Gender

Male

Birth date

1921-1-2

Place of birth

Auburn WA, U.S.A.

Inducted

1944-6-1, Amache Relocation Center CO

Enlistment type

Draftee

Service branch

Army

Service type

War

Unit type

Combat

Units served

442 RCT - Infantry

Military specialty

Communications

Stationed

USA; France; Italy

Separated

Fort MacArthur CA

Unit responsibility

Combat unit - winning the war!

Personal responsibility

Communication Sergeant

Major battles (if served in a war zone)

North Appenines + 2 Battles in France (Po Valley)

Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)

3 combat medals; Good Conduct Medal; (unit itself received many awards.)

Living conditions

During combat, slept in foxholes/slit trench. Bathed whenever convenient (not too often). Ate K & C rations and hot meals prepared by company cooks. R & R - visited big cities.

Most vivid memory of military experience

My most vivid recollections are of my visits to Florence, Italy and Switzerland. Also to Bolzano (Italy) where we were sent to examine looted goods taken by German SS troops.

Missed most whilst in the military

Family and good food (home cooking).

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

How important family is. All four brothers in our family were in the military and when my younger brother (James) was killed in France, in 1945, I was sent home. My brother, Henry, was stationed with the MIS in Japan and the youngest, Hideo, served in the Marines. My family (parents & sister) were interned at Amache Camp during this time.

Additional information

The war years are vividly etched in my mind but after all of these years, the camarderie enjoyed by all veterans & families is great!