Sexo

Male

Birth date

1921-4-13

Local de nascimento

Pasadena CA, U.S.A.

Inducted

1944-7-1, Fort Logan CO

Tipo de alistamento

Draftee

Ramo das Forças Armadas

Army

Tipo de serviço

War

Tipo de Unidade

Support

Unidades onde serviu

MISLS D-2 (Graduated Snelling, Dec. 1944)
Allied Translation and Interpretors Section, Headquarters 8th Army Judge Advocates Section - War Crimes Division

Military specialty

Military Intelligence
Interpreter/Translator/Interrogator

Stationed

USA: Texas; Ft. Snelling, MNM
Other Countries: Philippines; Japan

Separated

Zama Replacement Depot JA

Unit responsibility

Military intelligence.
Interpret, translate and interrogate - investigate

Personal responsibility

Interpret, translate and interrogate - investigate

Major battles (if served in a war zone)

None

Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)

Asiatic Theater Medal
Victory Medal
Good Conduct Medal
Occupation Medal
Expert Rifleman Medal

Living conditions

Tent, quonset hut, warehouse.
K-rations, Army grub mess-kit style. Food better than what the enemy had.
Used rain caught in tent flaps in makeshift showers.
Sang songs, visit with natives. Visited places that were not off limits.

Most vivid memory of military experience

Interrogation of a Japanese sailor P.O.W. in the Philippines. Uncooperative and afraid to reveal much even though the war had ended. Using a bit of psychology, I began to talk about how I liked Japanese songs and I sang a Japanese song 'Futari wa wakai' (We're both young). He started to smile and I asked if he would teach me a Japanese song. After talking awhile he started opening up and by the time I learned the song, 'Bunga wan soro', he was telling everything including the fact that he was glad to hear the war was over. When I informed him we would be sent to Japan for the Occupation, he started to tell of all the nice places to visit, not knowing how much of Japan had been destroyed by bombs, fire and the atomic bombs.

Another episode that I cannot forget is seeing, after arriving in Japan in October of 1945, the starving and elderly so weak some could not even stand. I was transferred to 8th Army Headquarters Judge Advocates section to work on the B class War Crimes with the Criminal Investigation Detachment (C.I.D.) along with three other Nisei. We were housed in the warehouse of the Silk Mill in Yokohama. I cannot forget or erase from my memory, seeing Japanese women, some with babies on their backs scooping the left-overs that the G.I.'s dumped into the garbage cans after meals. The sight of one lady scooping the slop with a can and giving it to the baby she carried on her who had scabs all over its face, body, and arms, brought tears to my eyes. From that day on I would tell the grub servers I was hungry and had them completely fill my mess kit. I would then eat half and take the balance out to share it with those waiting outside, especially those with babies and children. To this day when these secenes comes to mind, tears fill my eyes. How I would like to have shared this with people who don't know how well off they are. There are many stories like this to tell.

Missed most whilst in the military

Loss of some good friends I grew up with. War is something to be avoided if at all possible.

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

Being on TDY (Temporary duty) much of the time did not provide me opportunity for advancement. After discharge from the service, worked for the War Dept. for two years.