Gender

Male

Birth date

1919-7-27

Place of birth

Stockton CA, U.S.A.

Inducted

1940-10-1, Sacramento CA

Enlistment type

Volunteer

Service branch

Army

Service type

War

Unit type

Combat

Units served

Quartermaster Corps, Station Complement, Ft. Sill OK; Battery C, 522nd FA Bn, 442nd Infantry Regimental Combat Team

Military specialty

Artillery Forward Observer/Instrument Officer

Stationed

Ft. Ord, CA; Camp Haan, CA; Ft. Sill, OK; Camp Shelby, MS; Italy; France; Germany

Separated

Camp Kilmer NJ

Unit responsibility

522nd provided artillery support for infantry.

Personal responsibility

Accompany Infantry Unit on attack and locate and provide artillery fire for advance or cover.

Major battles (if served in a war zone)

Italian, French and German campaigns

Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)

Bronze Star - for providing artillery fire in the rescue of the 'Lost Battalion' in Bruyeres, France. My group of four accompanied I Company, 3rd Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment before, during and after the rescue of the Lost Battalion of the 36th Division.

Living conditions

During combat, I slept in foxholes dug by myself. I took no baths. I ate cold rations most of the time. We had no entertainment unless one considers destruction of enemy equipment and personnel as entertainment.

Most vivid memory of military experience

There are many, but the most vivid is my radioing back to Headquarters that our unit had reached our objective, the Lost Battalion. Our telephone lines were out (shot?) and it was a relief to be able to announce our success.

Missed most whilst in the military

It is difficult to say. Home, loved ones, freedom to describe what I could do and eating Japanese food are the things I missed the most.

Most important thing, personally, to come from military experience?

It was very important to me that I saw for myself what a real war was on a large scale in 1943-45, and to have been able to volunteer for a rather hazardous job. Initially, I had a rear echelon position as a motor sergeant. I was exposed to heavy fighting and came out of the experience intact and unscathed. To experience an active war is something which one can always use as a baseline for all activities in the subsequent years (since 1945).

Additional information

Before the war experience, I was a budding auto mechanic. I still repair and love cars. After the war (I was in the Army for over four years), I went to college under the GI Bill. I finished my Bachelor degree and received a PhD in Biology. Since then, I have taught and done research in Germany (MLX Plank Institute in Wilhelmshanen), Cornell University Medical School in New York City and have been at Harvard Medical School in Boston since 1960. I became emeritus Professor in 1990, but still (January 1995) come in to work every day at my old job, just for the fun of it. I, also, keep busy building my big garage, repairing my house and repairing cars.