Stanley Sagara

Stanley Mataichi Sagara, age 95, passed away on Wednesday, April 3, 2019, in Gulfport, MS.
Born August 5, 1923 in Toppenish, WA to Japanese immigrant farmers Ushikichi Sagara and Roku Takahara, he was one of nine siblings.
Stanley attended public schools in Wapato, WA, graduated in 1941 and attempted to join the US Armed Forces but was declined due to his Japanese ancestry. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor all persons of Japanese ancestry were forcibly moved to internment camps. Taking only what they could carry, Stan's family was relocated to the Heart Mountain Relocation Camp, WY. Stan attended Southwestern College, Winnfield, KS and worked as a farm laborer during the summers. He was drafted into the US Army in 1944 and volunteered for Airborne training at Fort Benning, GA, because of the bonus pay, which he could send to his parents who were still in the Heart Mountain Relocation Camp. After completing parachute jump training, he was sent to the WWII European Theater of Operations with the 101st Airborne Division stationed at Kaprun, Austria. There, he met Josephine Walburga Stroppel and they married in Bad Nauheim, Germany on November 14, 1948. They returned to the US and Stan transferred to the newly formed US Air Force where he served in the Office of Special Investigations until his discharge in 1964 with the rank of Master Sergeant. After his military service, he joined the US Civil Service as a Special Agent for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, with assignments in Yokohama, the Persian Gulf, and Bremerton, WA until his retirement in 1978.
Travel, volunteer and humanitarian activities filled Stan's retirement years. He was a member of International Lions Club, Masonic Lodge, Shrine Nile Temple, Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH) and Densho. Stan was a lifetime learner and spoke several languages. He enjoyed meeting people and traveled extensively to 100 countries during his lifetime.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Ushikichi Sagara and Roku Takahara; brothers, Tom Takaichi Sagara, Douglas Daisku Sagara, and Elmer Goro Sagara; and sisters, Mary Mitsuko Sagara, Queenie Haruku Sagara, Evelyn Namiko Sagara, and Cheryl Tsukio Sagara.
He is survived by his son, Bert Sagara (Rebecca Rettmer), Lummi Island, WA; daughter, Sandy Griffin (Rocky), Imperial, MO; grandsons, Kevin Griffin (Jackie) and Michael Griffin (Erin); great granddaughters, Marley and Maggie; and brother, Ken Sagara (Carol), Kirkland, WA.
An interment service will be held at a future date at Arlington National Cemetery. Memorials may be made to VOSH Southeast, 5485 West Riverbend Road, Dunnellon, FL 34433 or to Densho (www.densho.org) 1416 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98144, in Stan's name.