they were interned in camps
during World War II. Much of
the work was done in collabo-
ration with Margaret Chula, an
internationally known haiku
poet. Photographs, letters, and
historical documents were used
as background information, as
well as visiting with people who
took part in this piece of Amer-
ican History. The exhibit is part
of a series of events relating to
the “World War II on the Oregon
Coast” exhibit, on display now
through February.
The museum is located at 1387
South Spruce St. in Cannon
Beach; cbhistory.org; 503-436-
9301.
Presenting the annual ‘top 10’ regional wines for 2015
E
very December, all of the
major wine magazines re-
lease their “Wines of the
Year” list. Since taking over
the Wine Shack in 2012, we’ve
named our top wines as well.
The annual list creates discussion
among our winemaking friends,
distributors and staff, but most
importantly, it creates discussion
with our customers. They want to
know why these wines are so spe-
cial and why they made the list.
Here’s how we select our
“Wines of the Year.” First, the
Wine Shack staff makes a list of
their favorite wins from the more
than 1,000 wines they’ve tasted
during the year. We then consid-
er the wines which were super-
stars from our most recent sum-
mer winery series, the wines that
generated rave reviews and big
smiles from customers. We take
those lists and then begin to pare
it down to the 12 wines we feel
represent the ¿ nest of 2015. Here
they are.
1. Reustle Prayer Rock’s
2013 “Masada Bloc” syrah. The
Wine Shack’s “2015 Wine of the
Year”. This syrah is packed with
aromas and À avors of of vio-
let, black cherry, pepper, cedar
and savory bacon. Winemaker,
Stephen Reustle, is doing amaz-
Publisher
Steve Forrester
Editor
R.J. Marx
Reporter
Dani Palmer
Advertising Manager
Betty Smith
UNCORKED RAMBLINGS
STEVE SINKLER
ing things in Roseburg and he is
poised to be the next superstar
from Oregon. How good is this
wine? Each Wine Shack staff
member named this their “Wine
of the Year.” High praise.
2. Elk Cove 2014 pinot blanc.
This delicious wine from Gaston
delivers green apple, strawber-
ry and of honeysuckle À avors. A
very food friendly wine, this pi-
not blanc would be a wonderful
match with Dungeness crab or ra-
zor clams. This wine single-hand-
edly turned a lot of customers into
white wine fans.
3. Sleight of Hand 2012. “The
Illusionist” cabernet sauvignon.
Last year’s “Wine of the Year”
stays on the list and retains its
status as Washington’s best cab-
ernet sauvignon. Packed with big
red fruit À avors and tannins that
provide just the right amount
of structure, Wine Spectator
gave this wine 93 points and we
weren’t surprised. We are proud
to have locked onto this wine be-
fore the Wine Spectator score.
4. Bergstrom 2014 Cumber-
Production Manager
John D. Bruijn
Circulation Manager
Heather Ramsdell
Advertising Sales
Laura Kaim
Wendy Richardson
land Reserve pinot noir. This
wine was just released and if it’s
a precursor to the 2014 pinots,
we’re going to be very happy.
This pinot noir delivers classic
red cherry and earthy À avors with
a softness usually not seen until
after the wine ages for a couple
of years. Enjoy this with grilled
salmon tonight.
5. Sokol Blosser 2012 Dundee
Hills pinot noir. This wine offers
dark cherry and spice combined
with an earthiness that separates
pinot noir from any other grape.
This Sokol Blosser pinot noir has
a slightly bigger mouthfeel than
your typical Willamette Valley
offering, which makes it a favor-
ite.
. Puf¿ n 2012 pinot noir. Yes,
it’s a “homer” pick, but this wine
deserves to be on the list. Puf¿ n
was one of only three Oregon pi-
nots to receive a “double gold”
rating at a major wine competi-
tion this fall. Puf¿ n pinot delivers
brooding À avors of black cherry
and plum combined with À avors
of toast, earth and bramble. As
this wine has aged, it has really
become special. This is the Wine
Shack’s best-selling wine and it’s
easy to taste why.
7. Angel Vine 2012 Colum-
bia Valley zinfandel. Ed Fus has
CANNON BEACH GAZETTE
The Cannon Beach Gazette is published every
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SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Annually: $40.50 in county, $58.00 in and out
moved his winery from Carlton
to downtown Portland, but he
continues to deliver incredibly
delicious wine! This zinfandel is
packed with À avors of blackber-
ry, cocoa with a hint of smoki-
ness. We poured this wine several
times during the year and each
time it sells out.
. Puf¿ n 2014 pinot gris. Puf-
¿ n pinot gris is the best-selling
white wine in our store for a rea-
son, it’s delicious. A Gold Med-
alist at the 2015 Oregon Wine
Awards, Puf¿ n offers the À avors
you expect from an Oregon pinot
gris: apple, pear and citrus. Enjoy
with a cheese plate.
9. J Scott 2012 sauvignon
blanc. The rise in popularity of
sauvignon blanc was one of the
big surprises of 2015. J Scott’s
sauv blanc is loaded with deli-
cious À avors of apricot, apple and
nectarines. I enjoy sauv blanc ice
cold, with goat cheese, salads and
seafood.
10. Coe Cellars 2013 san-
giovese. New winemaker, Aaron
Coe hits a homerun with his latest
release. I love the way the À avors
of cherry, currant and cocoa blend
together. Aaron visited the Wine
Shack’s tasting room twice this
year and each time, this wine was
the superstar. This wine is ready
for a bowl of pasta or a stone
baked pizza.
11. Pudding River 2013 mal-
bec. Yum. This malbec is full of
dark fruit À avors with a hint of
raspberry, spice and pepper. Sean
Driggers is one of my favorite
winemakers in Oregon and I am
of fan of everything he makes,
but this wine is amazing. Enjoy
with grilled foods.
12. Stoller Reserve 2013
chardonnay. Stoller is quickly
becoming known for their in-
credible chardonnay. This wine
offers classic chardonnay À avors
of apple, pear with notes of spice.
Aged in French oak, this wine has
a soft mouthfeel that makes it a
perfect accompaniment to salads,
chicken or creamy dishes.
That’s our list and we’re stick-
ing to it. For those of you who
don’t get to Cannon Beach reg-
ularly, we offer these wines for
sale as our “Wines of the Year”
case on our online store at www.
beachwine.com. Whether you
agree or disagree on our selec-
tions, we look forward to talking
to you about them. My advice is
to give them a try, you might ¿ nd
a new favorite.
Please drink responsibly. Don’t
drink and drive. We’ll see you
again soon at The Wine Shack.
of county.
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