American Legion, Embassy of Japan host event honoring alliance

The American Legion and the Embassy of Japan cohosted an event March 26 honoring the U.S.-Japan alliance and the future of cooperation between the two nations.

American Legion National Commander Brett Reistad, Ambassador Shinsuke J. Sugiyama, and members of Congress came together during the Capitol Hill reception to celebrate the alliance that has strived to secure peace in the Pacific for the past 70 years.

“Our alliance is working 24 hours (a day) and 365 days (a year) for the sake of maintaining of the peace and stability of the region,” said Sugiyama. “The members of the Legion know better than anyone what it means to work together in pursuit of the shared goal – the keeping of the peace.”

Reistad underscored the significance of the U.S.-Japan alliance, calling Tokyo the “anchor” of Washington’s security relations throughout the Indo-Pacific.

“The American Legion recognizes the strong strategic, cultural and economic ties that bind our countries together,” Reistad said. “Having a stalwart ally like Japan in an increasingly dangerous world is one of the greatest benefits we Americans have.”