日系アメリカ人兵役体験記録データベース
Frank Shizuto Okusako
Most GI's thought the food was fairly good. So good that on Xmas night, everybody was running to the toilet, including me. The next day, the Captain came storming in to the Orderly Room, asking the First Sgt. just what the Hell was in the Xmas meal. The Captain was an okay guy and mentioned that he too was fighting to use the toilets, as well as his wife and children. Apparently the large cooking vats had not been properly rinsed. We laughed the experience off as an expected Army SNAFU.
There was some difficulty adjusting to taking showers, especially when we had to wait in line. Nudity did not bother me as we showered because while in high school, most of us had taken showers with other students after physical exercises.
When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, I was in the recreation/USO building writing letters for home consumption. The radio was blaring on about the attack. My trepidation was what would my barrack mates say against the Nisei soldiers. Fortunately, most of the soldiers came from the Midwest and East and seemed to be able to distinguish the difference between the Niseis born in America from Japanese from Japan, obedient to the Emperor. On return to the barrack, no harsh words were spoken against us and, of course, we Niseis were extremely relieved.
Most of the 1941 draftees were thinking one year 'in' and 'out'. We were just living our lives one day at a time with no future thoughts about our progression for a successful and meaningful life. This deficiency was exemplified when our platoon sgt told me to lead the platoon during our marching exercise. Suddenly a truck was coming directly at us. I was stunned and speechless and couldn't give the order for a right flank and left turn. The Sgt gave the proper order to avert the truck. With the advent of the war, everyone had to learn to be well prepared and be conscious of what everyone was doing. It was a lesson well learned and such faulty indecisions were minimized during the remaining years in the service.
After basic training, my next assignment was with the 92nd Reconnaisance Squadron of the 2nd Cavalry at Camp Funston, Kansas. Our Squadron required that each man be able to operate the vehicles in our motor pool - trucks, half tracks, jeeps and motorcycles.
Riding a motorcycle required the most coordination because you shifted gears with the handle bar stick and throttle. Instead of practice on the proper technique, we were ordered to hop on the motorcycle and steam ahead. We had a few collisions when the cyclist froze on the handles and rammed into the trucks that were used as stoppers. Luckily for me, an experienced cyclist had taught me how to ride the 'Indian' around the streets and on the highways. Us motorized cavalry men might have thought we were 'hot stuff' for on bond drive parades at Salina and other small towns in Kansas, we wore breeches and leather boots, far different from the drab uniform worn by the other soldiers. The local girls wanted to take pictures of us and of them.
My duties at Camp Funston were to drive the Company Captain's vehicle (combat jeep) and be his 'bird dog' during manuevers. exercises. All these good times ended, when the Army ordered all Americans of Japanese ancestry to be relieved from their duties and be reassigned to menial duties at Army Posts, which for me was Fort Riley Station Compliment Detachment.
When I arrived at Fort Riley, the other Niseis had been assigned tasks as drivers, life guards, waiters, warehousemen, etc. My assignment was to be a waiter at the Advanced Cavalry Training School. The waiters were assigned to a special barrack away from the other Niseis assigned to Headquarters Detachment. Our working hours were from 4AM to 9PM, a long day. After 7 straight days of work, we rotated so on the 8th day a person would get a day off. After serving each meal at the Officer's Mess, we would have to set the tables for the next meal. An extra stipend of about $27 was given to us for the long week and long hours per day. Ha! they also demoted me to Private from PFC when transferred.
Serving breakfast was the toughest part of the day, as each officer could order from the morning menu. Taking 6 orders at one time was very confusing for me, especially when this one Colonel wanted his eggs specially cooked. These officers were spoiled and they were adamant about what they wanted and if an error was made we went right back to the cook.
Of course, we ate well, especially when frog legs, steaks, shrimp, etc. were served because our menu was the same. Between meals we had about an hour or more free time during which we napped or killed time at the PX or library or taking care of our laundry requirements. Serving as a waiter was drudgery.
Sometime in February 1943, we were told that cadres from similar posts would be sent to Camp Shelby, Miss. as the first contingent for the to be organized 442nd Infantry Regiment. When I arrived at Camp Shelby, I was jumped to a Tech Sgt of a Heavy Weapons Platoon comprised of 4 water cooled, 30 cal. machine guns. I studied hard to know the weapons and tactics designed for a Heavy Weapons Company.
When the Hawaii contingent arrived, there was concern over the promotions given to the mainland Niseis. For 'H' Company, Capt. Keegan maintained the mainland Niseis in their grade structure. Despite these events all the Niseis, both mainland and Hawaii, trained effectively and successfully under the hot and humid weather in Southern Mississippi.
Our tour of duty on the front lines could be 2 or 3 weeks, but sometimes longer. Eating was one of our priorities. I preferred the 'C' rations over 'K' rations because it tasted better. However 'K' was preferred on the front line because they were lighter and could be eaten without heating. Sgt. Nii, our mess Sgt would trade powdered potatoes and other items for fresh vegetable and rice, so we ate good.
Bathing on the front lines was never a viable option as survival was the foremost thing on our minds. Though water was insufficient, I can remember times when shaving and brushing teeth were completed. When we were relieved from the front lines, showering was a luxury and well appreciated.
