I would like to convey to all of you how very proud I am to have played a role in the 2nd district Congressional primary, and how honored I am to have shared the stage with Scott and the other outstanding GOP hopefuls.

The contest was tough, vigorous and fair. To that end, Chairman Gary Byler is to be commended. And by engaging in a rigorous campaign that mobilized platoons of grassroots supporters, we as a party have strengthened our hand for the upcoming battle against Glenn Nye.

I decided to run to represent the area where I grew up and harbored the dreams of unlimited possibilities a young man holds for his future. I decided to make this run because I was frustrated with the state of our national leadership. While I am disappointed at not having earned the nomination, to a much greater extent I am invigorated by the people and the landscape of a strong conservative resurgence in Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore our Party helped create through this primary.

I met so many wonderful, supportive people on the campaign trail. Many were suffering under the realities of an economy burdened by a tax and spend and borrow federal government. People need help; our country needs help – and I will do my part to ensure that this November, help will arrive.

Sincere thanks to so many of you who offered heartfelt support to me. This was my first foray into elective politics, and while I am not sure what the future holds, I will remain eternally grateful to those who showed their faith and trust in me.

Now is the time to rally around our country, and rally around our nominee. The general election will be a tough fight, but after having witnessed the energy, commitment, passion and love for our nation that I did during this campaign, I have no doubt we as Republicans, and most importantly as Americans, will be victorious this November.

Thank you again – may God bless you and bless this great nation.

Nineteen months ago – election night 2008 – patriots across America and Virginia were devastated when it became clear that Barack Obama would take the White House.

Our heavy hearts reflected the fear we held of an America headed toward economic decline, fiscal irresponsibility and international weakness. Unfortunately, we were right.

But even in those depressing moments, something sustained us; the hope and knowledge that we would be back, to fight another day.

Tomorrow, Tuesday June 8, 2010 is THAT DAY — the FIRST opportunity conservatives in Virginia have to directly respond to the Obama agenda in Washington at the ballot box in federal elections, and make our voices heard.

This is the very reason I am in this race, to lead a conservative resurgence for the nation I served with such pride and honor for over 30 years — here in Hampton Roads where I was so privileged to grow up.

Make no mistake, Glenn Nye is a foot solider in the Obama brigade, and his defeat this November is crucial to preserve everything we as conservatives care about.

But to earn the right to defeat Nye, we Republicans must finally demonstrate that we have learned our lesson, and will no longer cast aside our conservative principles in order to “get along” with the other party.

For too long our party was complacent and abandoned its principles. We are paying a heavy price, and tomorrow we will find out whether we truly learned our lesson.

My chief competitor for the nomination is Scott Rigell, a man whose unprecedented spending in this race has helped camouflage his shifting positions on key issues such as taxes, spending, and Barack Obama himself.

Rigell’s support of higher taxes, higher debt, liberal candidates and even a campaign donation to Obama are central to this campaign, in large part because he has dismissed them as ideas that seemed right “at the time.” But this is why we call them principles, precisely because they do NOT change over time.

Tomorrow’s primary is a referendum on what kind of GOP we want to become; one that is committed to its principles, or one where we set aside our principles so we appear more acceptable to liberal leaning voters and the media. I ask you to consider the choice before you carefully.

I ask you to reflect on my record, my experience, and my sacrifice in service to this great nation and conclude that I am the strongest proponent of our conservative principles, and will be the strongest challenger to win this seat back from Glenn Nye.

Now is the time to take our party back, and take our nation back. There is just no compromise on the matter given the current leadership in Washington. And this is what tomorrow’s election is all about — unapologetically committing to a candidate who did not abandon conservative principles the moment they seemed to become inconvenient.

The last 10 months have been an amazing journey of creating new friends I know will last a lifetime, and reconnecting with those who have remained loyal through every twist and turn of the campaign. Regardless of the outcome, it is my privilege to know you, and my privilege to hear your thoughts and concerns as we fight to make a brighter day for our nation.

I ask you one final time for your vote in tomorrow’s Republican primary. I promise to work tirelessly to win in November, and to always make you proud.

Yours in trust,

Bert

In the entire state of Virginia, few news gathering operations have earned the respect, prestige and readership as Hampton Roads’ own home-grown political page, BearingDrift.com.

Tireless in their efforts and singularly dedicated to giving their readers a front-row seat to the hand-to-hand combat of Virginia politics, Bearing Drift is where Virginia’s leaders and opinion leaders go to make and report breaking news.

The Bert Mizusawa for Congress campaign is proud to have earned the endorsement of Bearing Drift in the final week leading up to the June 8th Republican Congressional primary.  No one has followed this race more closely than the BD editors, and their endorsement is a significant statement on Bert’s outstanding qualifications to lead the conservative resurgence against Glenn Nye this fall.

An excerpt from their endorsement:

“If nominated by the GOP… Bert Mizusawa will be a great one.  Bert Mizusawa is a Virginia throw-back. He is a man straight out of the history books who exemplifies Virginia’s heritage of producing statesmen. Whether it is his proven military leadership under fire, sustained academic excellence, or superior business savvy, Mizusawa takes us back to an era when our leaders possessed an ‘all of the above’ quality that left us all proud.”

The entire article and endorsement can be read here: http://bearingdrift.com/2010/06/01/bearing-drift-endorsement-2nd-congressional-district-bert-mizusawa/

Bert won a presidential appointment to the U.S. Military Academy, becoming the first member of his family to ever attend college, and graduated first in his West Point class. An Airborne Ranger, Bert served as a paratrooper during the Cold War in Europe and commanded an elite infantry unit in the Korean DMZ, where he was decorated for actions in combat by both the United States and the Republic of Korea. Bert’s combat was mentioned by President Ronald Reagan in the Reagan Diaries and his gallantry in action is chronicled in a book, Dangerous Games, currently in publication.

After his two overseas assignments, Bert earned a law degree from Harvard Law School and a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. While at Harvard, he was selected as a MacArthur Fellow and interned on the US Attorney’s Counterdrug Task Force. From 1990 to 1994, Bert was an attorney with an internationally prominent law firm, where he gained valuable insights into US and global financial markets.

From 1995 to 1998, Bert was appointed to the Professional Staff of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee where he assisted the Republican Chairman with oversight of national defense. In 1996, he authored the national security platform adopted at the Republican National Convention. In 1998, Bert was appointed as one of the youngest and most senior (three-star level) Senior Executives in the Pentagon, where he oversaw the Army’s interagency and international affairs.

From 2001 to 2004, Bert was president of a small business that developed and implemented technology for knowledge management and anti-terrorism applications. During this period, he also served as senior commander of the Army Reserve’s cyber operations. In 2005, Bert was recalled to active duty to lead special missions in Afghanistan and later Iraq.

Bert Mizusawa is a Brigadier General in the Army Reserve, and one of the Army’s most highly decorated officers. His awards include the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and 30 other awards as well as the Combat Infantryman, Master Parachutist, Ranger, Air Assault and Joint Chiefs of Staff Badges. He has also received a humanitarian service award, a civilian service award, and awards from two foreign governments. Bert holds a Masters in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College and is a graduate of National Defense University’s CAPSTONE program. He is currently assigned as Deputy Commanding General of an 8000-soldier communications command.

