Japanese American Military Experience Database
Roy Saburo Nishida
Gender
Male
Birth date
1926-04-01
Place of birth
Los Angeles CA, U.S.A.
Inducted
1950-9-26, Los Angeles CA
Enlistment type
Draftee
Service branch
Army
Service type
War
Unit type
Support
Units served
119th Transportation Port Co., Ft. Lawton, Seattle, WA.; 8116th Rycom Sp. Troops HQ's & HQ's Co. (Okinawa)
Military specialty
Interpreter/Translator (Japanese)
Stationed
Seattle, WA; Okinawa, Japan
Separated
Rycom HQ's, Okinawa Ja
Unit responsibility
Staff and maintenance support of the command HQ's
Personal responsibility
Supervision of Japanese (Okinawan) employees ar the Rycom Cmd. HQ's
Major battles (if served in a war zone)
N/A
Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)
Japan Occupation Medal
Living conditions
Living HQ's - Barracks (Stateside), Quonset Hut (two EM's per room) overseas.
Bath - Outdoor shower hut (overseas).
Meals - Served in HQ's staff dining room (overseas).
Entertainment - Movies in theaters (overseas), Dances at EM Club (overseas).
Off-duty - activities in town, activities at post library
Most vivid memory of military experience
Was the most rewarding experience of my lifetime. Gained a sense of patriotism (to my country), in addition to other valuable life experiences.
Missed most whilst in the military
Really nothing much other than Japanese food. Overall, gains actually offset losses in my case.
Most important thing, personally, to come from military experience?
To prove my allegiance to the U.S. I would want others to know that the best way to serve their country is through the military service.
Additional information
I am 'Kibei-Nisei' who returned to the 'States' after being raised and educated in Japan in 1947, after WW II. I was drafted into the US Army when the Korean War broke out in 1950.
I do not have any wartime camp experiences, stateside, but I feel my wartime experiences in Japan were equally as tough as those experienced by my brothers, sisters and other Niseis in stateside camps.