Auction Ends: Jul 23, 2017 07:00 PM HST

Collectibles

RARE "Sparky for Senate" Scarf

Item Number: 104

Sold: 30 USD to btfsplk

Number of Bids: 5 - Bid History

Item Description

"Born in Kauai, Hawai`i, Masayuki "Spark" Matsunaga (1916-1990) was a three-term United States senator and a leading advocate for peace.
Matsunaga, originally commissioned in the Army in June of 1941 and serving on active duty at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, was a member of the 100th Infantry Battalion of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and was wounded twice in combat in Italy. He received the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.
After the war he graduated from Harvard law school, returning to Hawaii to practice law and begin his political career. He was among the Territorial Legislature leaders for Hawaii's statehood that was passed in 1959. In 1962 he was elected to the House of Representatives, making the rights of immigrants, the welfare of veterans, and the defense of Japanese Americans and other minorities his hallmark. In 1976 he was elected to the U.S. Senate, supporting legislation to establish the United States Peace Institute, a research organization located at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. Perhaps Matsunaga's greatest achievement in the Senate was obtaining redress for Japanese Americans who had been unjustly interned during World War II.
In 1990, Senator Matsunaga died while serving in the U.S. Senate. In his honor, the University of Hawaii established the Matsunaga Institute for Peace, in which scholars explore ways to resolve differences without resorting to violence." - www.publicdebt.treas.gov/

This scarf was from his 1982 bid for Senate and measures 26" square.

Item Special Note

Proceeds benefit Kona Historical Society, a 501c3 nonprofit. Winning bidder is responsible for shipping and Hawai`i State tax (4.166%). We try our best to ship items as economically as possible. Most are shipped flat rate but larger or unusually shaped items may need to be shipped priority. Winning bidder is also responsible for postal insurance if the item’s value is over $500. As with all auctions, item is sold “as is” with no refunds available.