Gender

Female

Birth date

1923-5-8

Place of birth

Sacramento CA, U.S.A.

Inducted

1951-1-1, Sacramento CA

Enlistment type

Volunteer

Service branch

Usaf

Service type

War

Unit type

Support

Units served

Nurse Corps

Military specialty

Nurse Corps

Stationed

Texas; Philippines; Japan

Separated

Travis AFB CA

Unit responsibility

Nursing

Personal responsibility

Nursing

Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)

Korean Service Medal

Living conditions

Living conditions were normal military accomodations; nurses' quarters.

For entertainment, I usually went outside the base taking the train to Tokyo for shows, Kabuki, etc. Most of my friends seemed happy with steak dinners and dancing at the officers' club.

My most memorable times were spent exploring the countryside by bicycle with my brother George who was stationed in Korea and would fly down for visits. When I signed out a car, it was my brother (enlisted) who was saluted at the gate (as he was driving).

Most vivid memory of military experience

My most rewarding experience was a day spent with Mrs. Mariano, a public health nurse in the town of Angeles, just outside Clark AFB. What an inspiring, energetic 4 ft 8! She climbed up and down bamboo huts giving shots, caring for newborns, advising, etc. She made (me) feel we American nurses don't have challenges.

The funniest experience was the time my cousin (civil service) and I were on our way to a movie in Tokyo. I was not in uniform. Two GI's approached us. 'You, me, we go have takusan good time,' one of them said and showed us a Miyako Hotel card. 'Let's pretend we don't speak English,' I whispered to my cousin. We kept up a spirited conversation with 'Eigo wakarimasen,' 'Sukoshi,' etc. until it became so hilarious that I was about to burst out laughing, so I ran around the corner leaving my cousin.

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

In the military, we are in it together for the sake of democracy; that's why I volunteered. But I was constantly reminded of another 'war front.' The Navy turned me down because of my color. Black nurses and I were refused service at a Texas restaurant. It was no different than the 'outside' world.

Each year our VFW (Nisei Post 8985) is asked to speak to hundreds of students from second grade to colleges. Hopefully we are creating a respect for each other and a love of country.

Additional information

My five brothers and I served in the military.

1) Steve Seiji Sato, 442nd RCT

2) Sanji Don Sato, Army Occupation, Japan

3) Ronald Aizo Sato, US Air Force, Hawaii

4) George Kozo Sato, US Air Force, Korea and

5) Pete Naoshi Sato, US Army, stateside.

I practiced as a consultant in preschool Vision Screening and Blackbird Vision Screening System in Sacramento, CA.

Master in Nursing is from Case Western Reserve University, School of Nursing, Cleveland OH in 1948. Bachelor of Science from Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, MI in 1944.

Invented the Blackbird preschool vision screening system in 1975.