Background image consist of multiple portrait of Nikkei with military experience

Japanese American Military Experience Database

Harris Shirakawa

Gender

Male

Birth date

1930-8-12

Place of birth

Clatskanie OR, U.S.A.

Inducted

1951-2-13, Philadelphia PA

Enlistment type

Volunteer

Service branch

Army

Service type

War

Unit type

Combat

Units served

508th Airborne RCT

5th Inf. Div.

6th Inf Div.

79th Inf. Div.-USAR

83rd Inf. Div.- USAR

Military specialty

Company grade combat officer

Stationed

USA - Camp Pickett, VA; Indiantown Gap Military Reservation, PA; Ft. Benning, GA; Ft. Ord, CA;

Separated

Ft. Ord, CA

Unit responsibility

Infantry Basic Training

Personal responsibility

Unit Command; Regimental Asst. Adjutant; Training Officer; Special Court Martial Defense Counsel.

Living conditions

All Garrison duty assignments. Quite acceptable under wartime circumstances.

Most vivid memory of military experience

First parachute jump.

Missed most whilst in the military

Free time for personal discretionary use.

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

Most significant result of military experience: attaining maturity overnight.

Inner reflections: The early recognition and appreciation of the different values from my Japanese heritage and integrating its positive aspects into my life provided a basis for achievement.,

Additional information

Completed six years of college in 3 yrs. Kent State and Wharton School-Univ. of Pennsylvania.

Member of first COBOL Compiler Development team - RCA

Management positions in early space programs. RCA-GE Cape Canaveral

Vice President - General Electric

Board of Directors - Toshiba Electronic Services Co.

Board of Directors - UNICEF, Travelers Aid, International Institute, Cincinnati, OH.

Played organized ice hockey - Tokyo, Japan.

Instructor/lecturer - graduate and undergraduate evening colleges - 20 years (Ruthgers Univ.; Penn State Univ.; Florida Inst. Tech; Univ. of Cincinnati.)

Retired from GE 1993.

Current Occupation: Marketing Consultant.