Photo By Scott Sturkol | Performer Yogitha Rajkumar with the Kalaanjali Dance Company of the School of...... read more read more
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Performer Yogitha Rajkumar with the Kalaanjali Dance Company of the School of Classical Indian Dance of Madison, Wis., performed several dances and described them as well during the 2023 Fort McCoy Asian-American Pacific-Islander Month observance May 18 at McCoy’s Community Center.
Rajkumar and the Kalaanjali Dance Company perform across the U.S. and the world showcasing traditional dances of India. At Fort McCoy, dozens of people from the Fort McCoy community were treated to Rajkumar’s talents in dance — all in celebrating the 2023 Asian-American Pacific Islander Month.
According to the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI), during Asian-American Pacific-Islander Month, the Department of Defense pays tribute to the generations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders “who have enriched our nation’s history through their countless contributions, vibrant cultures, and rich heritage. Asian-Americans and Pacific-Islanders encompass a diverse group of cultures, ethnicities, and languages. They include those Americans who trace their ancestry to the Asian continent and the many Pacific island regions.”
DEOMI stated the Federal Asian-Pacific American Council designated the 2023 theme for Asian-American Pacific-Islander Month is, “Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity.” Opportunity is defined as, “a set of circumstances that make it possible to do something.” Opportunity can be “built, accessed, achieved, or given.”
“We celebrate Asian-American Pacific-Islander Heritage Month to honor and pay tribute to the Asian American and Pacific Islanders,” DEOMI states in a presentation about the month. “Their perseverance through adverse circumstances created opportunities and made a brighter future for the next generation of leaders.”
Rajkumar’s performances ranged from approximately four minutes to over six minutes on one dance. Before each performance, she explained the style of the dance she was about to perform.
According to her biography, Rajkumar is a sophomore student at Sun Prairie High School in Sun Prairie, Wis. And she has studied her classical Indian dance under Guru Meenakshi Ganesan with dance company 11 years ago. More about the dance company can be found at www.kalaanjali.com.
Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Stephen Messenger said he was impressed with Rajkumar’s performance.
“Watching that was amazing,” Messenger said. “That was amazing. You are an impressive young lady. If you’ve read the bio, (she’s) done this all around the world. She started at age 5. She supports charity events, she’s mentoring youth, earning fellowships — just an incredibly impressive resume. I am impressed by you. … You have … maturity beyond your years.”
Asian-Americans have a special place in Fort McCoy’s history as well. The decorated 100th Infantry Battalion, comprised of Asian-Americans was one of the first units to train at Camp McCoy when it expanded in 1942.
The 100th Infantry Battalion (Separate) was activated June 12, 1942. It was composed of more than 1,400 second-generation, American-born Japanese men, also known as “Nisei” (NEE-say).
The War Department removed them from Hawaii out of fear of renewed Japanese attacks and stopped accepting Nisei for military service. The battalion commander and some of the company-grade officers were Caucasian; the rest of its officers and enlisted men were Nisei.
In an Aug. 25, 1967, article for The Real McCoy, then-civilian employee Kenneth Koji recalled his time at Camp McCoy as a member of the 100th.
“The officers and men of the unit lived in tents, which reminded the men of basic training,” Koji wrote. “New Camp McCoy cantonment was under construction during 1942 and was ready for use in September, at which time we moved to the new post. Everyone was tickled to be on the new post after months of tent city life.”
The unit trained for war at McCoy and went on to become one of the most decorated units in history.
The 2023 Fort McCoy Asian-American Pacific-Islander Month observance was organized by the Fort McCoy Equal Opportunity Office.
Fort McCoy was established in 1909 and its motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.”
Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.
The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”
Also try downloading the Digital Garrison app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base.
| Date Taken: | 05.19.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 05.19.2023 12:29 |
| Story ID: | 445107 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 43 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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