This summer, the Okinawa Association of America (OAA) will present a series of educational events to commemorate the 70th anniversary of World War II’s Battle of Okinawa. They will start on June 20 for Irei no Hi*, an annual memorial day in Okinawa to honor the 200,000+ soldiers and civilians who died in the devastating “Typhoon of Steel.” The OAA’s Irei no Hi event will include lectures from local scholars, Skype video messages from Okinawa (schedules permitting), and live performances of songs that are relevant to the war and post-war experiences of Okinawans. (RSVP required). Please visit oaamensore.org or their Facebook page (Okinawa Association of America 2009) for more information. For inquiries or to RSVP for June 20, please contact the OAA at oaa.mensore@gmail.com or 310-532-1929. (*The actual date for Okinawa’s annual memorial day is June 23.)