Admiral Carey stated, “The 2nd Congressional District of Virginia has thousands of military veterans and an equally significant number of men and women, both active duty, guard & reserve, serving in the military today. They need Bert representing them in Congress. NATIONAL DEFENSE PAC intends to do all it can to help make that happen”.

Colonel (Ret.) Craig Carlson, NDPAC Executive Director, stated, “NATIONAL DEFENSE PAC has earned a reputation for endorsing winning candidates because we back men and women that have proven integrity forged in patriotic selfless military service. The American people trust our military and vote for our candidates. Our goal in 2010 is to endorse as many candidates that can meet our standard, and elect them all. Bert Mizusawa is a veteran of immaculate credentials and is what we need in Washington today.”

Full details on NATIONAL DEFENSE PAC’s mission are at www.nationaldefensepac.org

Note: For further information, contact NATIONAL DEFENSE PAC HQ at RADMCarey@aol.com, or execdir@nationaldefensepac.org .

The National Defense PAC is a non-partisan political action committee registered with the FEC. Contributions to National Defense PAC will be used in connection with federal elections, state elections, and local elections to the extent permitted by law and are governed by federal election law. Contributions are STRICTLY voluntary and are not limited to any suggested amounts; however, there is a limit of $5,000 from an individual per calendar year ($10,000 per married couple per year when checks are signed by both spouses). Contributions from foreign nationals and corporations are prohibited. Contributions are not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes. Contact us at info@NationaldefensePAC.org.”

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As Dean of Harvard Law School — my alma mater — Kagan took the law into her own hands and banned military recruiters from campus.

As both a 30-year military officer with three combat tours, as well as being a graduate of Harvard Law School, I find Kagan’s actions a mockery of the rule of law, as well as simply bad policy. It serves to deprive our military, with all the complexities of modern warfare in an international arena, of the legal and policy advice of some our nation’s best and brightest. Her actions, while at the pinnacle of an institution known for intellectual and academic freedom, were also a blatant violation of each student’s equal right to have access to the potential employer of their choosing. What is most appalling is the stigmatization of the men and women who serve in uniform — and risk their lives for our nation and families– as being unworthy of Harvard’s graduates.

In a previous message, I urged the president to consider a veteran for the vacancy resulting from Justice Stevens’ departure. Now we have a Supreme Court, perhaps for the first time in our history, with no active duty veteran capable of empathizing with the men and women who have sacrificed so much to support and defend the Constitution.

Now Ms. Kagan seeks a position on the highest Court in the land, whose final word on the law of the land has been underwritten by the blood and sacrifice of American heroes in uniform. Kagan ordered the recruiters who would represent these heroes to do an about-face and march out of sight of her windows within the ivory tower. I for one will not stand for it.

As long as our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen need the support of our nation and as long as there is breath in my lungs, I will demand that Ms. Kagan explain — fully, openly, and without delay — to the U.S. Senate and our brave men and women in uniform her reasoning for this decision, as well as whether she still agrees with it.

Please help in supporting our military men and women by demanding a full accounting of this egregious decision TODAY by contacting the offices of Virginia Senators Warner and Webb, and insist they ferret out the facts behind Ms. Kagan’s decision so that we, their constituents, can render judgment on her fitness for this historic appointment. Senator Webb: 202-224-4024 or 866-507-1570 and Senator Warner: 202-224-2023.

God bless America,

Bert Mizusawa

Washington- The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has officially announced Bert Mizusawa (VA-02), Army veteran and successful businessman, as an ‘On the Radar’ candidate, an important first step in its Young Guns program. Founded in the 2007-2008 election cycle by Reps. Eric Cantor (R-VA), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Paul Ryan (R-WI), the Young Guns program is a member-driven organization dedicated to electing open-seat and challenger candidates nationwide. Mizusawa is running in Virginia’s Second Congressional District against Democrat incumbent Glenn Nye.

The Young Guns program is designed to assist Republican candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives achieve goals and benchmarks focused on the fundamentals of a winning campaign. By achieving ‘On the Radar’ status, Mizusawa has already proven his ability to build a successful campaign structure.

“The NRCC is committed to working with Bert Mizusawa as he continues to meet the rigorous goals of the Young Guns program,” said NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions. “Bert is an accomplished, independent leader who will fight for job creation and reducing government spending, which is why he already has significant momentum behind his campaign. I am confident that Republicans will be successful in our effort to defeat Glenn Nye, an out-of-touch Washington politician solely focused on his party’s failed big-government, big-spending agenda.”

Bert Mizusawa graduated first in his class at West Point, served as an Airborne Ranger and was awarded the Silver Star his actions in the Korean DMZ. Following his active duty service, Mizusawa earned his Law Degree and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard. He spent four years as an attorney specializing in international finance before being appointed to the Professional Staff on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee where he assisted the Republican Chairman with oversight of national defense. He also served as a senior official in the Pentagon, before moving to the private sector to grow a business that supported knowledge management and anti-terrorism applications. In 2005, Mizusawa was recalled to active duty to lead special missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Mizusawa is currently a Brigadier General in the Army Reserve, and one of the Army’s most highly decorated officers.

Having achieved certain benchmarks to place him on the road to victory, Bert Mizusawa now faces a new set of rigorous goals that will help him advance to the next level of the Young Guns program and help him build a competitive, effective and winning campaign.

For more information, click here.

###

Mizusawa led all Republicans in the Second Congressional District with $145,548.80 collected from contributors between January 1 and March 31 of this year. Scott Rigell came in second to Mizusawa with only $126,000 raised from contributors. This is the second consecutive fundraising period Mizusawa has received more contributions than Rigell and his other opponents.

Shawn Pattison, manager for the Mizusawa campaign, said “the fundraising numbers reflect a growing excitement about Bert Mizusawa’s message of conservative, experienced leadership. Second District voters are responding with enthusiasm to Bert and his positive, conservative message. They know Bert has the experience and the character to change Washington, and Republican donors are responding to Bert’s message in exciting numbers.”

“These latest finance reports point to what is becoming more obvious with each passing day – the Republican nomination fight in VA-02 is a two-way contest between Bert Mizusawa and Scott Rigell. While Rigell has been running twice as long as Mizusawa, Mizusawa clearly has the momentum in this race to win on June 8th.”

Among other highlights from the most recent reports:

• The Mizusawa campaign has nearly two and one-half times the Cash-On-Hand as the Taylor, Maulbeck and Loyola campaigns combined.
• Through personal loans and direct personal contributions, Scott Rigell has now financed nearly 56% of his campaign with his own checkbook. This does not count additional contributions from his wife and family members.
• During the last quarter, the Rigell campaign went into “deficit-spending mode,” spending more than double what they received from contributors. Rigell’s personal contribution of $273,000 to his own campaign did not even cover campaign expenditures for the last three months. By contrast, Mizusawa has shown he not only preaches fiscal conservatism, he practices it.

“Republicans are turning away from status quo candidates who go-along to get-along in Washington,” said Pattison. Republican voters and Republican donors know we need someone with the conservative values and the broad experience to provide change and leadership in Washington. That’s why the grassroots momentum and the donor momentum in this race is with Bert Mizusawa for Congress.”

###

Mizusawa, a highly-decorated combat veteran and attorney who provides legal counsel on national security matters, recognizes that the impending retirement of 89-year old Justice Stevens will result in a nine-member United States Supreme Court with no military veterans.

