Sexo

Male

Birth date

1917-2-5

Local de nascimento

Gresham OR, U.S.A.

Inducted

1941-6-17, Tacoma WA

Tipo de alistamento

Draftee

Ramo das Forças Armadas

Army

Tipo de serviço

War

Tipo de Unidade

Combat

Unidades onde serviu

40th Division National Guard

442nd Regimental Combat Team, 3rd Battalion, Company I

Military specialty

Basic infantry.

Stationed

Washington, California, Texas, Alabama, Utah; France; Italy

Separated

Fort Lewis WA

Unit responsibility

Combat

Personal responsibility

Soldier

Major battles (if served in a war zone)

North Apennines, Po Valley, Rhineland Campaigns

Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)

American Defense Service Medal; American Theater Service Medal; European - African - Middle Eastern Service Medal; Distinguished Unit Badge; Good Conduct Medal w/Clasp; Victory Medal.

Living conditions

During combat conditions varied. Sometimes slept in abandoned buildings, other times in fox holes.

Bathed from field units when not in actual combat.

Meals were from our own kitchen unit as warm meals whenever possible. In actual combat we had cold packaged meals.

Not much time for entertainment during combat. We did get passes to town.

Most vivid memory of military experience

Not much humor experienced. Much relaxed when fighting ended. Was undecided as to my future as I was being discharged to a strange part of Eastern Oregon called Ontario. Had no job, just clothes from the military. No civilian clothing.

My parents lived here after relocating from internment camp. We no longer had a place in Vancouver, WA

Missed most whilst in the military

Home and family, food and entertainment.

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

To have mingled with different men from different parts of the world, also civilians. Would like parents to know that in general people are quite decent wherever we went - all are humans.

Additional information

My only gripe - not being welcomed home to Vancouver, WA to my former home. We no longer had our farm there due to the forced evacuation because of Government orders. Had to go to Ontario, OR, where my parents had relocated from internment camp, whereas other GI's had opportunity to go back to their former homes.