CORPORAL HENRY MARUYAMA: Henry was a gentler representative of the Hawaii Nisei contingent that arrived at Camp Shelby. This was probably because his background was a little different fom the others. His older brother was on the staff of the University of Hawaii, and Henry himself was working on his degree there prior to his volunteering. Each heavy weapons platoon required an 'Instrument Corporal,' one versed in the intricacies of Map-reading and terrain interpretation. Lt. Crone and I therefore, decided that Henry should be this person. He was well-liked and was able to carry out his duties very well. After awhile however, it appeared that some of the more 'physical' aspects of the training was working a hardship on Cpl. Maruyama. Regrettably, a physical examination revealed that Henry was suffering from a rare disease known as 'elephantitis.' which required among other things, a salt-free diet. This led to his eventual release , much to Henry's disappointment; he wanted desperately to fulfill his commitment, but was not to be. He later overcame this disease, then completed his education and lived and worked in the Los Angeles area. He was a dear friend.
We were near Florence, Italy in August of 1944, when H Co. commander, Captain Keegan asked that I go with him to Battalion Headquarters. When we got there, Lt. Col. Hanley turned to his staff officers and asked, 'Do we have a gold bar?' He reached over to one of officers and took his gold bar from his collar and told him, 'You won't be needing these anymore. You're going to be a First Lt.' He then turned to me and pinned that gold bar on MY collar! I was now a Second Lt.!
After the German surrender, we were assigned to process POW's and requisition their equipment and money, which in some instances involved sizable amounts. I remember once turning over an entire payroll to US Finance personnel in the rear, obtaining a receipt and giving it to the German Officer from whom the money was taken, as instructed. While returning to the US with several other officers, one of them who was involved with this same finance operation told me that I could have kept the money, deposited it in an Italian bank, and some years later reclaimed it in US currency at an American bank, and telling whoever questions it that you won it in a crap game overseas. No doubt, this ploy was common practice with people in the know.
Another assignment after the war involved processing German nurses, including body-searches to be sure nothing was hidden in blouses, in arm pits, between legs, etc. The last I could not do! Who knows, there may be German ladies enjoying financial success due to my unworldly reluctance.
While training in Camp Shelby, I was once ordered to lead an attack to take a hill, which I managed to do, only to find that we had a surprise visitor. Col. Pence, Commander of the Regiment! He thought we did a good job. He then out of the blue, asked me, 'As a leader, what would you do if your group ran out of ammunition?' Taken aback by this unexpected attention, I was finally able to eke out what I thought was an unlikely reponse. I replied,'remove everything from the dead and wounded.' This drew a faint smile from the Colonel. I had hit the 'Jack-pot.'
While at Camp Funston and the 92nd Recon Squadron, I was the driver for the platoon Sgt's jeep. During one of our maneuvers, my Sgt. and I were racing down a dirt rod when he suddenly ordered a 'Right Turn' which I could not do as only a dirt bank lay to my right. He however, repeated the order, so I complied, and as I did, he went sailing out of his seat. Luckily, he was unhurt, but was probably very upset about it. In late 1944, I ran into him in Paris. He was still a Sgt. but with the partroopers. (Refer to file for more information)
LT. GLEICHER was an officer of the third platoon under Lt. Maurice Williams while in Camp Shelby. I got re-acquainted with him after I was assigned to the third platoon instead of my original first platoon by Capt. Keegan when I was promoted to 2nd Lt. in July of 1944. I was with the third platoon until I was wounded in France in October, requiring hospitalization, after which I lost contact with Lt. Gleicher, although I had heard that he was captured by the Germans. I caught up with him after the war when I looked him up in New Jersey, when I visited the area as an Air Force (civilian) manufacturing engineer. He verified that he was indeed captured and was suffering from a broken arm. When capture seemed eminent, he got rid of his dog-tags as he was Jewish and wanted to avoid any repercussions because of that. He assumed another name and was treated well in a hospital and then sent to a camp from where he was released after the surrender.He returned to his career as a high school teacher in New Jersey, where he contributed his usual optomistic enthusiasm to his students, He passed away some time ago.
FRIENDLY FIRE: I was on the front-lines with my first platoon near Pisa with the forward observer of an 155-mm. artillery unit, an addition to our usual artillery support, which was our own 522nd FA Battalion.We were all in our fox-holes when suddenly we were bombarded by artillery! That this happened apparently without the forward observers' knowledge was sickening. We were completely helpless; now we knew how the enemy must have felt when bombarded this way. Someone must have issued some errorneous firing data to support units other than ours. One note about the 522nd: They were later assigned to the German front where eventually, they encountered and freed inmates of the notorious Jewish Extermination Camps run by the Germans in Dachau. The 522nd's role in this part of history howevr, was unjustly kept out of the news and was only brought to light a few years ago when some former inmates came across a few of their Nisei liberators in California. Similarly, the 100th Battalion's role in the capture of Rome was kept out of the news by authorities denying their triumphant entry to that city in favor of white American troops.
My first witness of black soldiers fighting for their cause against the Army's racial segregation policy was at Ft. Riley, Kansas. All soldiers wanted to see the USO Ann Sheridan show. The seats in the 'whites only' section were immediately filled but the 'black only' section was about 80% occupied. The white soldiers waiting outside raised such a commotion that the ushers allowed the 'black only' section to become semi-integrated. The blacks rose and objected as their late arriving friends would be denied seating. The base commander, General Chamberlain demanded that the black soldiers sit down and allowed the ushers to fill the vacant seats. I felt dumbfounded when the defiant black soldiers rose en masse and strode out of the theater. I felt proud for them for fighting against an unfair policy. What actions were taken over this incident were never announced but technically it was mass disobedience or mutiny.