“It is almost unconscionable to have a Supreme Court with no military veterans. While the justices of the Supreme Court provide the brains to interpret our Constitution, the military has provided its brawn and blood to support and defend the Constitution. It is a moral imperative that at least one of the nine justices has military experience. I call on the President to seek out a qualified veteran to replace Justice Stevens. Only a military veteran will truly understand the unique circumstances and sacrifices that the men, women and families of our armed forces have made in providing for the common defense of our nation.”

Bert Mizusawa is an accomplished soldier, businessman, and attorney who has earned the rank of Brigadier General in the US Army Reserve. He continues to advise key government and business leaders on economics and national security, and holds a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School. Mizusawa is seeking the Republican Party’s nomination for Congress in Virginia’s Second Congressional District. The Republican Primary is June 8, 2010.

Please click here to listen to the podcast, or visit:  http://bearingdrift.com/2010/04/04/vpod-94-bert-mizusawa/

Bert Mizusawa and Jamie Radtke at Tea Party Planning Meeting

Thursday, March 25, 2010, Bert Mizusawa joined state Tea Party Leaders and local conservatives who have led the Tea Party movement in Hampton Roads. The next day, Mizusawa participated in an interview with the Hampton Roads Tea Party Board, in support of their effort to evaluate the candidates for Congress.

The true problem with health care in America is not lack of access to treatment or insurance, but that the patient no longer counts in many decisions and the cost of care is sky-rocketing. Government mandated health care does not correct these deficiencies but worsens them.

If we are to improve health care in America, we must first appreciate our strength – we have the best quality of health care in the world as a result of superior providers, superior technologies and superior educational institutions. We must focus change on what is bad — the cost of health care has been driven upwards by huge punitive damages in civil lawsuits, the threats of such that result in high malpractice premiums that doctors must pass on to their patients, shortages in trained health care providers, and inefficiencies in sharing information and billing systems. Yesterday’s expansion of government and increased costs did not address these problems in a meaningful way; it does not place emphasis on tort reform, it will decrease the incentives to be a health care provider, and fails to create incentives for medical facilities to increase efficiencies through healthy private-sector competition.

I remain committed to undoing yesterday’s vote while also working to establish market solutions to improving health care in America. Our Founding Fathers blessed our nation with an awesome foundation from which this 111th Congress has greatly deviated. That foundation is rock solid – the Constitution. As your Congressman, my service to you – as it has been since I took my first oath on the Plain at West Point at 18 years of age — is to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. With three combat tours, I have fought our foreign enemies to do just that. My promise to you is that I will fight those domestic interests that are undermining our foundation. I hope you will give me that opportunity by voting for me in the Republican primary on June 8th.

Thank you, and God Bless America.

Excerpt: “VA-02: Incumbent Democratic Congressman Glenn Nye is running for re-election. The Democrats have unified behind Nye. On the GOP side, former Virginia Beach GOP Chair Kenny Golden, Engineering Contractor Ben Loyola, Defense Contractor Ed Maulbeck, Army Reserve Brigadier General Bet Mizusawa, Auto Dealer Scott Rigell, and Businessman Scott Taylor are in the running. The Independents have unified behind Computer Systems Engineer Doug Hutchinson. The GOP Primary is a tossup between Golden and Mizusawa. Whoever wins will defeat Nye. 52-48 Golden. 54-46 Mizusawa. GOP GAIN.”

Grover Norquist (left) congratulates Bert Mizusawa (right) for signing Americans for Tax Reform’s “ No Tax Pledge,” showing his commitment to not increase taxes when elected to Congress.

My name is Bert Mizusawa. I grew up in Hampton Roads as one of six sons of an enlisted man and enterprising mother who struggled to make ends meet. I have been part of the District since 1966, and see it as the most important district in the Nation because of its preeminent military and strategic role, and the great people who make it work.

I’m running for Congress because America has given me amazing opportunities and I have a moral obligation to serve. Thanks to America, I have benefited from an incredible life in service, and now is the time – as a Soldier, a Virginian and an American — to bring my sense of duty and experience to a higher level of public service.

Americans from all walks of life are seeing the peril our Nation now faces as we witness a steady assault on our basic foundation. The liberal leadership in Washington has an uncontrolled appetite to regulate our freedoms and leash our entrepreneurial spirit. There is virtually no area of our lives — from health care, to personal property and earned income, to the energy we need to run our homes and businesses, to our 2nd Amendment rights — that is not seen as fair game to the Democrat leadership in Washington.

Previously unfathomable, trillions of dollars in taxes are being levied on Americans not yet born as our Nation lurches toward fiscal bankruptcy. More important, threats to our basic American values may be leading us toward moral bankruptcy as well.

I have served over 30 years in uniform, including six hard years deployed – and literally stood up to enemy bullets — to protect America and our way of life. I know you will understand that I simply cannot stand by as America loses respect on the world stage, and our families and prosperity are imperiled by the perceptions – and the realities — of growing weakness.

But I see hope and opportunity. I want to help lead America’s response against expedient politics in 2010. Please help by choosing a new generation of national leaders for 2010 and beyond. My life’s work as a leader in the military, business and law, and the reputation I’ve earned, will ensure that you have a Congressman — prepared from Day 1 on the job – who will represent you to win the fight for our principles and prosperity.

As a husband and father of three, I will represent you proudly, with the same tireless optimism that made Ronald Reagan the greatest President in modern history, and with the same drive and determination I used to become the first person in my family to go to college and then make it through the rigors of West Point as its top graduate.

I am pleased and honored that you took the time to read this. I would be grateful, on behalf of our great Nation, if you would help me in this crucial fight, for the future of every American, for generations to come.

Thank you, and God Bless America,

Bert Mizusawa

Bert was raised in Hampton Roads and graduated from Kecoughtan High School, where he participated in varsity football, wrestling and track. He won a presidential appointment to the U.S. Military Academy.

“I am extremely pleased with the generous contributions that hard-working Americans made to my campaign.  I know that every dime I received was a dime that could have spent on their families during these tough economic times.  I will honor their trust by running an honorable and winning campaign focused on listening to the people of the Second District and working tirelessly to be the best candidate to represent them.  The voters of our great District deserve nothing less.”

Mizusawa’s success does not come as a surprise to those who know him well.  A life-long friend and fellow high school and West Point classmate, Matthew Duffy, added “Bert is one of the sharpest people I know.  When he makes a commitment, he delivers.  When people get to know Bert, I am confident they will see his record of achievement is unmatched by any candidate in this race, and perhaps even the Nation.”  Duffy’s point carries tremendous merit when you evaluate Mizusawa’s fundraising success last quarter.  Mizusawa filed to run for the Second District seat midway through the fundraising period, and then posted competitive numbersduring the Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas holidays, traditionally the toughest time to raise money for campaigns.

Bert Mizusawa’s announcement comes on the cusp of the District Republican Committee’s decision to reevaluate the method by which it will select its candidate to defeat Glenn Nye.  “I look forward to a spirited and open contest regardless of the nominating process.  I have great faith that the people of the Second District will choose the strongest Republican candidate to win in November.” Mizusawa said.

Bert Mizusawa is an accomplished soldier,businessman, and attorney who has earned the rank of Brigadier General in the US Army Reserve.  He continues to advise key government and business leaders on economics and national security.  He is seeking the Republican Party’s nomination for Congress in Virginia’s Second Congressional District.

