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Japanese American Military Experience Database

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Kiyoshi Okano

Gender
Male
Birth date
1918-3-2
Place of birth
, U.S.A.
Inducted
1943-3-23, Schofield Barracks HI
Enlistment type
Volunteer
Service branch
Army
Service type
War
Unit type
Combat
Units served
Hqtrs Btry, 522 FA Bn, 442 RCT
Military specialty
Field Lineman
Stationed
USA; Italy; France; Germany.
Unit responsibility
Support 442nd RCT with our 105mm Howitzers.
Personal responsibility
Keep field telephones operating.
Major battles (if served in a war zone)
Italian, French and German Campaigns
Living conditions
Accomodations included indoors, outdoors, tents, cornfield, and forest.
Most vivid memory of military experience
I was face to face with the liberated prisoners of Dachau, Germany.
Missed most whilst in the military
Home cooked Japanese food and mail.
Most important thing, personally, to come from military experience?
I was amazed to see how the blacks were treated in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. I came out of the Army with thoughts that all people are born equal and everyone should be given the same rights and opportunity to advance.
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