Gender

Male

Birth date

1925-6-30

Place of birth

Rosemead CA, U.S.A.

Inducted

1944-6-20, Des Moines IA

Enlistment type

Draftee

Service branch

Army

Service type

War

Unit type

Combat

Units served

Companies 'M' and 'L' , 442nd Regimental Combat Team
Enlisted Reserve

Military specialty

Foot Soldier

Stationed

Camp Blanding, FL; MD; NY; USA
Italy
France

Separated

Fort Sheridan IL

Unit responsibility

Provide mortar support for ground troops.

Personal responsibility

Foot soldier, carrying ammunition

Major battles (if served in a war zone)

European (Southern france & Northern Italy); North Apennines; Po Valley

Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)

European-African-Middle Eastern Ribbon with 3 Battle Stars
Bronze Star
Combat Infantryman's Badge
Presidential Unit Citation with 1 Gold Leaf Cluster

Living conditions

A combat soldier's life was stressful. We had the bare necessities for survival. My company & regiment were great in looking after each other.
We ate 'C' rations & when in interior areas, we had cooked meals. I still have a problem with Spam.

Most vivid memory of military experience

My buddy, Tack Nakamura, thought he was going to lean against a cliff while climbing up an Italian mountain in the dark. But he fell to the next terrace, anchored by the mortar base plate. We finally got him up and quietly - this was after his whispered cries for help.

Missed most whilst in the military

My family.

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

I learned that we can all do many things which we didn't know we could do (such as, physical endurance & spiritual strength). There was always a strong sense that we Americans of Japanese ancestry showed our loyalty to the U.S.A..

Additional information

As a result of the G.I. Bill, I completed my bachelor's and master's degree and have enjoyed a very satisfying career as educator, administrator and artist.