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Conferment Ceremony for Commendation of the Consul General upon Mr. John Hopper (May 17th, 2014)
Ceremony at Camp Amache site (Courtesy of Mr. Gil Asakawa)
A Conferment Ceremony for Mr. John Hopper to receive the decoration of Commendation of the Consul General for 2014 was held at Granada High School in Colorado on May 17th, 2014. The ceremony was held in conjunction with the annual pilgrimage to the Camp Amache WWII detention center, which is held each year in May. Approximately 150 people were in attendance, including many from the pilgrimage. At the ceremony, Consul General Ono conferred Mr. Hopper with an official certificate and a small token, after which Mr. Hopper gave remarks of gratitude. In his remarks, Mr. Hopper said it is very important to maintain the history of Camp Amache as citizens of the town of Granada, and also thanked the people around him for their support. Mr. Timothy Dore, State Representative or Colorado House District 64, offered remarks for the occasion as well. He praised Mr. Hopper's achievements, and outlined House Joint Resolution 14-1017 which commemorates the 20th anniversary of Camp Amache's registration as a national historic landmark.
Consul General Ono and his wife also attended the Amache pilgrimage prior to the conferment ceremony. This pilgrimage is conducted annually as a memorial for 114 people who lost their lives while interned at the Camp. Because this year marks the 20th anniversary of Camp Amache's registration as a national historic landmark, there was a much larger turnout than a typical year, including a number of visitors from out of state among those joining in.