A special fundraising dinner, organized to support the Congressional Gold Medal (CGM) Digital Exhibition highlighting the stories of WWII Nisei soldiers, will be held on Friday, June 12, at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose. This dinner will feature a special thank-you to Eric Shinseki, former U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

The Honorable Eric Shinseki, former Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, and Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic gold medalist, will be on the program at this dinner honoring veterans and benefitting the Smithsonian exhibit.

Secretary Shinseki, who served as head of Veterans Affairs from 2009 until May of 2014, is also the former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army and the first Asian American four-star general. Several Japanese American organizations have expressed the desire to thank him for his service to our country. The fundraising dinner will serve as the perfect venue to do so.

The Honorable Norman Mineta, U.S. Congressman Mike Honda, and Kristi Yamaguchi are members of the honorary committee for the dinner.

The digital exhibition is being developed by the National Veterans Network (NVN), in collaboration with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and the National Museum of American History. It will be unveiled at the Smithsonian Institution in 2016 in honor of these very special Congressional Gold Medal honorees.

To purchase ticket(s), sponsor veterans, or to receive for more information, visit www.nationalveteransnetwork.com. Tickets are $175 with $75 being tax deductible. Tickets may also be purchased by sending a check to the National Veterans Network at P.O. Box 1221, Torrance, CA 90505. For questions, please contact Reiko Iwanaga at riwanaga@ecopiafarms.com.