Ted T. Tanouye was a World War II veteran and the sole recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor from Torrance, CA.

Following his graduation from Torrance High in 1938, Tanouye was interned along with his family after the signing of Executive Order 9066. In 1943, he joined the U.S. Army, serving in the all Japanese American 442nd regimental combat team.

Ted Tanouye and the 442nd Infantry went on to become the most decorated unit in all of American military history, earning over 4,000 purple hearts. Their contributions inspired hope amongst the interned Japanese American population back home, helping advance the cause of civil rights for Asian Americans in the decades to come.

Tanouye himself was killed in action in September of 1944 after fighting with the 442nd across France and Italy. For his courage, he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and remains the only Torrance resident to have received such a designation.

Despite Tanouye’s military and civic contributions, few Torrance residents recognize his name, let alone know his story. The renaming of the city’s largest park, Columbia, would be a step in the right direction to solving this issue. Residents are more familiar with the stories of other local heroes, such as Louis Zamperini, often due to the fact that a commonly used municipal facility bears their name. Therefore, the establishment of Ted Tanouye Park would be instrumental in informing future generations of not only the late Torrance resident’s sacrifices, but also all veterans in our community.

Please DO NOT donate to our petition. We DO NOT receive the money directly. Rather, it is sent to change.org to advertise our petition on their platform.