Japanese American Military Experience Database
Joe Kawakami
Gender
Male
Birth date
1929-5-22
Place of birth
Oakland CA, U.S.A.
Inducted
1948-7-1, Chicago IL
Enlistment type
Volunteer
Service branch
Army
Service type
War
Unit type
Support
Units served
U.S.S. Prairie AD-15 Destroyer Tender
Military specialty
Machinist Mate (Cadet Engineer)
Stationed
U.S.A., Japan, Phillipines
Unit responsibility
Service and maintain 6th Fleet Destroyer Squadrons
Personal responsibility
Operate and maintain ships main engines and engineering equipment.
Major battles (if served in a war zone)
Korean War Services
Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)
Korean War service, United Nations Service, China Service, Good Conduct Medal, Effeciency
Living conditions
Navy on-board ship life, we had good sleeping quarters, ate good food and had all around good living conditions.
Most vivid memory of military experience
Shore patrol duty at Sasebo, Japan was real exciting policing the United Nations military forces.
Missed most whilst in the military
Family and good home life
Most important thing, personally, to come from military experience?
The military life taught me about dicipline and helped me to get started towards a career in engineering which I am still working full time.
