Mizuki discusses his family and growing up on Kahului. He details about Pearl Harbor and the aftermath. Mizuki also discusses volunteering and his experiences at Camp Shelby. He also details about his combat experiences and captured as a Prisoner of…
Mizuki discusses more about his experiences as a German Prisoner of War. He details about the political involvement of Nisei veterans. Mizuki also discusses about his post-war life.
Nakauchi discusses his parents, siblings, and working on a plantation while growing up in Hawaii. He also talks about traveling to attend high school, going to Japanese language school, and having to work in sugar cane fields to earn his high school…
Nakauchi discusses what it was like meeting Mainland Nisei soldiers while at Camp Shelby, as well as what a typical day was like during basic training. He then talks about visiting Jerome Concentration Camp and describes the living conditions there.…
Nakauchi describes an accident that left casualties, and talks about his experiences in Bruyeres. He also talks about his duties in a machine gun squad, interactions with civilians while in Bruyeres, the Lost Battalion rescue, and getting wounded…
Nakauchi discusses German Prisoners of War, German weapons, the end of the war, combat experiences, and returning back to the United States. He then discusses telling his parents about enlisting, his brother’s duties as part of Military Intelligence…
Nakauchi discusses living as a civilian in Japan then moving back to Hawaii to help take care of his parents. He then talks about his children, and provides some advice for future generations. Nakauchi also talks about his platoon sergeant Iwamoto;…
Kono discusses his parents immigration from Japan; talks about growing up in a village where sugar cane is produced; and talks about attending school and Japanese language school. He then discusses the reasons why he was sent to Japanese language…
Kono discusses his employment after high school and during the war in the grocery department of Theo H. Davies Company and talks about witnessing discrimination there. He then talks about his high school friendships and classmates; attending high…
Kono reads a poem he wrote and sent to his niece while overseas; discusses his experiences going to New York during rest and relaxation (R&R); and talks about his Military Intelligence Service (MIS) assignment after training. He then talks about…
Kono discusses his experiences cave-flushing which involved talking Japanese civilians and soldiers out of caves. He then talks about his assignment in occupied Japan; getting discharged; and his experiences interrogating Japanese POWs. Next, Kono…
Kono discusses suicides of civilians on Saipan; and discusses his best wartime memories which included food, and recreational activities. He then talks about seeing his family again and his post-war life in Hawaii; discusses the end of the war; and…
Kono discusses his post-war career working for the Dole Company, the East-West Center, his work on a project regarding the centennial of Japanese immigration to Hawaii, and some of his other employment opportunities. He then talks about some of his…
Horikawa discusses growing up in the Seattle area; talks about attending school; and discusses the Japanese American community including the employment of Issei at fishing canneries in Alaska. He then talks about his father including discussing his…
Horikawa discusses his father's life in Japan; his parents marriage; and his father's employment at a hardware store and as an inventor. He then talks about some of the inventions his father created; discusses his family's religion and attending…
Horikawa discusses his mother's death; and talks about his forced removal to Pinedale temporary detention facility where he assisted with set up prior to other incarcerees' arrival. He then talks about his forced removal to Tule Lake incarceration…
Horikawa talks about his first experiences in Europe which involved first landing in Scotland and then traveling to France to join up with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. He then talks about the Lost Battalion; and provides some thoughts about…
Horikawa talks about his combat experiences in Livorno; discuses the capture of Italian POWs; and talks about his hospital stay after getting wounded in Bologna, Italy which earned him his second Purple Heart. He then talks about receiving a Bronze…
Horikawa discusses majoring in art at the University of Washington; teaching high school art; meeting his wife; and provides a message to future generations.
Hiromi Suehiro begins the interview talking about his family and how they immigrated to Hawaii. His father, coming from Japan, ended up fighting in World War I for the United States, while his mother was born in Hawaii. While growing up, he would…
Suehiro continues talking about his experiences during the attacks on Pearl Harbor and afterwards, including facing discrimination and seeing the Varsity Victory Volunteers at the University of Hawaii. Hearing about the 100th/442nd forming, Suehiro…
Suehiro discusses his mindset during the war, which was readied by a letter written from his mother to not bring shame to his father. This got him to rid himself of cowardice and continue to push on during combat. He would experience this bravery…
Suehiro discusses more of his war experiences, including receiving a wound on his leg from shrapnel. He would help get his friends that was also wounded, back to safety and would head to the Red Cross to take care of his own wound, taking many…
Suehiro discusses reasons for joining the Army and how he felt that it was the right thing to do when called for. He also talks about the legacy of the Nisei soldiers and how much of a brotherhood they became because of the hardships of war. He…
Takusagawa begins the interview discussing his family background, starting with his father, then mother and their values and business. Growing up in Santa Barbara, he was raised to be an American outside of the house and only speak Japanese inside…
Takusagawa continues his discussion on growing up in Santa Barbara, including the impactful people that he grew up with, helping him to become a more rounded person. Eventually, this guided him to joining the school band, playing the snare drum,…
Takusagawa and his family ended up at the Gila River Concentration Camp after a stint at the Tulare Temporary Detention Center. There, he saw a sign to recruit men into the 442nd Regiment, so he joined right away. Takusagawa was sent to Camp Shelby…
After being discharged from the Army, Takusagawa moves to Los Angeles and begins a family, which now includes grandchildren. After that, he began getting involved with various nonprofit organizations to help spread the word of what the Nisei did.…
Tanaka begins the interview with an introduction, being born in southern California. He also talks about how his parents came from Wakayama prefecture in Japan to California, his father actually going through Mexico and making his way across the…
Tanaka would grow up in southern California, helping his family work on the vegetable farm and playing with friends. During this time, the Great Depression occurred and he talks briefly about that. Next, he talks about his whereabouts during the…