]]> http://bertmizusawa.com/?feed=rss2&p=83 0 http://bertmizusawa.com/?p=4 http://bertmizusawa.com/?p=4#comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:00:58 +0000 admin http://bertmizusawa.com/?p=1 My name is Bert Mizusawa. I grew up in Hampton Roads as one of six sons of an enlisted man and enterprising mother who struggled to make ends meet. I have been part of the District since 1966, and see it as the most important district in the Nation because of its preeminent military and strategic role, and the great people who make it work.

I’m running for Congress because America has given me amazing opportunities and I have a moral obligation to serve. Thanks to America, I have benefited from an incredible life in service, and now is the time – as a Soldier, a Virginian and an American — to bring my sense of duty and experience to a higher level of public service.

Americans from all walks of life are seeing the peril our Nation now faces as we witness a steady assault on our basic foundation. The liberal leadership in Washington has an uncontrolled appetite to regulate our freedoms and leash our entrepreneurial spirit. There is virtually no area of our lives — from health care, to personal property and earned income, to the energy we need to run our homes and businesses, to our 2nd Amendment rights — that is not seen as fair game to the Democrat leadership in Washington.

Previously unfathomable, trillions of dollars in taxes are being levied on Americans not yet born as our Nation lurches toward fiscal bankruptcy. More important, threats to our basic American values may be leading us toward moral bankruptcy as well.

I have served over 30 years in uniform, including six hard years deployed – and literally stood up to enemy bullets — to protect America and our way of life. I know you will understand that I simply cannot stand by as America loses respect on the world stage, and our families and prosperity are imperiled by the perceptions – and the realities — of growing weakness.

But I see hope and opportunity. I want to help lead America’s response against expedient politics in 2010. Please help by choosing a new generation of national leaders for 2010 and beyond. My life’s work as a leader in the military, business and law, and the reputation I’ve earned, will ensure that you have a Congressman — prepared from Day 1 on the job – who will represent you to win the fight for our principles and prosperity.

As a husband and father of three, I will represent you proudly, with the same tireless optimism that made Ronald Reagan the greatest President in modern history, and with the same drive and determination I used to become the first person in my family to go to college and then make it through the rigors of West Point as its top graduate.

I am pleased and honored that you took the time to read this. I would be grateful, on behalf of our great Nation, if you would help me in this crucial fight, for the future of every American, for generations to come.

Thank you, and God Bless America,

Bert Mizusawa

I first met Bert on the mat at wrestling practice in high school. A few minutes with him made me realize my high school wrestling career would benefit greatly if I moved to a different weight class. He was the quintessential scholar-athlete. We attended the United States Military Academy together where he graduated at the top of our class. We served as Infantry officers and today, more than thirty years later, we remain as brothers. He’s the kind of man Rudyard Kipling referred to in his poem, “The Thousandth Man” — the rare kind of person who would go to the gallows and after with you, yet ask nothing in return but your friendship.

He’s risen from very humble beginnings as one of five sons to a pair of immigrant Americans: a Japanese-American US Air Force enlisted man and a Dutch-American working mother. As amazing as his story is, we’ve only seen the first half. Bert has a clear vision and a desire to continue to serve America in a way which harnesses his many talents.

It’s clear: our country is adrift as a result of years of self-serving, myopic leadership in Washington. As times worsen, it’s time to send our best. Soon, a book will be released which chronicles the contributions of various heroes during the Cold War. An entire chapter is dedicated to Bert Mizusawa. Until recently, none of us had any idea that Ronald Reagan had cited the geo-political and strategic significance of Bert’s bravery under fire in his Presidential memoirs. Bert knew it but never mentioned it to me or anyone. The book’s author told me. He forwarded me a draft copy of the chapter about Bert. I’ve shared it below for your reading. It only takes a few minutes, but I can assure you, it’ll likely be the most inspiring thing you’ll read today. When you’re done, if — like all of us — you agree that Bert is worthy of your help, please join the campaign and help elect Bert. Every bit of support is critical. It’s truly time to send a proven leader like Bert Mizusawa to Congress. His exceptional background in business, defense, finance, the Senate and in the legal profession have uniquely prepared him to represent Virginia’s Second Congressional District. He is ready and able to hit the ground running on day one. All he needs is our support.

Thanks for your time. Best wishes and my profound thanks to you.

-Matthew Duffy

An excerpt from Dangerous Games by Scott Baron and James Wise:

CAPTAIN BERT K. MIZUSAWA AND THE FIREFIGHT AT PANMUNJOM

The world was a busy place on 23 November, 1984. In Zimbabwe, two rebels were convicted and sentenced to death by hanging for taking part in the kidnapping of six foreign tourists. Paraguayan officials conducted a nationwide manhunt for Nazi fugitive, Josef Mengele. Libyan troops agreed to withdraw from Chad, as Israeli police shot a Palestinian demonstrator to death in the West Bank. The U.S.S.R. and the U.S. announced the resumption of talks to limit nuclear arms — even as the U.S.S.R. performed a nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk. In the United States, as Americans enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday, quarterback, Doug Flutie, in the last seconds of the 4th quarter of the Orange bowl, tossed a 48-yard “Hail Mary” pass for a touchdown giving Boston College a 47-45 victory over Miami. Thus, a small but significant skirmish in the Korean DMZ that day went virtually unnoticed by most Americans.

Within the DMZ is the Joint Security Area (JSA). This is the only area where forces from both sides come face-to-face with no barriers. This is also the site, more popularly known as “Panmunjom,” where negotiators from the United Nations Command and the North Korean People’s Army (KPA) can meet to resolve issues and disputes related to the 1953 Armistice Agreement. The Joint Security Force (JSF) is responsible for protecting the United Nations Command personnel, including visitors, and property within the DMZ and, in particular, the JSA. In 1984, this force of approximately 200 specially selected infantrymen was a 60-40 mix of U.S. and South Korean soldiers under an American command structure. The JSF Company was divided into four platoons. Duty rotated between three primary missions. One platoon had the “north mission”, that of guarding the JSA by manning checkpoints, providing surveillance of North Korean activities and providing 24/7 security on the border (officially known as the military demarcation line, or “MDL”). A second platoon was the “training platoon” with a primary mission of conducting reconnaissance and ambush patrols in the DMZ areas adjacent to the JSA. A third platoon was the JSF’s Quick Reaction Force (QRF) which was combat ready to provide no-notice reaction to any incidents. The fourth platoon was off duty and usually provided soldiers to augment the other three platoons. The usual rotation was two successive days each for QRF – North – Training, and then one day off-duty. (1)

Both sides (North Korean and South Korean) give “DMZ tours” of their area of the JSA, but the predominant number of visitors and tours are from the south, with tours conducted in the north restricted to the most reliable and privileged visitors to the insular communist regime. On 23 November, the North Koreans were conducting a tour with one such group in their sector of the JSA when one of the visitors broke from the group and dashed across the MDL into South Korea.

