Gender

Male

Birth date

1918-5-31

Place of birth

Redlands CA, U.S.A.

Inducted

1942-2-4, Ft. MacArthur CA

Enlistment type

Draftee

Service branch

Army

Service type

War

Unit type

Combat,sup

Units served

Company E, 2nd Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team

Military specialty

Personnel Clerk

Combat Infantryman

Stationed

USA: Camp Robinson, AR; Ft. Riley, KS; Ft. McClellan, AL.

Other Countries: Italy; France.

Separated

Ft. MacArthur CA

Unit responsibility

To fight for the freedom of our European allies.

Personal responsibility

As a Combat Infantryman, to engage the enemy and support my unit.

Major battles (if served in a war zone)

Battle of Bruyeres, France; Rescue of the Lost Battalion of the 36th Division (1st Battalion, 141st Regiment, 36th Division)

Southern France ''Champagne Campaign''

The break-thru and breaching of the Gothic Line in Nortern Italy.

Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)

Purple Heart
Good Conduct Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
Distinguished Unit Badge (for the rescue of the Lost Battalion in the Vosges Mountains in France)
7 Distinguished Unit Citations

Living conditions

Under combat conditions, especially in France's Vosges Mountains, sleeping in a fox hole, half filled with rain water, was without question, very miserable. Whatever rest we were able to have, occurred when we were placed in reserve and then it was in a stable, cave, or any kind of shelter.

Meals consisted of ''C'' rations (canned food).

Bathing was non-existent.

Entertainment was also nil. You lived from day to day, hour by hour under an infantryman's combat condition.

Most vivid memory of military experience

The most vivid memory I recall occurred during my initial battlefield encounter with the enemy during the rescue of the Lost Battalion. Our 3rd platoon of ''E'' Company was committed to surround and capture a group of Germans in the French Vosges Mountains. As we descended the mountain slope from atop (surprising the enemy), we were counter-attacked and pinned down. As I sought cover behind a tree, an enemy sniper had me zeroed in just as a bullet zipped inches above my head thru the tree trunk I was hiding behind. Realizing how close to ''make'' I was, I quickly scampered to another position. That minor incident, as my first initiation into combat, is one that I'll never forget.

Missed most whilst in the military

Food and family - As I love noodles, I really missed my mom's Japanese udon!

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

Personally, my military service helped me to grow into adulthood spiritually and physically, even though we had the face and features of the enemy. We had to prove, as American citizens, to the American public that we were true and loyal American citizens by fighting three battle during our military service; namely, (1) fight against prejudice and discrimination; (2) fight to prove our loyalty as true American citizens; and (3) fight for America's freedom against the enemies.

Additional information

I feel it was my duty as an American citizen to serve in military service, despite the fact that my family was unjustly incarcerated in America's concentration camp.

As a result of the valiant records of our 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team and Military Intelligence Service, we Japanese American, can now hold our heads high and be proud to be true and loyal American citizens!!