Sexo

Male

Birth date

1923-8-8

Local de nascimento

Watsonville CA, U.S.A.

Inducted

1944-5-6, Detroit MI

Tipo de alistamento

Volunteer

Ramo das Forças Armadas

Army

Tipo de serviço

War

Tipo de Unidade

Combat

Unidades onde serviu

442nd Regimental Combat Team, 3rd battalion, Company L

Military specialty

Combat Rifleman

Stationed

U.S. Camp Shelby, Miss., France and Italy

Separated

Fort Dix NJ

Unit responsibility

Combat duty in France and Italy against German forces.

Personal responsibility

Rifleman

Major battles (if served in a war zone)

North Apennines, Po Valley, Rhineland

Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)

European African Middle Eastern Services Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Purple Heart, Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, World War II Victory Medal, Germany Occupation Medal.

Living conditions

During combat I slept in foxhole, farmhouses & whatever cover was available. Also slept in a barn on manure pile to be warm. Did our bathing from our helmet and rivers. Ate C-ration, K-ration, D-ration, & G.I. meals. Had rice when the cook would exchange potato for rice from other units. For entertainment we shoot craps/cards & few USO show. During occupation hosted a Christmas party for the orphans of the Pisa, Italy area.

Most vivid memory of military experience

1). Company L's experience at the Gothic Line in Italy was captured in interviews in Las Vegas in 1995 and resulted in the documentary 'Honor Bound'. US forces were stalled for 5 months at the Gothic Line in Italy. Other outfits tried to break the line but were unsuccessful. So the Army called on the 442nd from France to break the Gothic Line. The 442nd RCT was to attack from several fronts. My company L was to attack from the rear. We marched one night to Azzano at night so the Germans would not see us from the observation post atop the 3000 foot Mt. Folgorita. We slept during the day. On the second night, we descended into the valley and moved to scale Mt. Folgorita. We taped our dog tags so they would not rattle, banned lights, radio and talking as this was to be a surprise attack from the rear. It was an 8 - 10 hour climb up an almost vertical mountainside. We hung on to each other as it was dark and we could not see our hands in front of us. We could not talk or make any noise and if anyone slipped and fell, we were not to stop. I heard someone fall but kept climbing. We were about half hour late reaching the top of the mountain. The sun was just coming up. Our squad was the first one to make the attack on the Gothic Line and I was the third man there. When I looked to the left, I saw a bunker with a machine gun pointing at us. But fortunately, they were sleeping as they did not expect anyone to climb the mountain. If they were awake, I don't think I would be here to tell you this story. We broke the Gothic Line in one-half hour while others couldn't do it in six months. That night my sergeant and I encountered a German soldier ready to throw a hand grenade at us, but my sergeant with his tommy gun and me with my rifle were able to get him before he got us. War is terrible. 2). After the war I was able to attend Florence University for four weeks of refresher course. 3). I was one of the members of the 3rd Battalion that hosted a Christmas party for the orphans of the Pisa area. A Donald Duck cartoon was shown, and ice cream, cake, candy and gifts were distributed to the children.

Missed most whilst in the military

Family life and lack of individual freedom.

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

Military service trained me to adopt and adjust to any miserable condition and physical suffering. We fought with pride and should be treated as good and loyal citizen of the United States.

Additional information

Japanese American classified as 4C (enemy alien.) Up rooted from our home and sent to Salinas Assembly Center and to Poston II, Arizona. I volunteered for the service to prove my loyalty to the United States.