The defector, Vasily Yakovlevich Matuzok, was a 22-year-old Soviet citizen and a diplomatic trainee at the Soviet Embassy at Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. The son of a Red Army officer, he’d been planning to defect for over two years, and the tour of Panmunjom gave him his chance. He later stated it was his “very first opportunity to go to the west.” (2)

Matuzok raced between the MAC and JDO buildings which straddle the border with a few other buildings on “Conference Row.” He headed into the brush south of the Sunken Garden in the UNC sector and was pursued by eight KPA guards who unholstered their sidearms and fired at the fleeing figure with the intention of killing or stopping him from defecting. Other KPA guards from the PanMunGak building quickly joined them and barracks to the north, as additional KPA soldiers in the KPA Checkpoints laid down suppressive fire on the soldiers in the UNC checkpoints. (3)

Two JSF soldiers, PFC Michael A. Burgoyne, a 20-year-old from Portland, Michigan, and his South Korean counterpart, PFC Chang Myung Gi, were escorting a civilian work crew in the vicinity of UNC CP 4 when they observed KPA guards chasing and firing at a civilian. Although out in the open, Burgoyne and Chang drew their .45 pistols and fired at the pursuing KPA guards. This allowed Matuzok time to reach a position of concealment in the brush south of the Sunken Garden.

The KPA returned fire striking Chang in the head, to the right side of his nose. He died instantly. Another shot struck Burgoyne in the jaw and knocked him off his feet. By this time, the 4th Platoon, housed in Checkpoint 4, had been alerted and began suppressive fire on the KPA soldiers, pinning them down in the area of the Sunken Gardens. During this action, SP4 John Orlicki laid devastating fire on the pinned-down North Koreans with his M-203 grenade launcher, resulting in at least one KPA casualty. (4)

At the Tactical Operations Center (TOC) at Camp Kitty Hawk, located on the southern boundary of the Demilitarized Zone (which was the base camp for the United Nations Command Security Force – Joint Security Area (UNCSF-JSA)), CPT Henry Nowak was completing an orientation tour for a newly-assigned NCO. He was advised by the duty NCO that shots were being fired in the JSA. Nowak alerted the JSF Commander, CPT Bert Mizusawa. CPT Mizusawa ordered his driver to bring his jeep to the TOC with helmet, flak vest and weapons, and then ran to the TOC. As per Standard Operation Procedures, the QRF’s combat-loaded vehicles were prepositioned outside the TOC, and Mizusawa gave the vehicle guards the order for the QRF to mount while he received a quick situation report from CPT Nowak.

Bert Kameaaloha Mizusawa was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on January 31st, 1957 to a Nisei father and Dutch mother. He was the second of six sons. Two uncles who served as members of the renowned 442nd Regimental Combat Team were wounded in action in Italy during World War II. Another uncle was killed in action while serving with the 2nd Infantry Division in the battles of Heartbreak and Bloody Ridge during the Korean War. His father met his mother while serving in the Army while on occupation duty in Europe in 1953.

Although his father left the Army, he later enlisted in the Air Force. As a result, Mizusawa spent his early years in stateside USAF bases and overseas in Japan and Germany. In 1975, Mizusawa earned an appointment to enter the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He was the first member of his family to ever attend college. He excelled at West Point, ultimately graduating first in the Class of 1979, the last all-male class at the U.S. Military Academy.

After graduating, 2LT Mizusawa attended the Infantry Officer Basic Course and Airborne and Pathfinder Schools at Ft. Benning, GA and from the Air Assault Course at Ft. Campbell, KY. 2LT Mizusawa’s first assignment was as a platoon leader in Company B, 1st Battalion, 509th Infantry (Airborne) at Vicenza, Italy in February, 1980. While with the 509th, he served as rifle and mortar platoon leader, Assistant Battalion S-1 (Personnel and Administration), Assistant Battalion S-4 (Logistics), and as executive officer of Company A. After returning to Ft. Benning in July 1983 to attend the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Mizusawa was selected to command the Joint Security Force at Panmunjom and reported to Korea the following March. (6)

It was around 11:40 as Mizusawa scrambled to assemble the QRF. Since the platoon leader and platoon sergeant weren’t immediately located, Mizusawa took command of the QRF’s deployment. He has very vivid memories of that day.

“I was in my office that morning reviewing an incident that occurred the previous evening. I was alerted by our operations center that there was shooting up north. The information was spotty, but obviously significant enough to deploy the Quick Reaction Force, which that day was the 1st Platoon.

As we raced up the road to the JSA, I was able to get a situation report from the 4th Platoon, which was up on the border. During the quick ride up, which only took a few minutes, I learned from LT Tom Thompson, the 4th Platoon Leader, that the North Koreans had come across into our sector, we had at least one man down, and there was a civilian in the area, a fact that didn’t seem significant at that time. The key information I needed was where the North Koreans were so I could determine how to maneuver the QRF into the area. The North Korean disposition was not clear, but I was able to confirm that Checkpoint 2, the entrance into the JSA, was not yet engaged.” (7)

Based on this information, Mizusawa dismounted the QRF 100 meters south of CP 2. The QRF consisted of three eleven-man rifle squads and three machine-gun crews. Mizusawa quickly directed SSG Lamb, SGT Gissendaner and SGT Diaz, the three squad leaders, on objectives: Lamb’s 1st Squad was to take position on a berm in the center to provide defilade fires; Gissendaner’s 2nd Squad was to move until contact on the left flank to engage the enemy in their concealed approach route; and, SGT Diaz’s 3rd Squad was initially held in reserve at CP2 and then to move to an overwatch position at Helipad 128, to provide cover and link the 1st platoon in with the 4th platoon firing positions just south of CP 4.

As the 1st and 2nd Squads moved to their positions, 4th Platoon was laying down devastating fires with automatic rifles and grenade launchers from CP4, which was about 150 meters to the right front. The 1st Platoon leader, LT Steve Tryon, entered the fight and took tactical control of the platoon as it deployed to cover the western and southern flanks of the Sunken Garden area. At this point, CPT Mizusawa coordinated fires of the 4th Platoon with the assault of the 1st Platoon in order to close with and destroy the KPA force in the UNC sector, and to prevent their reinforcement by additional KPA troops. (8)

“Sgt. Jose Diaz’s 3rd Squad, with two of the machineguns,(advanced and) secured the high ground on the east-end of Conference Row in the area of UNC Helipad 128. This position … provided a clear field of fire on Conference Row and the Sunken Garden while neutralizing two KPA checkpoints. Additionally, this position prevented infiltration from the swampy area in the vicinity of the Neutral Nations Camp.” (9)

Mizusawa maneuvered the two remaining squads in traveling overwatch north towards Conference Row. Sgt. Curtis Gissendaner’s 2nd Squad moved North along the left side of the Sunken Garden while Mizusawa remained with SSG Richard Lamb’s flank and 1st Squad maneuvering to the right of the KPA force that had crossed the MDL into the UNC sector, estimated to number as many as 30.

“It was all very fluid” Mizusawa remembered. “The North Koreans were coming in and setting up positions on our left side to avoid 4th platoon fires and the 1st Platoon squads literally crashed into their flank and rear. We had a berm that provided some cover and concealment until we were right on top of the main North Korean position. From this berm you could see a couple of North Korean bodies out in the open.”

