Descendants say reviving Japanese Canadian veterans' Legion rights historical wrong
Before internment forced its closure, this branch served Japanese Canadians who fought for Canada
After internment forced its closure, a Legion that served Japanese Canadian veterans of the First World War is being resurrected.
As Remembrance Day approaches, members of Royal Canadian Legion-British Columbia Japanese Canadian Branch No. 9 — many of whom are descendants of the Japanese Canadian veterans it served — say joining the long-lost Legion is a way to honour their relatives' memory.
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joining → say → memory
The attack on Pearl Harbor prompted Canada to label its residents of Japanese heritage as "enemy aliens," and thousands were forced into internment camps, while their possessions were seized and sold without consent.
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possessions → prompt → consent
Members of Branch No. 9 seek to spread the word about the Legion to right a historical wrong while educating the public about the veterans' contributions.
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Members → seek → contributions
"I think he would be very happy about it," said new Branch No. 9 president David Mitsui, reflecting on his grandfather.
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Mitsui → think → grandfather
He is the grandson of Masumi Mitsui, a decorated veteran of Vimy Ridge and Hill 70 who headed the branch before it closed.
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it → decorate → branch
Community historian Debbie Jiang is pictured in Richmond, B.C., on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.
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Jiang → picture → Thursday
Jiang spearheaded the creation of the lost Legion branch.
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Jiang → spearhead → branch
Uncovering the past
The revival of Branch No. 9 was spearheaded by Richmond community historian Debbie Jiang.
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revival → uncover → Jiang
Digging through archival files, Jiang discovered an old newspaper clipping from the Vancouver Daily Province.
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Jiang → dig → Province
"There was a headline that said 'Japanese charter voted down,'" she said.
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she → be → ?
"I thought that was a very strange headline and thought, 'What are they talking about here?'"
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they → think → What
A newspaper clipping from the Vancouver Daily Province shows that the Japanese Canadian legion branch was voted down, despite the promise that it would be reinstated after the Second World War.
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it → show → War
Jiang, a former project co-ordinator with Library and Archives Canada, dug a little further.
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Jiang → dig → Canada
She said that by going through historical files, she found that in 1942, the president of Branch No. 9, Masumi Mitsui, had surrendered its charter.
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president → say → charter
"When I found that letter of surrender, it did say that this suspension is only until the end of the war against Japan," Jiang said.
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Jiang → find → Japan
But the Legion denied its reinstatement after the Second World War, she said.
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she → deny → War
After rediscovering the clipping, Jiang worked to connect with descendants of Branch No. 9 members and uncovered archival documents that convinced the Legion to reopen this forgotten branch.
"We are proud to support the reopening of Japanese Canadian Legion #9 and making right a historical wrong," Bob Underhill, president of the Legion's B.C./Yukon Command, wrote to CBC News.
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Underhill → rediscover → News
So far, the branch plans to hold gatherings online as most descendants are scattered across the country, Jiang said.
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Jiang → plan → country
An official reinstatement ceremony is slated for February next year at the Vancouver Japanese Language School.
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ceremony → slat → School
Dozens have joined and the hope is to continue to grow the membership.
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hope → join → membership
Sgt. Masumi Mitsui, centre, was leader of what was then known as Japanese Branch No. 9, The Canadian Legion, British Empire Service League before it was shut down due to internment in the Second World War.
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it → know → War
Descendants of members speak out
Mitsui said it was hard for his grandfather to deal with internment and the closure of the Legion.
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grandfather → speak → Legion
"I think all of them felt betrayed after they tried to do an honourable thing," he said.
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he → think → thing
"Then they were, literally, you know, spat upon and denied the opportunity to continue their involvement with the Legion."
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you → know → Legion
He recalled Masumi never attended a public Remembrance Day ceremony after the Second World War, but he would still dress in his uniform, wear his Legion beret, shine his medals and honour his fallen comrades at home.
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he → recall → home
Yoshihiro Kamachi, whose uncle served in the First World War, is pictured in Vancouver, B.C., on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026.
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uncle → serve → Friday
"I've joined because of Otoji," said Yoshihiro Kamachi, who served in the military as a dentist.
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who → join → dentist
His sais his uncle, Otoji Kamachi, was a veteran of battles such as Vimy Ridge, and he was wounded five times.
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he → wound → Ridge
About 200 Japanese Canadians from B.C. travelled to Alberta to enlist and fight in the First World War, he said.
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he → travel → War
"Then in the Second World War, they weren't treated very well," said Kamachi.
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Kamachi → treat → War
"Most of them were treated as enemy aliens, and then they were sent to internment camps like everybody else.
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they → treat → everybody
"
Because Otoji was a veteran, authorities asked him to spy on the Japanese Canadians he was interned with, which added to the sense of betrayal, he said.
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he → ask → betrayal
His descendant, Britt Moberg, says that joining the newly revived Branch No. 9 is a way to heal from the injustices of the past.
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joining → say → past
Kamachi said he hopes the re–establishment of this Legion can help bring some awareness to their story.
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establishment → say → story
The Legion seeks to reconnect with other descendants and grow its membership, which is available to all members of the public.
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which → seek → public
Details can be found by contacting them by email.
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Details → find → email
"They fought valiantly for Canada and it should be known in history that they did serve well," Kamachi said.
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Kamachi → fight → history
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