Gender

Male

Birth date

1915-3-19

Place of birth

Honolulu HI, U.S.A.

Inducted

1941-11-15, Schofield Barracks HI

Enlistment type

Draftee

Service branch

Army

Service type

War

Unit type

Support

Units served

100th Infantry Bn
MISLS (Graduated Savage, Dec. 1942)
Psychological Warfare Branch, GHQ APO 500 (Manila, Philippines)
CCD, Tokyo, Japan

Military specialty

Military Intelligence
Japanese Language Instructor (MISLS Instructor)
Translator/Interpreter (Japanese)

Stationed

USA: Hawaii; Camp McCoy,WI; Camp Savage and Ft. Snelling, MN
Other Countries: Philippines; Japan

Separated

Camp Beale CA

Unit responsibility

1. 100th Inf. Bn - Combat training
2. MISLS - Train Japanese linguists to serve in the Pacific
3. Philippines (Manila) - carry out psywar activities (Preparation of psywar pamphlets and parachute news and broadcast to Japan).
4. Occupation of Japan, SCAP GHQ (Tokyo) - Democratization of Japan

Personal responsibility

See 'Unit's responsibility'.

Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)

WWII Victory Medal
American Campaign Medal
Good Conduct Medal
American Defense Service Medal
Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal
Philippine Liberation Ribbon w/ Bronze Star
Pearl Harbor Medal (received from US Navy in '94)
Commendation ribbon (for being faculty at MISLS)
Commendation from Director of Intel, HQ USAir Force, D.C.
Meritorious Service Civilian Award (Medal) from commander US Naval Force Japan upon retirement from Federal Civil Service (1983)

Living conditions

1. Schofield Bks, Camp McCoy WI, Camp Savage and Ft. Snelling MN - slept in regular army Bks or NCO quarters. Meals - typical Army mess - generally good.

2. Philippines (Manila) - certain members of Psywar branch lived in specially acquired civilian homes with Japanese POW's who worked with us. Food from U.S. Army QM was exceptionally good.

3. Entertainment - Mainly USO shows ; Movies and 'Special Services' programs

Most vivid memory of military experience

1. Wedding at Ft. Snelling chapel 1945.

2. At MISLS at Savage and Snelling, I held the most responsible job I have ever experienced - Division Chairman (Dept head in charge of 28 Military and Civilian instructors and 350 students).

3. In US Army camp near Manila, upon arrival from Ft. Snelling, I as team capt., asssigned team members to watch our tent at night guarding Japanese American GI's from possible Filipino attack (we heard the rumors).

4. Watching surrender ceremony aboard USS Missouri from roof of GHQ Bldg in Yokohama Bay 9/2/45.

Missed most whilst in the military

Home cooked meals, association with civilian friends, freer social life compared to Army life w/ many regulations and restrictions.

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

1. Administrative experience - supervising a large group of personnel as dept. head mentioned in 'Most vivid memory of military experience'.

2. Army life in general was worthwhile - well regulated and disciplined and orderly.

3. I am just about to write my autobiography explaining what I did especially in intelligence work which was highly classified in the past, including my childhood in Japan.

Additional information

1. Primarily because of education in Japan in early life and also stateside schooling (B.S. in Economics), I was able to obtain fairly decent positions in US Army and Federal Civil Service to mention a few below:
Japanese Language Instructor and Dept. Head
Team Captain overseas
During occupation, movie and news censor in GHQ
(1949 - 1983) Chief Interrogator/Interpreter
Liaison Officer and Translator
Military Assistance Program - Chief Linguist for AF Sec 13 years
Chief Linguist and Intelligence Research Specialist - at the same time I acted as a Liaison Officer between U.S. Navy (Admiral, U.S. Naval Forces, Japan) and Japanese Navy (JMSDF) for 15 years.

2. Thus I was able to work as a civil service employee for 41 yeas including 50 months of military service (U.S. Army). My knowledge of Japanese Language and Japan was a big factor in carrying out my mission in Japan. I kept up my Japanese Language capability all along. I enjoy reading Japanese newspapers (West Coast paper) and a monthly Japanese Magazine 'Bungei Shunju' published in Tokyo. I correspond with my relatives and friends in Japan using their native language.

3. My education can be summarized as follows which is rather unusual and irregular:
Asakura Chugakko (High School)
Ehine Normal School (Presently Ehime University) 1934
Iolani School and Hawaiian Mission University, Honolulu
University of Hawaii (attended 2 years)
Sophia University International Division in Tokyo - graduated 1961; (while working I attended night classes for 4 years - received a B.S. Degree in Economics).