Gender

Male

Birth date

1918-4-21

Place of birth

Lafayette CO, U.S.A.

Inducted

1942-1-16, Ft. Logan CO

Enlistment type

Volunteer

Service branch

Army

Service type

War

Unit type

Combat

Units served

MISLS (Graduated Savage, Dec. 1942)
Canadian Grenadiers (Aleutians)(7th Infantry Div, Kiska)
JICPOA U.S. Navy (intercept message)(Iwo Jima), 5th Marine Division

Military specialty

MIS Interpreter, Translator and Interrogator
Military Intelligence

Stationed

USA: Camp Roberts, CA; Camp Robinson, AK; Camp Savage, MN; Aleutians
Other Countries: Sasebo, Japan; Iwo Jima; Saipan

Separated

Denver CO

Unit responsibility

Gather all vital military information as soon as possible.
Military intelligence

Personal responsibility

To interpret all documents as to their validity and translate any, which may be of immediate value.

Major battles (if served in a war zone)

Aleutians--I was assigned to the Canadian Grenadiers as they had no one to handle any Japanese papers in case it fell into their hands.
Kiska Campaign--Saipan towards the final stage
Guam and Iwo Jima Campaign.

Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)

Purple Heart for Iwo Jima

Living conditions

During the Kiska invasion, it was K-Rations. Later, we were at Adak in Quonset huts and took our meals with the Air Force.

Saipan was C-Rations. We slept in pup tents. On my second tour on Saipan in 1945, it was a Quonset hut on cots. Same on Guam on my second tour. We took meals with C-B's and they were very good.

We never bathed during combat. Later, it was showers in stalls. Iwo was the worst. Slept in fox-holes. Water was rationed. C-Rations.

Entertainment--none I can recall. I don't know why I went into combat as only one assigned to a unit. Never had 3-4 as other MISers.

Most vivid memory of military experience

While interrogating a wounded soldier (burned by flame thrower), he passed away very quietly. But, prior to his demise, he kept pointing to his tunic pocket, so I took out a letter which he had written as he very quietly was telling me to mail it for him. I later mailed it when I reached Japan.

Missed most whilst in the military

Conveniences of home and the freedom to move about.

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

The pride that you were able to contribute some small measure in the struggle to show the others that we as Niseis gave our utmost. The experience which I received and the comaraderie and new friends which I gained and to this day many are still my buddies. I think it taught me to be tolerant and to better understand other people's feelings and their views and opinions.

Additional information

I was recalled for duty during the Korean War. But due to my physical condition (ulcers), I was spared from overseas duty and remained stateside as an instructor at the Presidio of Monterey at the Language Institute. I was there for 14 months teaching Japanese to a group of Air Force men.

Residence: Denver, CO