Masaaki Hironaka, a WWII veteran and longtime postal worker, testified before the Commission about the injustice of being denied reinstatement to his job after military service, and the need for redress both in compensation and in constitutional principle.

• Postwar Employment Struggle: After his 1946 discharge, returned to Chicago within the required 90 days and reapplied for his former postal clerk job. Postmaster Stewart refused to reinstate him. Appeals through the Union, Selective Service, and veterans’ groups failed.

• Return to Fishing & Reentry: Worked in commercial fishing for a year, then retook the postal clerk exam. Only after Stewart’s retirement was he reappointed under a new postmaster.

• Partial Restoration: The Post Office restored only his seniority and time worked — not his full status. Even when Congress passed legislation in the 1950s to reinstate Nisei veterans, he was already in the top grade and received no benefit.

• Career & Retirement: Served 33 years with the Postal Service, retiring in 1975 as Manager of a Classified Station.

• Redress Demand: Called for monetary compensation of no less than $25,000 per person, with funds for deceased incarcerees to go into community programs supporting families and heirs.

• Constitutional Question: Urged the Commission to resolve the precedent of Korematsu, Hirabayashi, and Yasui, to ensure no government can ever again strip citizens of rights based on race.