George Nakamura

NAKAMURA George Nakamura (Age 96) Lt. Col. US Army (Ret) Of Springfield, VA, passed away on Saturday, May 28, 2016 at home. Born in Reedley, CA on November 26, 1919, he lived most of his life between Japan (US Military Bases) and Northern VA. At age four, his father sent the family to Japan with the intention of joining them. George and his seven siblings along with his mother returned to the United States in 1929, where they helped work the family farm in Reedley. In 1939, George attended San Francisco State College studying music. When the war broke out he joined the Army despite the fact that his family was relocated to internment camps. While in the Army, he was selected for special training at Camp Savage, MN, based on his superior Japanese language skills. In 1943 he was sent to Australia and then to Dutch New Guinea where he served as a translator and interrogator. After the war, George worked for the Department of the Army, stationed in Tokyo. He later transitioned from the military to the Federal Government for the remainder of his professional career. In 1946, George met his future bride, Sylvia Tanaka, while visiting his brother in Minnesota. They married in January 1947 and moved to Tokyo, where their four daughters were born. In 1966, they returned to the United States, settling in Vienna, VA, where they lived until 2010. George and Sylvia were residents of the Greenspring retirement community in Springfield, VA. George was a hard working man who loved his family. He is survived by his three daughters, Joyce Barnekov of Oak Hill, VA, Patricia Martin of Hamilton, GA, and Linda Nakamura of Charles Town, WV; his brother, Charlie of Reedley, CA, his sister, Michiye Kobayashi of El Cerrito, CA; his grandson, Garret Martin; two granddaughters, Jenna Martin and Devon Barnekov; and two great-grandchildren, Jolie and Ethan Martin. His wife Sylvia and his daughter Diane Nakamura preceded him in death. Funeral services will be held at the Ft. Myer Old Post Chapel, on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 at 1 p.m. Interment will follow at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. The online guestbook is available st www.moneyandking.com www.moneyandking.com