Japanese American Military Experience Database
Shiro "'Jug'" Takeshita
Gender
Male
Birth date
1921-9-7
Place of birth
Salinas CA, U.S.A.
Inducted
1943-5-20, Ft. Douglas UT
Enlistment type
Volunteer
Service branch
Army
Service type
War
Unit type
Combat
Units served
522nd Field Artillery Battalion, Battery 'C' - A unit of the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team
Military specialty
Machine gunner; Field Artillery Lineman (641)
Stationed
Italy, France, Germany, Camp Shelby, Mississippi
Separated
Camp Atterbury IN
Unit responsibility
Artillery support for the 100th/442nd RCT.
Personal responsibility
To protect the flanks of the howitzers using machine guns and laying telephone lines from the battery to the command post of the 522nd battalion headquarters.
Major battles (if served in a war zone)
Rome-Arno; Northern Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe.
Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)
Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater Ribbon w/4 Bronze Stars
Presidential Unit Citation for rescue of the Lost Battalion
Good Conduct Ribbon
Victory Medal
Presidential Unit Citation for rescue of the Lost Battalion
Good Conduct Ribbon
Victory Medal
Living conditions
Living conditions during combat were rough. We slept mostly in our pup tents. We bathed out of our helmets whenever possible.
No entertainment during combat.
No entertainment during combat.
Most vivid memory of military experience
The liberation of the Jewish prisoners from Dachau Concentration Camp in Germany by members of the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion.
Most important thing, personally, to come from military experience?
Being a member of the 522nd Artillery Battalion that participated in the liberation of Jewish prisoners from Dachau Concentration Camp in Germany.
Our 522nd Artillery Battalion provided artillery support to the 442nd in the rescue of the Lost Battalion. Our 442nd infantry suffered over 70% casualties in that successful rescue.
