Gender

Male

Birth date

1920-5-29

Place of birth

Loomis CA, U.S.A.

Inducted

1944-08-23, Denver CO

Enlistment type

Draftee

Service branch

Army

Service type

War

Unit type

Combat/sup

Units served

442nd Regimental Combat Team, Company D; 300th General Hospital, Naples, Italy.

Military specialty

Infantry; X-Ray Technician

Stationed

USA Other Countries: France; Italy

Separated

Camp Beale CA

Unit responsibility

Combat - Weapons X-Ray Technician 300th General Hospital

Personal responsibility

Light Machine Gun Instructor - X-Ray Technician School

Major battles (if served in a war zone)

Rhineland Campaign North Appennines Campaign.

Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)

Expert M1 Rifle European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal Good Conduct Medal Army of Occupation Medal World War II Victory Medal.

Living conditions

Accommodations were the open ground, pup tents, cots in tents, bed with mattress in a building. Baths were often far and few between - steel helmets came in handy as the means - showers were both temporary and permanent. Meals ranged from K-Rations to C-Rations to hot meals, to dining rooms with real dishes. Since I was in a forward replacement unit most of the time, I had access to music, athletic equipment and passes to cities.

Most vivid memory of military experience

While traveling through France in a 40' x 8' box car sounds cozy, try emptying your bladder while balancing yourself in the open doorway of a moving boxcar without giving yourself and your fellow GI's a 'golden rain shower'!

Missed most whilst in the military

My family!!!

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

Life is so fragile and precious. I could have been lying dead out there somewhere in France or Italy. I was lucky but I feel so very sad for all of those guys I trained with, who never made it back!

Additional information

In the twilight of my life on earth, I hope I can maintain some semblence of contribution to the people around me, ie., to the Yokote name. My father and mother went through so much hardship in trying to give the best they were capable of giving under trying circumstances. 'This is your country, Japan is not'! I had no problem with the military, except for the thought of never coming back from overseas. As our family gets smaller it also grows in stature, ie., with the addition of grandsons. I hope they never undergo the hardships there forebearer's did. The loss of loved ones, in particular Brothers Jack and Paul, and my wife of 49 years has made me appreciate what I have now. The World War II experience has made me a more understanding individual, even though I am by no means a perfect person.