Japanese American Military Experience Database
Henry Hidemi Furuya
Gender
Male
Birth date
1929-3-26
Place of birth
HI, U.S.A.
Inducted
1948-7-2, Honolulu HI
Enlistment type
Volunteer
Service branch
Army
Service type
War,peacetime
Unit type
Combat,sup
Units served
7/48-7/50: Enlisted Service (Cpl) 8309th Sig Svs, Ft Shafter, HI
8/50-1/51: Officer Candidate School, Ft. Riley, KS
2/51-5/51: Student Officer - The Infantry School, Ft. Benning, GA
6/51-7/52: POW Interrogation Officer, Hq 3rd Inf Div, Korea
7/52-7/53: Translation Officer, 509th MISP, Sendai, Japan
8/53-1/54: Co. Exec Officer, USARPAC DEF FORCE, Ft. Shafter, HI
2/54-2/81: U.S. Army Reserve (retired as a Colonel) Ft. DeRussy, HI
8/50-1/51: Officer Candidate School, Ft. Riley, KS
2/51-5/51: Student Officer - The Infantry School, Ft. Benning, GA
6/51-7/52: POW Interrogation Officer, Hq 3rd Inf Div, Korea
7/52-7/53: Translation Officer, 509th MISP, Sendai, Japan
8/53-1/54: Co. Exec Officer, USARPAC DEF FORCE, Ft. Shafter, HI
2/54-2/81: U.S. Army Reserve (retired as a Colonel) Ft. DeRussy, HI
Military specialty
9335 Intelligence Officer
Stationed
USA: Ft. Shafter,HI; Ft. Riley,KS; Ft. Benning, GA
Other Countries: Korea; Japan
Other Countries: Korea; Japan
Separated
Ft. DeRussey HI
Unit responsibility
POW interrogation and translation of captured documents.
Personal responsibility
POW interrogation, train enlisted interrogators, review interrogation reports and document translations.
Major battles (if served in a war zone)
Korea:
UN Summer-Fall Offensive
2nd Korean Winter
Summer-Fall '52.
UN Summer-Fall Offensive
2nd Korean Winter
Summer-Fall '52.
Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star
Korean Service Medal w/3 Bronze Service Stars
UN Service Medal
Meritorious Unit Commendation
Korean Presidential Unit Citation
National Defense Medal
1 O/S Bar
Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/2 Stars
Army Reserve Achievement Medal w/2 Stars
Bronze Star
Korean Service Medal w/3 Bronze Service Stars
UN Service Medal
Meritorious Unit Commendation
Korean Presidential Unit Citation
National Defense Medal
1 O/S Bar
Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/2 Stars
Army Reserve Achievement Medal w/2 Stars
Living conditions
We lived in squad tents with a pot belly stove on each end of the tent. These stoves did little to keep us warm during winter. We were provided army cots with air mattress to sleep on.
There was very little entertainment. I saw one USO show with Danny Kaye while in Korea.
There was very little entertainment. I saw one USO show with Danny Kaye while in Korea.
Most vivid memory of military experience
As an enlisted man in 1949, I was selected to be a pall bearer for Ernie Pyle during his reinterrment ceremony at the National Cemetary of the Pacific in Hawaii.
Missed most whilst in the military
Family and old friends, especially while in Korea.
Most important thing, personally, to come from military experience?
Gained maturity, enlisted as a nineteen year-old kid and left active service as a matured officer.
