Tommy Nishioka oral history interview, June 21, 2000

Tommy Nishioka begins the interview with an introduction of himself and his parents, who came from Japan and settled in Hilo, Hawaii. His father would work with sugarcane workers, growing trees for firewood, while the children attended school and…

Nishioka talks more about growing up in Hawaii and his whereabouts when he first heard about the attacks on Pearl Harbor. At the time, he would be part of both the 4F Club and the Young Buddhist Association (YBA), and would be forced to black out…

Nishioka first discusses the prejudice that he saw when he arrived in Mississippi and the segregation on the buses, which he found deeply unfair. He also talks about the different things he encountered while in basic training, such as snakes,…

Nishioka discusses his situation before shipping out, getting upgraded from first scout to a non-commissioned officer but instead deciding to volunteer to be a replacement for the 100th Infantry Battalion. After this, he would get onto a liberty ship…

Nishioka talks more about his combat experiences in Sassetta, where the regiment would be involved in heavy house-to-house combat. He explains the differences between artillery shells and mortar shells and how he was wounded in action by a mortar…

Nishioka discusses what it's like to get a shrapnel wound and what happened to him after being sent back to Hawaii. He would get a second opinion of a doctor in Hawaii but he ended up not having an operation again. He also talks about his limited…

Nishioka talks about his personal history and his encouragement to other veterans to share their story if they can. Next, he talks about reunions, the monument in Los Angeles and the Medals of Honor that were given away fifty years after the fact.…