Peace Tower

In the 1980s, Dr. Robert “Bob” Yasui, a prominent member of the Williamsport and Lycoming College communities, designed and commissioned the Peace Tower. It was built to honor his parents, Shizuo and Masuo Yasui, and to promote world peace. This twelve-foot tower is located on the corner of Pine Street and Little League Boulevard, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Wind chimes hang in the top half of the tower and two plaques hang on two of three of the tower’s faces. One of the plaques reads words of encouragement and the other explains the tower’s purpose. The tower sits in front of a half-circle bench meant for meditation and remembrance.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the United State forced people of Japanese ancestry into internment camps. The fear of spies and anti-nationalists led to Executive Order 9066, the U.S. government authorized the removal of all people that were deemed a threat to national security and they were relocated into internment camps. This order changed the lives of hundreds of Japanese Americans. Dr. Yausi’s family is included among those who were affected by this detrimental decision. His parents, Shizuo and Masuo Yasui, had their stores, assets, and funds seized, and his father was imprisoned for being a “potentially dangerous enemy alien,” (The Yasui Legacy, 2005). Dr. Yausi’s mother and her youngest children were relocated to Tule Lake internment camp in California.

Dr. Robert

Yasui was attending the University of Oregon at the time, in the pre-med

department. He ended up leaving the institution early, in May of 1942 after

hearing about the relocation of his mother and siblings. To evade the

evacuation orders, he traveled to Denver. He then attended the University of

Wisconsin since the Governor of Wisconsin was not obeying the federal order.

Due to his circumstance, he had to apply to medical school asking for the Universities

to consider him based on his academic merit rather than the exam scores that are necessary

to apply. The Dean at Temple University Medical School of Philadelphia accepted

Dr. Yasui’s into their program. In 1947 at the age of 23, Yasui graduated from

medical school and spent 2 years as an officer in the Army Medical Corp in

Germany. After, he settled in Williamsport, Pennsylvania with his wife and five

children and opened a surgical practice. He was accomplished in his profession

and received a multitude of awards. Despite the misfortunes of the children of

Shizuo and Masuo Yasui, became highly successful in their professions.

The announcement of the Peace Tower in 1988 was in a small article in the Sunday Grit Newspaper published in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The article was titled, “Memorial to Peace” and Alton M. Motter, the Executive Director, wrote, “We rejoice in the fact that, just as Dr. Yasui’s surgical skills have restored healing and health to many people, this gift [the Peace Tower] will help to replace the prejudice and ill-will which every time of war brings to a nation.” (Motter, 1988)

The

community of Williamsport, Pine Street United Methodist Church, Lycoming

College and Little League International were deeply saddened by the passing of

Dr. Robert Yasui in 2012. The obituaries describe him as generous, hardworking,

caring, and loving. It was said that he was never bitter nor ever held a grudge

against the way his family was impacted by WWII. He is quoted saying, “I loved

this country then, and I love it now,” (Lycoming College Athletics, 2012).

In 2015,

people formed a circle around the tower to observe the anniversary of the

bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. People related the to the disenfranchisement

of Japanese Americans and remembered the turmoil that the atomic bombs caused.

The memorial was held again in 2021. Decades after its unveiling, the Peace

Tower stands as a meaningful place to remember those who have been affected by

the decisions of the US government. It is a place where people can unite, remember,

and mourn.

Ceremony Remembers Sacrifices, Sungezett.com. July 1 2015. Accessed March 4 2022. https://www.sungazette.com/news/top-news/2015/08/ceremony-remembers-sacrifices/ .

Fischer Jr, William. Peace Tower, Hmdb.org. November 5 2020. Accessed March 4 2022. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=159372.

Japanese Internment Camps, history.com. October 29 2009. Accessed March 21 2022. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/japanese-american-relocation.

Lycoming Athletics Mourns the Passing of Dr. Robert Yasui, Lycoming College Athletics. August 21 2012. Accessed March 4 2022. https://lycomingathletics.com/news/2012/8/21/FOOT_0821121919.aspx.

Memorial event to be held at Yasui Peace Tower in Williamsport, sungazette.com. July 30 2021. Accessed March 21 2022. https://www.sungazette.com/news/religion/2021/07/memorial-event-to-be-held-at-yasui-peace-tower-in-williamsport/.

Motter, Alton M. Page 7 of Sunday Grit, published in Williamsport, Pennsylvania on Sunday, October 2, 1988, jvbrownpublic.advantagepreservation.com. October 1 1988. Accessed March 21 2022. https://jvbrownpublic.advantagepreservation.com/viewer/?k=yasui%20 tower&i=f&d=01011778-.

Public ARTWORKS, Lycomongarts.org. Accessed March 4 2022. https://www.lycomingarts.org/publicartworks .

Raju, Shimpo. Little league International Mourns Passing of Dr, Robert Yasui, rafu.com. August 25 2012. Accessed March 4 2022. https://rafu.com/2012/08/little-league-international-mourns- passing-of-dr-robert-yasui/ .

The Yasui Legacy, library.uoregon.edu. Accessed March 21 2022. https://library.uoregon.edu/ec/exhibits/manyfaces/yasui.html .