Gender

Male

Birth date

1914-6-28

Place of birth

Honolulu HI, U.S.A.

Inducted

1944-1-3, Schofield Barracks HI

Enlistment type

Volunteer

Service branch

Army

Service type

War

Unit type

Combat,sup

Units served

WW II: 27th Infantry Div.
308th Hq Intelligence Det.
168th Language Detachment (attached to 1st Calvary Div.)

Korean War:Island Command, Okinawa,(Ryukyu's Command), US Civil Administration

Military specialty

POW Interrogation, Translation, Interpreting Japanese

Stationed

Camp Savage, MN
Ft. Snelling, MN
Okinawa, Japan

Separated

Schofield Barracks HI

Unit responsibility

I was language officer detachment commander during the Okinawa Campaign and during occupation duty.

Personal responsibility

In charge of language detachment during WWII and Japan occupation.

During l950-1952, assigned to WSCAR in Finance Department. Primarily audited the Ryukyus Bd of Trade and assisted establishment of the Finance Department of the Government of Ryukyus.

Major battles (if served in a war zone)

Battle of Okinawa with 27th Inf. Division, primarily during mop up operation of Central and Northern Okinawa.

Living conditions

During the Okinawa campaign, in field tents, outdoors, etc. We washed ourselved by filling our helmets with water. We ate C Rations and later K Rations. Occasionally, we saw movies in rear island command headquarters.

During occupation duties in Japan, we slept in barracks with showers, ate in regular mess halls. For entertaiinment officers club, bingo, etc. Golf for compulsory exercise and weekends.

Most vivid memory of military experience

During Okinawa mop up operation, obtained through PW interrogation, information on hiding plans of Lt. Col. Aoyagi, 19th Air Sector Commander. Leading patrol and tracking him down and disposing of him as he tried to escape.

During occupation duty, intepreting at surrender ceremonies of commandant of naval gun powder factory in Hiratsuka, Kanazawa prefecture.

Surrender and takeover of Zama Military Academy.

Missed most whilst in the military

The wife and family and comforts of home.

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

There comes a time when a man has to be ready and willing to serve his country. To me and all the others who were given the opportunity to serve (after being classified as enemy aliens by the Draft Board) in whatever capacity when called upon, I feel a sense of deep satisfaction that I was not found wanting, that I was given the opportunity to train and contribute as a linguist and given the opportunity to attend Fort Benning and becoming an officer of the U.S. Army. I can hold my head up and look anyone straight in the eye as an American of Japanese ancestry.

Additional information

Although it was too late for me to take advantage of the G.I. Bill of Rights for college expenses, the language training I received at MISLS was accepted for 31 credit hours and as an ex-officer. I also received credit at the Univ. of Hawaii toward my bachelors degree. I did not go to college till I was 48 years old and received my BA in 1966 and MBA in 1968. So this, too, was a windfall from my military service.