Spark Matsunaga

1916–1990 (age 74)

U.S. senator

Biography

Spark Matsunaga, born in 1916, overcame the injustice of wartime internment to serve as a U.S. Army officer in World War II and later represented Hawaii with integrity in both the House and the Senate, championing veterans' rights and educational opportunities.

He also played a pivotal role in seeking redress for Japanese Americans and promoting peaceful diplomacy, leaving a lasting impression on the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific and the nation he served so faithfully.

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