Gender

Male

Birth date

1924-4-10

Place of birth

Indio CA, U.S.A.

Inducted

1943-2-1, Fort Douglas UT

Enlistment type

Volunteer

Service branch

Usaf

Service type

War,peacetime

Unit type

Combat,sup

Units served

Anti-Tank Company, 442nd RCT, Camp Shelby, MS and European Theater of Operations; First Airborned Task Force, 517th RCT, Southern France Invasion; Squadron A, Photo Lab, Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX; Squadron A, Photo Lab, Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, TX; 7499th Composite Squadron, Wiesbaden, Germany; 4444th TAC Reconnaissance Techinical Squadron (Recon Tech Sqdn),Shaw AFB, SC; 497th Recon Tech Sqdn, Wiesbaden, Germany; Air Force Special Photographic Processing Facility, USAF Missile Command, Westover AFB, MA; 9th SAC Recon Tech Sqdn, Kadena AFB, Okinawa, Japan and Beale AFB, CA.

Military specialty

MOS: 23490, Precision Photographic Processing Superintendent

Stationed

USA: Camp Shelby, MS, Lackland AFB, TX, Sheppard AFB, TX, Shaw AFB, SC, Westover AFB, MA, Beale AFB, CA; European Theater of Operations; Southern France; Wiesbaden, Germany;Kadena AFB, Okinawa, Japan.

Separated

Beale AFB CA

Unit responsibility

Infantry; Reconnaissance

Major battles (if served in a war zone)

War Zone: European Theater of Operation; Major Battles: Rome-Arno Campaign, Southern France Campaign with Bronze Service Arrowhead, Rhineland Campaign, North Apennines Campaign, Po Valley Campaign.

Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)

Combat Infantryman Badge; Combat Glider Badge; Bronze Star Medal; Meritorious Service Medal; Air Force Commendation Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters; Distinguished Unit Badge with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters; Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters; Outstanding Airman of the Year Ribbon and many more; Tactical Air Command Airman of the Year - 1962.

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

I was proud that I was able to personally participate in the betterment of the Japanese Americans living in the United States. My proudest and happiest moment was when our parents received their United States citizenship. Last but not least, we live in the BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!

Additional information

I was in the US Army from February 1943 to April 1946 and the US Army Air Corps and US Air Force from April 1946 and retired September 30, 1974