As Lamb later recalled, “The platoon came on line in a wooded area approximately seventy-five meters southeast of the Sunken Garden and secured the southern side of the access road to the Bridge of No Return and Checkpoint 3. We posted flank security and prepared to cross the road with increasing automatic weapons fire coming from the vicinity of Conference Row and the Sunken Garden. As elements began bounding across the road, the Soviet defector, Mr. Matuzok was spotted hiding in the underbrush.” (10)

Matuzok requested help in Korean. Tryon ordered him secured and sent back to Mizusawa. “While I was maneuvering with the middle squad through a wooded swampy area, QRF soldiers ran into a Caucasian in civilian clothes lying down in the muck and speaking rapidly in Korean. This was about 10 meters from where I was. Everything was happening rather quickly and I directed a Korean soldier to tell the civilian to crawl toward us and to search him for weapons.

At this point, I realized the civilian was a defector and knew that I was responsible for him as well as for my soldiers. After he was searched I pulled the defector down to the ground next to small mound that provided some protection from direct fires. The defector was trembling and began reaching into his leatherjacket and handing me rolls of 35mm film. I assumed that he was shaking because it was cold and he was soaking wet from the swamp. (He later told me he was sure that I was going to kill him.) I stuffed the film into my jacket pocket. Then he handed me a passport and said in English “I am a Soviet citizen and I wish to seek asylum in the United States.”

I opened up the passport and the Cyrillic writing of a Soviet passport. With bullets flying over our heads, I remember thinking it was just like in the movies. And for some reason what was happening didn’t seem unusual. I wasn’t sure why he was giving me the film but I pocketed all 17 rolls. Later, I understood it was intended to convince me to spare his life.” (11)

Mizusawa then called the 1st platoon sergeant, SFC Howard Williams, forward and directed him to run with Matuzok 100 meters south through the woods, then cut east to the road to get the defector on a jeep back to Camp Kitty Hawk. After a debriefing by the operations officer (CPT Nowak), Matuzok was put on a helicopter sent from Seoul and transported to the United Nations Command and Combined (US-Korea) Forces Command headquarters in Yongsan.

Mizusawa returned to the 1st Platoon at the berm and ordered Gissendaner’s squad farther forward on the left flank. By maneuvering to make effective use of terrain, the 1st Platoon had the KPA force in a “C” shaped encirclement, with all avenues of escape cut off or covered by direct fire. Lamb recalled “Continuing pressure from the base squad and our occupation of the Sunken Garden forced the enemy to surrender or be annihilated. Sgt. Lee Kyong Tae, PFC Mark Deville and myself moved across the last fifty meters of open terrain under fire to occupy the Sunken Garden. We cleared the garden area literally chasing and flushing enemy soldiers from covered positions and routing them across an access road into a small confined area. At one point, enemy fire became so intense it shredded small scrub bushes being used for concealment. While covering the enemy, we closed to within ten to fifteen meters and forced them to raise their hands above their heads in surrender.” (12)

About forty minutes into the firefight, KPA officials requested a ceasefire via landline to the UNC Joint Duty Officer, who maintained a “hotline” from an office on Conference Row. While the JDO was a Navy Lt Commander, the senior person on duty was the JDO NCO, an Air Force Staff Sergeant. Although the JDO NCO came running out yelling “Cease Fire,” Mizusawa didn’t immediately have his troops stand down. “One of the sergeants from the JDO came running out yelling “ceasefire.” We didn’t cease fire at that point because nobody had talked to me about it and the situation was still volatile. You could see the JDO NCO falling to the ground because of the firing. We were also preparing to capture some North Koreans. There were about three bodies lying out and eight surrendering. I called for a QRF truck to enter to pick up those we had captured. But then my driver told me that LT Thompson, who had landline communications in the north platoon’s operations center, needed to speak with me on my Motorola (walkie-talkie). He informed me that “CP Seoul has authorized the North’s request for a ceasefire.”

I knew that the North Koreans didn’t have much choice, but was wary of a “ceasefire.” I wanted to preserve the tactical advantage. I also knew the North would lie about things and I didn’t want them to bring their dead and wounded back until it could be documented. They were about 100 meters on our side of the border so I told my driver, PFC Warren Choate, to drive me up to the border to intercept the North Korean soldiers. Doing this was risky, but I thought it was important to try. They had about 30 soldiers come across, and I didn’t know how many they had on their side of the border but their unit had one hundred men or so.” (13)

Accompanied only by his driver, Mizusawa advanced 150 meters in the open to the MDL, fully exposed to potential enemy fire from KPA checkpoints and minimal covering fire from the JSF platoons, to demand an immediate Security Officers’ meeting. “As the JSF commander, I wore a second hat as the UN Command Security Officer, the lowest of only three positions authorized to conduct dialogue with the North. I called an immediate meeting with the North Korean Commander. I had never called for a security officer meeting before because the North Koreans would just use it as a propaganda forum. Calling a meeting on the spot gave me a reason to stop the North Koreans from evacuating the “evidence.”

The North Koreans delayed their response to my demand while they carried their dead and wounded back across the border. Since I was informed that CP Seoul had given the North permission to remove their dead and wounded, I had to live with that. I wanted to try to stop it, but it was just my driver and me in a precarious position. We expected to be shot at since the withdrawing KPA were very agitated and likely indifferent to the ceasefire if they were even aware of it.” (14)

As Nowak later wrote, “Fully aware that the KPA had just committed an unprecedented violent violation of the Armistice Agreement and with no indication that the KPA had accepted or would honor the cease fire, CPT Mizusawa demonstrated exceptional courage in the face of imminent danger and risk to his personal safety by walking the approximately 200 meter distance between UNC Checkpoint 4 and UNC Checkpoint 5 and back to determine the status of his soldiers, stabilize the intensely charged situation, and restore order in the JSA.”

At approximately 12:50 p.m., three pistol shots were fired from behind the PanMunGak building, which a Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) member reported as a KPA officer’s execution of two KPA soldiers. “I was contacted by an NNSC Major General,” Mizusawa said. “I don’t recall if it was the Swiss or Swede, but he reported that when he heard the gunshots, he went to see what happened and saw two KPA bodies being put in a vehicle and it was pretty clear to him that the North had summarily executed them. After that, I never saw my counterpart commander again, and I heard he was one of those executed. I have no knowledge on who the other person was, but there was speculation it was CPT Pak-chol, nicknamed “Bulldog”, the officer responsible for CPT Bonifas’ murder in 1976.” (15)

Mizusawa remained on Conference Row for the next 48 hours, as the 1st platoon rotated in to relieve the 4th platoon in place, because of North Korean threats to retaliate. It would be three consecutive nights deployed on full alert in the JSA. In the lead-up to the aforementioned skirmish, on the previous evening, the 22nd, at approximately 9 p.m., Mizusawa had deployed with the QRF after receiving a report of North Korean infiltrators in the UNC sector.
“We had a new night vision device in one of our key checkpoints, OP5 (observation point 5), which was the checkpoint that observed and photographed the1976 ax murders of CPT Arthur Bonifas, one of my predecessors as JSF commander. We had been running ambush patrols in the DMZ at night because there was evidence that the North Koreans were infiltrating across the border after dark. As JSF commander, I was always alerted when they thought North Koreans came across the border, and many were unconfirmed detections based on military intelligence assets located outside the DMZ. But that night, the report was from my soldiers who were observing an infiltration inside the JSA, and had a position on two humans. In this case, we were sure.” (16)

After the sighting was confirmed by the JDO and the battalion commander, LTC Chuck Viale, Mizusawa deployed his QRF, which he split into three squads. “I had a brand new platoon leader, Tom Thompson, it might have been his first week. I formed two of his squads into an “L”- shaped ambush position, with the squad at the left with its back to the border and the squad to the right blocking further ingress into the south. With LT Thompson to the right and SFC Taylor to the left, I positioned myself at the apex of the L, which was at the base of the famous poplar tree (the site of the ax murders). The third squad, accompanied by LTC Viale, was sent into the reeds, the tall grass common to wetlands, leaving from OP5 to engage the North Koreans or to flush them into our ambush kill zone.

