BADGE, COLLAR

Description: THIS IS A COLLAR BADGE THAT ACCORDING TO RESEARCH IS EITHER MADE OF COPPER OR BRASS. THE BADGE IS THE SHAPE OF A MAPLE LEAF WITH A CROWN IN THE CENTER AND “CANADA” ACROSS THE BOTTOM. THERE IS ONE LOOP ATTACHED TO BOTH THE BOTTOM AND THE TOP OF THE BACK OF THE BADGE. CONDITION: THE METAL IS BROWNING. THE TOP POINT OF THE MAPLE LEAF IS BENT INWARDS. THE LOOPS ON THE BACK OF THE BADGE ARE BENT TOWARDS THE TOP OF THE BADGE.

History: DONOR PATRICIA SASSA’S FATHER, OKINAWAN TOMOMI OKUTAKE, WAS ONE OF 222 JAPANESE CANADIANS TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE CANADIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IN 1916, SERVING IN THE INFANTRY. LANDING IN CANADA VIA VANCOUVER IN 1907, OKUTAKE WORKED FOR THE CPR BEFORE MIGRATING WEST TO LETHBRIDGE TO WORK AT THE NO. 6 MINE, WHERE HE SETTLED IN HARDIEVILLE IN 1911 – CONNECTING WITH OTHER OKINAWANS ALREADY ESTABLISHED IN THE COMMUNITY. FROM THERE, HE MADE THE DECISION TO SUPPORT HIS NEW COUNTRY, CANADA, IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR. IN 1919, OKUTAKE RETURNED TO HARDIEVILLE TO CONTINUE HIS WORK IN THE MINES AFTER THE WAR – RIGHT UP UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT. OF THE JAPANESE CANADIANS WHO VOLUNTEERED FOR THE CEF, 55 WERE KILLED DURING WW1. FOR A MORE DETAILED HISTORY, PLEASE SEE P20170001001. PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS, SERVICE RECORDS, COPIES OF PHOTOGRAPHS, AND LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES.