性別

Male

生年月日

1916-12-16

出生地

Hanford CA, U.S.A.

入隊した年

1941-3-31, Hollywood CA

入隊のタイプ

Volunteer

所属・部署

Army

兵役のタイプ

War

所属部隊のタイプ

Combat

所属部隊

F-Co., 163rd Inf. Reg.
41st Division, Hq & Hq Co.
1544th SU, Ft. Thomas, KY
Spl Weapons Training, Ft. McClellan, AL
I-Company, 442nd Regimental Combat Team

特殊技能

Rifleman, bugler, radioman, telephone man, supply clerk, anti-mine and demolition man.

最終目標

USA: Washington, Kentucky, Alabama
Other Countries: France, Italy

除隊した年

Camp Locket CA

所属部隊の役割

Infantry combat

所属部隊での個人的役割

While with the I Company, 442nd RCT, radio & telephone communication and anti-mine.

主な戦闘（交戦地帯へ従軍した場合）

Po Valley Campaign
Central Europe Campaign
No. Apennines Campaign

勲章・褒章（個人又は所属部隊）

Unit citation for the Lost Battalion rescue
Bronze Star for Lost Battalion rescue
Purple Heart w/cluster for action in France and Italy
Combat Infantryman Badge
Good Conduct medal
Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign w/3 Battle Stars
American Defense Badge
American Campaign Badge

I was the 300 Radioman in Tak Senzaki's patrol and this patrol was the very first to contact the Lost Battalion. I believe a soldier by the name of Mut Sakamoto made the first contact.

生活状況

Oct./Nov. 1944, due to rain and snow, I slept in fox-holes sitting on my helmet. Usually fox-holes were muddy and cold.
We were very fortunate that I Company cooks were very active and brought us warm food whenever they could and they made a great effort to have rice and okazu Hawaiian style.
In our free time in rest camp, we got clean clothings and a bath in some public bath where available.
We all scampered around looking for perfumes.

軍隊生活で最も記憶に残っている出来事

Following the Lost Battalion episode, I-Company pressed forward for several days and ended up with only 5 riflemen. T/5 Taba was leading us with some medics, litter bearers and artillery observers.

The Po valley push in Italy was a disaster for us as one day in April, 1955 our command post was hit by a direct fire and although I was injured with a couple of other soldiers, something like 15 men lost their lives with a single shell.

Our first contact with France, going from Dijon to Lyon, the train stopped and everybody jumped out of the 40 x 8 as they had no toilet facility, and going to the station restroom, we found our way to the water closet location. And as each one of us felt comfortable and relaxed, standing on a shower-pan like device, looked around and found a chain device and to our surprise, we all got our boots washed as well as the others.

軍隊にいる間、最も懐かしかったもの

We missed a good home cooked meal and a good rest.

個人的に軍隊経験から学んだ最も重要なこと

We witnessed the devastation of what war can do - not only to material things but to people as well. France was not as bad as Italy where the Germans had sacked the country, people had no food, and it wasn't uncommon to hear of brothers pimping for their family. And they all needed U.S. money so they could deal in the black market.

その他の情報

Allthough I was injured twice and still disabled, I was able to go to school and get married. I had a good life, even worked for 18 years for the City of Gardena, before I retired. It could only happen in the good ole USA.