A beautiful young Japanese American girl named Misao Muranaga lived a life full of dreams and adventure. She was the only one in her family of 11 that was baptized Mormon. She took a bus by herself to a Mormon church in the next city. It was there she found herself drawn to a kind-hearted American boy named Elmer, whose father worked for the military and had high security clearance. Their tender and pure love bloomed in the shadow of the world's uncertainties before WWII.
On December 7, 1941 Misao went to church as usual. Her mother told her not to go since Pearl Harbor was just bombed by the Japanese. Misao said she wanted to go to church and she would be safe. Elmer's family as they sometimes did, offered to take Misao home for dinner and then drive her to her home. That day they went to the military base where Elmer's father worked for a tour. It was there Elmer's family was informed of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and they were ordered to leave the premises.
On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066. Misao along with EVERY person of Japanese decent were forcibly taken to one of ten internment camps. The Muranaga family went to Colorado because the Dad said he didn't want to deal with the heat in Arizona. She wanted to write to Elmer but his father forbade it because of his high security clearance with the military. He said it would pose a threat to communicate with the "enemy". Since Elmer lived and went to school in another city and no one from Misao's school went to Mormon church, they had no common friend to help them keep in touch.
Separated by the cruel hands of history, their lives took different paths. Misao changed her to Sally upon entering Amache Internment Camp because in school a young American boy used to call her "Me Pig". After the war ended, the family was sent to live in Burbank, California and unbeknownst to her, Elmer was living near by in Burbank also. Sally married her first husband and had 4 children. Divorced and married her second husband and had 1 daughter. Never speaking a word about Elmer. Elmer, too, continued his life without Misao and got married and had 4 boys. Yet, he never forgot her and even his wife told their boys about his long lost love and the unjust treatment of the Japanese Americans.
Years turned into decades, but true love never fades. After Elmer's wife passed away and then a younger brother, his son Kurt decided to find Misao Muranaga, his first true love. It wasn't an easy task since Misao unofficially changed her name to Sally upon registering in camp. An unfortunate death of Sally's oldest brother actually helped. Since her brother was Killed In Action and later posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2000, the name "Muranaga" came up in internet searches. Elmer was able to confirm that Misao must be Sally because he remembered he brother's name.
In 2012, Kurt finally found Sally. She and Elmer were reunited 70 years later. She met him at his eldest son's house in Southern California where she lived. After that she flew to Northern California every month to visit Elmer where he lived. They never missed a visit and even took a cruise together. Sally was like that little 14 year old girl when she was with Elmer. She beamed with joy and love. You can see it in her face and her voice.
When Elmer passed away in 2018, Sally's daughter had a Memory Bear made from the blue Hawaiian shirt Elmer wore when they first reunited in 2012. It serves as a reminder that even in a world torn apart by war, love remains a force that can bridge any distance and endure beyond time itself.
Now 98 years old, Sally remains radiantly beautiful and lives peacefully with her daughter in the San Fernando Valley.
