Mike Sonoda Memorial
Sonoda Family Mourns Death Of A Fallen Hero
North County Times ♦ Tuesday 4 October 2005 ♦ Letters To The Editor

On the morning of Sept. 23, I awakened to the news that my wife's dear cousin Mike Sonoda was killed in Iraq. He was killed in an ambush while serving in the U.S. National Guard. Mike was a wonderful young man, son of hardworking tomato and strawberry farmers in San Diego County.

Several members of the Sonoda family have served in the armed forces, including Korea, Vietnam and Iraq. During the 1940s, the Sonoda family was forced to leave their farms in the San Joaquin Valley and were sent to Japanese-American concentration camps during World War II. The Sonodas have given a lot to this country, and they have endured great suffering.

I really don't know why we are in Iraq. It certainly wasn't because of weapons of mass destruction. Maybe it was to remove a cruel dictator. Maybe it was to occupy an oil-rich land, instead of concentrating on alternative fuel sources. Whatever the reason, we have lost a lot of very brave soldiers and marines, not to mention countless thousands of innocent Iraqis.

Maybe this war has touched your lives, but to the Sonoda family, the death of Mike is a devastating loss to a wonderful family of kind and gentle people. We will always remember Mike's ultimate sacrifice, and we will never forget his spirit.

Wayne P. Armstrong

Mike Sonoda Memorial