Gender

Male

Birth date

1923-1-11

Place of birth

Compton CA, U.S.A.

Inducted

1944-8-10, Fort Benjamin Harrison IN

Enlistment type

Draftee

Service branch

Army

Service type

War,peacetime

Units served

71st Signal Serv. Bn.

Military specialty

MIS (6 months training); Ft. McClellan, ALA (Basic Training); Camp Edison, NJ (Cryptography Training); Japan, Tsukiji (Interpreter Signal Corp.).

Stationed

Ft. McClellan, AL; Minneapolis, MN; Camp Edison, NJ; Tokyo, Japan; Tsukiji, Japan

Separated

Ft. Sheridan IL

Unit responsibility

Sending/receiving/monitoring messages in direct contact with McArthur's HQ.

Personal responsibility

In charge of all Japanese nationals employed by the Army.

Major battles (if served in a war zone)

N/A

Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)

Presidential (Distinguished Unit Badge Unit Citation Awarded) to the 71st Signal Service BN; Good Conduct Medal; American Theater RIB; Asiatic Pacific Theater RIB; Pacific Theater of Operation Medal; Victory Medal; Army of Occupation Medal.

Living conditions

Our Unit occupied as billet - girls' school building with 3 stories, gym, cafeteria, swimming pool, 3 person per room. Transmitter/receiver/teletype equipment was housed in separate building approximately 200 yds away occupying about 5 thousand sq. ft. on the man-made island. Meals - no complaint except for the lack of rice. Entertainment - hitched ride into Tokyo or often times req. jeep. Drove into Yokohama to visit relative on 3 days pass or Atami was my favorite until Army made it their R&R.

Most vivid memory of military experience

Being only Nisei attached to this unit I was responsible in solving all problems arising between the GIs and Japanese girls/wives of Japanese national. I was acting as judge/jury to all coming before me. How best to issue each disposition with sound mind, honesty, compassion and hopefully proper. Sure all cases were serious to persons involved. To me humorous now because at 22 yrs old, what do I know about life? I've never been in love.

Missed most whilst in the military

Rice and miso shiru. Being born and raised on a small farm in Compton, CA with a personality of an extreme introvert, it was a learning lesson.

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

In Japan everyone called/addressed me as 'America-San.' In USA, I'm not considered an 'American,' so who am I? Man without a country? I became more assertive. Blushing talking to girls was no more my style. I became more visionary. I knew my goal. From my wife to be, to the lifestyle, I never looked back. 'If' 'But' was never to be. (Know this) Stop dwelling on the past. Set goal but live today because even this moment is gone.

Additional information

I'm not a college graduate. I couldn't afford it. But success is not judged by how many titles you can attach after your name, but how well you lived your life. After all we all die in the end. Hopefully with peace of mind. My favorite Hawaiian expression: The greatest sin is to die without forgiving yourself and others.