We were all on the radio listening as OP5 vectored and reported the closing distance of the third squad, from a point about 200 meters from the apex, with the enemy soldiers about halfway in between. The chance for fratricide was high, and we had never trained on vectoring forces based on thermal imagery. Also, the enemy soldiers had to know they had been detected and were being surrounded and would rather die than surrender — given past precedent. We took our time. I was lying next to the poplar tree with my driver for over an hour in the cold trying to hear anything moving to our front. During this time, we received several reports of an increasing number of North Korean soldiers with automatic weapons lining up on the border. Then without warning, there was a burst of automatic fire about 50 meters front of us.” (17)

The firing came from the point man for the third squad. “Surprise was no longer an issue since the ‘cat was out of the bag’ so I had my jeep brought up and turned the lights on, pointing in the direction of where we believed the North Koreans were. I thought this would give us the visibility needed for a clean engagement with minimal risk of hitting our own soldiers, but it turned out to be a mistake. Even though the lights were angled downward, the thick reeds were about 10 feet high — too high and too dense to see anyone. It was like turning your high beams on in the fog. It definitely didn’t help our night vision. Lesson learned.

After things settled down, at least as much as they could under the circumstances, we waited quietly for the night vision device to recycle and to reacquire. This was not an easy wait, especially since I had given away my position, but my driver and I hunkered down at the base of the tree. LTC Viale was pushing point, with me at the funnel point of the ambush and two desperate North Korean soldiers in between. LT Thompson reported that the North Koreans were moving toward my location and not too long afterwards I could hear movement. My driver and I put our weapons on automatic; I remember my fingers being numb from the cold. It crossed my mind that it would be ironic if I was the second JSF commander killed at the base of this poplar tree.

After that, we didn’t hear anything more and didn’t want to recon by fire. We laid in wait another hour and finally decided to stand down after being convinced the North Koreans had managed to somehow slip back north. In retrospect, getting the 4th platoon back for some rest was good given their central role in the intense firefight the next day.

Although overshadowed by the next day’s events, this 22 November incident was very significant. It was the first shots fired in Panmunjom since 1953 and we expected the North to launch a major protest of the unprecedented hostile firing. I was in my office the following morning preparing a response when I was alerted for the other firefight [involving the defector].” (18)

Although the firing of small arms weapons within the JSA constituted a major violation of the 1953 Armistice Agreement, the North Koreans never lodged a protest over the incident, nor subsequently publicized it, which suggests a tacit admission they had initiated a hostile infiltration into the UNC sector. (19) More likely, 23 November was a dividing point in the history of the JSA.

On 1 December 1984, PFC Chang Myong Gi was posthumously presented the Bronze Star with a combat V, and was posthumously promoted to corporal. Mizusawa and four others were also awarded Bronze Stars with combat V devices (for valor). Army Commendation Medals were awarded to several other soldiers. A monument was erected memorializing Chang’s sacrifice. A memorial, including taps and a last roll-call, is held every year at Freedom House in the JSA on the anniversary of his death. New barracks were dedicated as “Chang Barracks” at Camp Kitty Hawk, which was renamed Camp Bonifas in 1985 to honor the JSF Commander who similarly sacrificed his life. (20) (21) The Sunken Garden was later filled in and renovated.

Vasily Matuzok was granted asylum in the United States and eventually ended up as a student at the Fletcher School at Tufts University under an assumed name. While there, he was reunited with Bert Mizusawa, who was a student a few miles away at Harvard University.

Because of political considerations, including the hemorrhaging of medals awarded following the invasion of Grenada in 1983, valor along the Korean DMZ went too long unrecognized by the military and the American government.

In July 2000, after years of petitions by veteran groups and individuals within the military, the Pentagon approved the award of the Silver Star to CPT Mizusawa, SSG Richard Lamb, SP4 John Orlicki and PFC Mark Deville, and the award of the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) for all who participated in the firefight. (22)

Mizusawa finished his time in Korea, and on active duty, as Assistant Operations Officer assigned to the UNC Military Armistice Commission in Seoul, leaving active duty on 1 November 1985. He remained in the Army Reserve, and was promoted to Brigadier General in a ceremony attended by former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki in a ceremony at Ft. Belvoir, VA on 27 January 2006. (23)

After leaving active duty, Mizusawa returned to school, earning a Masters Degree in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government and a law degree from Harvard Law School, as well as a Masters Degree in Strategic Studies from the Army War College. He held senior positions both in private industry and in the government, serving on the staff of both the Secretary of the Army and the Senate Armed Services Committee. He deployed twice on active duty; to Afghanistan in 2005 and to Iraq in the second half of 2006 where he served as Deputy to the Commanding General, Multinational Corps in Baghdad.

The “Soviet Defector Incident” as it has come to be known, has been called “the most serious and most violent incident in the 55-year history of the JSA”. The significance of the incident was not lost on President Ronald Reagan who cited its importance in his memoirs. Moreover, Mizusawa, who has become known as the “Last Veteran of the Korean War” is quick to remind us all that “the armed confrontation along the DMZ continues to this day.” (24)

Footnotes:

1. Baron, Scott. Telephone interview with BG Bert Mizusawa on 6 August, 2008
2. Haberman, Clyde. DMZ Defector Says He Acted Freely Foreign Desk-New York Times, 27 November 1984
3. Statement of LTC Henry J. Nowak concerning the firefight in the Joint Security Area, Panmunjom, Korea on 23 November 1984
4. Ibid.
5. Mizusawa, BG Bert K. – Official US Army biography
6. Baron, Scott. Telephone interview with BG Bert Mizusawa on 6 August, 2008
7. Statement of LTC Henry J. Nowak concerning the firefight in the Joint Security Area, Panmunjom, Korea on 23 November 1984
8. Statement by SGM Richard C. Lamb (then SSG1st Platoon, Joint Security Force Company) sworn to before CPT K.C. Deancrane, 19 June 2000
9. Ibid.
10. Baron, Scott. Telephone interview with BG Bert Mizusawa on 6 August, 2008
11. Statement by SGM Richard C. Lamb (then SSG1st Platoon, Joint Security Force Company) sworn to before CPT K.C. Deancrane, 19 June 2000
12. Baron, Scott. Telephone interview with BG Bert Mizusawa on 6 August, 2008
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. Ibid.
16. Ibid.
17. Ibid.
18. Statement of LTC Henry J. Nowak concerning the firefight in the Joint Security Area, Panmunjom, Korea on 23 November 1984
19. Associated Press U.S. Awards Bronze Star to Korean Killed in DMZ 1 December, 1984
20. Norris, Jimmy. U.S., South Koreans honor soldier killed in 1984 DMZ shootout Stars and Stripes – Pacific Edition, 23 November 2007
21. Dyhouse, Tim. Korea GIs receive CIBs Silver Stars. VFW Magazine, Sept 2000
22. Colonel Bert Mizusawa promoted to Brigadier General, Japanese American Veterans Association Newsletter, Vol II, No. 4, 8 February 2006
23. Statement of LTC Henry J. Nowak concerning the firefight in the Joint Security Area, Panmunjom, Korea on 23 November 1984

“America is the greatest country in the world. Today, we face great challenges, and how we address these challenges will determine if our nation will remain the preeminent global superpower. Our most important challenges is getting the U.S. economy moving again. It is time for real economic reform that fuels the economy with incentives to create real jobs, attract investment, and reduce government spending. People are hurting as they struggle to make ends meet. They’re worried about their future, and that of their children and grandchildren. I am committed to restoring economic prosperity for all Americans, enabling people to achieve the American Dream, paying down our national debt, and becoming an energy independent nation.”

