WHAT: Whitter High School will recognize longtime Whittier resident, former art teacher, and decorated World War II veteran Yoshio Nakamura by dedicating its South Campus art building in his honor and unveiling a commemorative plaque.

On March 12, the Whittier Union Board of Trustees unanimously voted to dedicate Whittier High’s Q Building to honor the 98-year-old Nakamura, known to his friends as “Yosh.” The highly decorated Nakamura was hired as an art teacher at Whittier High in 1950 and spent 13 years there before leaving to become the first teacher hired at Río Hondo College in 1963.

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 7
10 a.m.

WHERE: Whittier High School South Campus
12417 Philadelphia St., Whittier

DETAILS: Nakamura is an American Nisei and Southern California native who attended schools in Rosemead and El Monte before WWII forced him into internment camps with his father and siblings. Later, Nakamura enlisted in the Army, where he worked as a mortar specialist with the legendary 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in U.S. military history. Following his retirement from education, Nakamura has stayed closely involved with the Whittier art community, and in October 2023 staged a career retrospective at the Whittier Art Gallery.