• HEALTH CARE
• ECONOMY
• ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
• EDUCATION
• IMMIGRATION
• SECOND AMENDMENT
• ABORTION
• ISRAEL

HEALTH CARE

“All Americans deserve access to affordable, high quality health care, but I oppose health care legislation recently passed by Congress that mandates coverage and expands our already oversized government. I would have voted against it. The program proposed by the democrats raises taxes, increases government spending and debt, and lowers the quality of care, especially for elders on Medicare. As your Congressman, I will support strengthening the existing private market system with incentives that reduce costs and make it easier for people to purchase affordable insurance.  Controlling healthcare costs is the key to real healthcare reform. I am proud that our nation is home to the best health care in the world.”

Bert Mizusawa believes the private sector is the best source of solutions to reduce the increasing costs of modern medicine. The role of Congress is to create an atmosphere through incentives for business that encourage the purchase of health insurance across state lines, increase access to coverage and care, promotes prevention through healthy lifestyles, and legislation to prevent tort abuse by attorneys without expanding government, increasing the tax burden on the citizens, or passing on more indebtedness to next generations.

ECONOMY

“I believe that lower taxes give Virginians more money to use where we need it most, and they allow small businesses to create jobs. High taxes only stifle real economic growth, create big government, and kill jobs. Our nation’s debt is growing exponentially and is being fertilized by the Democrats’ dream of big government. We must reduce and eliminate our debt to improve the value of the dollar and attract business investment.”

Bert Mizusawa brings unique experience with our national financial system, which is the central nervous system of our national economy. In the early 1990’s, when the markets were performing respectably, Bert Mizusawa was an attorney representing institutional lenders who raised money for development, educational loans, and housing. Because of the vast amounts of money involved –these were the largest deals in the world at the time, there was a lot of risk hedging. Bert Mizusawa noted the emergence on Wall Street of “novel securities” (hedge funds and derivatives) with great concern – these were designed manipulated by unscrupulous financiers in questionable ways. In the private sector, brains follow money, and the government regulators did not keep up, in part because the regulators, such as the SEC and CFTC, and their respective congressional oversight committees, put turf above cooperation and the warning signs were ignored.

Bert Mizusawa will bring credibility to fighting the “regulatory arbitrage” that takes place when Wall Street profits seek the path of least resistance through the taxpayers’ wallets.  A healthy financial system, which responsibly and prudently provides capital for investment and jobs for families, is essential to a healthy economy.

The critical distinguishing features of our Second District’s economy is that it is the “Most Military District in the Nation.” Our Congressional District contributes to the Nation’s defense like no other district in America. Bert Mizusawa will ensure that the federal government provides the district with the resources we need to sustain our premier role in the nation’s defense. Bert also recognizes the importance of the maritime and tourism industries to the Hampton Roads area. He has had unique maritime experiences as a marine terminal operations officer, commander of a maritime Transportation Battalion headquartered at Fort Eustis, through his oversight of Panama Canal operations from 1995 to 2000, and through his high-level logistics responsibilities while deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Bert Mizusawa recognizes and supports the numerous and unique commercial and tourist attractions our district offers and is committed to their continued role in our economy.

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

“We have access to the cleanest and most affordable energy resources in the world. However, special interests have successfully created a bureaucracy that works at the expense of the taxpayer and against common sense. That red tape makes it time consuming and financially exhaustive to access and use these resources. I support the proven success of offshore drilling and nuclear power to bolster energy alternatives and independence, and I will support incentives to accelerate the development of wind, solar, nuclear, geothermal, and other energy sources. I firmly oppose a national cap and trade tax because of the increased costs families and businesses will be forced to pay.“

Under current and foreseeable economic conditions, we must provide inexpensive energy alternatives to support our economic and employment recovery. The responsible use of fossil fuels (oil, gas, and coal) that currently power our economy and way of life is the first alternative. The access to all feasible sources of fuels, including fossil fuels off-shore, should be increased and diversified in a safe, responsible manner.

Responsible energy and a clean environment go hand-in-hand. Bert Mizusawa supports research and development of alternative energies, particularly clean, renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal. He strongly supports a mix of tax incentives to promote research and development of alternative energy sources and solutions as well as tax offsets to businesses and individuals who invest in alternative energy technologies that will free us from dependence on foreign oil and reduce our carbon emissions. While we take care of our citizens and their well-being by providing reasonably-priced, reliable energy, we take care of our future, and the long-term power of America, by taking a long-term approach of reducing our dependence on outside sources to fulfill our energy needs.

EDUCATION

“Education is vital to the future of America. Unfortunately, a blind eye has been turned to education over the last few decades, allowing expansion of the Department of Education and its programs with limited accountability and ineffective spending of taxpayer money. I support education by improving the quality of our public schools, attainment of high standards and resourcing the tools to achieve them. I support school choice through charter schools and I will work closely with Governor McDonnell to ensure what happens in Washington is in the best interests of Virginia and the Second District.”

Bert Mizusawa believes that education is essential to a vibrant economy. Good education makes people happier and better able to enjoy the intellectual and financial rewards that life offers. Consequently, a better educated population equates to reduced crime, an enlightened community, and better employees. Bert Mizusawa believes in school choice through charter schools. He is committed to incentives that encourage our kids to stay in school and excel there. With three children enrolled in public schools, and having himself attended public elementary, middle and high schools in the District, Bert Mizusawa knows firsthand the importance of Virginia’s public primary education system. As our congressman, Bert Mizusawa will fight to maximize federal support for Virginia’s public education programs and work to ensure Virginia’s educators have the tools and resources they need to prepare our children and our adult students for the future.

IMMIGRATION

“We are a nation of immigrants and I welcome legal immigration. However, as a nation of laws, we must enforce the immigration laws that exist and not create new laws that protect or encourage illegal immigration. Enforcing existing laws will create a disincentive for those considering coming to America illegally. We should strengthen border enforcement and implement an employment verification system with strict penalties on businesses that hire illegal immigrants.”

SECOND AMENDMENT

Bert Mizusawa supports the Second Amendment and believes that the right to keep and bear arms is an individual constitutional right that our Founding Fathers gave us to protect our freedoms.

ABORTION

Bert Mizusawa is 100% pro-life and will vote that way in Congress. As a husband and father, Bert knows that we must protect the sanctity of human life.

ISRAEL

Israel lives every day under the threat of terror and is our closest ally in the Middle East. It shares with America a commitment to democratic ideals, a respect for faith, and a commitment to peace in the region. Bert Mizusawa supports US policy to protect Israel and her citizens from terrorist attacks.