Tanaka discusses his time at Poston concentration camp in Arizona. He would work outside of the camp, but when the loyalty questions came about, he would end up answering no, yes and getting drafted into the Army. He was attending art school in…
Tanaka talks about his cousins that were living in Japan during the war and the communications he had with them. Next, he talks about the route to joining the 442nd in Nice. After this, they would march forward to begin a surprise attack on the…
Tanaka talks about the surrender of both the German and the Japanese Armies and how he had to stay in Italy for a little bit longer, guarding prisoners of war. Next, he talks about the medals and awards that were received for his time with the 442nd…
Kumagai discusses his father's various jobs, and talks about his mother, siblings, religion, and speaking Japanese at home. He then talks about his experiences growing up during the depression, discusses the community he grew up in, and talks about…
Kumagai talks about working at a farm full-time after graduating high school, and discusses his uncle who was in the Japanese Army. He then talks about his experiences with discrimination; and discusses the attack on Pearl Harbor and the aftermath…
Kumagai discusses having to leave his belongings behind after his family’s forced removal to Walerga temporary detention facility. He then talks about his brother’s military service, his experiences at Tule Lake incarceration camp, and describes…
Kumagai talks about his combat experiences at Po Valley; volunteering to be a litter bearer; and his assignment processing German POWs. He then talks about returning back to the United States and his post-war employment in welding; getting married;…
Murakami begins the interview speaking about his family background, which included 5 brothers in addition to his parents. Growing up in Paia, Maui, he and his family moved around a lot going from plantation camp to plantation camp as his father…
Continuing Murakami's recollection of his Army experience, he discusses the basic training at Camp Shelby, where he was put into the Headquarters regiment. During this time, there was a lot of fighting between the Hawaiian and Mainland soldiers,…
Murakami discusses his part in the Gothic Line push. Once they completed that mission, he was able to head back to the United States. After arriving in New York, the regiment learned they would be flown back to California, which left them in high…
Kashiwagi talks about his early life in Hayward, California. He describes his parents, siblings, and family farm. He discusses his community of Knights Landing, California. He talks about what he did in his childhood leisure time. Kashiwagi also…
Kashiwagi talks about his life after high school including his farming work. He discusses what he did during his leisure time. He continues to talks about the draft. He describes the Attack on Pearl Harbor and the aftermath. Kashiwagi discusses the…
Kashiwagi describes his experiences while living in the Amache Concentration Camp. He talks about taking the loyalty questionnaire. He explains why he volunteered to serve in the military. He discusses his experiences with discrimination. Kashiwagi…
Kashiwagi talks about the USO shows that he attended. He briefly discusses Camp Kilmer. He describes his journey to Europe and landing in Italy. He describes his experiences in combat in Anzio and Rome. Kashiwagi talks about the people in his unit…
Ichigi Robert Kashiwagi talks about what happened after the Bruyeres-Biffontaine campaign. He discusses the Lost Battalion. He talks about his injury and subsequent hospitalization. He describes his friendship with an Englishman. He describes his…
Kashiwagi shares his lasting impressions of World War Two. He describes his journey home and his return to civilian life. He talks about his engineering career after the war. He discusses his marriage and children. He talks about sharing his war…
Tsuji begins the interview discussing a big fight that occurred between the caucasian and Nisei soldiers while at Newport News and how the military police had to get involved in order to break up the fighting. Next, he talks about spending a week in…
Tsuji discusses his family and background. He gives in depth descriptions and memories of his mother, father and 8 siblings. Next, he speaks about attending Japanese language school and the end of his classes, punctuated by the Pearl Harbor…
Tsuji talks about his experiences in combat, including the differences between what was learned in basic training and how things are actually handled on the front lines. He also talks about the various differences between the German and American…
Tsuji discusses about his childhood in Honolulu, recalling the New Years celebrations, the population of his schools and the friends that he had. Next, he looks back at the segregation that he saw both in Hawaii and later in Mississippi while…
While in Bruyeres, Tsuji would be wounded in action and talks about the intricacies of that. He also talks about his time in Marseille and being able to take a pass to explore the local shops and find that the black market was alive and well. He…
Tsuji begins by talking about the New Years traditional film he would watch portraying the 47 Ronin. Next, he begins an in depth recollection of Pearl Harbor, from listening in on the radio to seeing the fire ball and smoke from a distance. He…
While recovering from his wound, Tsuji would be given a 45 day furlough, in which he originally wanted to go back home to Hawaii, however, after talking with officers, he decided upon traveling and seeing Chicago and New York and when he returned, he…
A couple of years following Pearl Harbor, Tsuji decided to join the Army and was being shipped to the mainland in just 10 days later. He speaks on the transportation to San Francisco and then to Camp Shelby in Mississippi. During his time at Camp…
Tsuji discusses traveling through Europe during the war with some guys in his company, taking a Jeep into Florence and noticing the cathedrals and buildings, which interested him. He would explore the area more and take pictures of various places,…
Tsuji continues his recollection of Camp Shelby and being shipped overseas to Oran in North Africa. Spending two weeks there, his regiment awaited their shipment to Naples in Italy where they would begin their first day. Tsuji talks about getting to…
Tsuji goes through his collection of photographs, ranging from his childhood to right before being shipped to the mainland to Europe. He gives descriptions and anecdotes of the people and items in the pictures and even tells a touching story of two…
Kawanishi begins the interview with an introduction and talking about his family that immigrated from Japan to Los Angeles. He would briefly go back to Japan and then return where he would fish with his father and get involved with various sports…
Kawanishi continues his recollection of his time at Camp Shelby in Mississippi as he began his basic training with the 442nd Regiment. He talks about the Hawaiian soldiers and segregation he saw in the South, as well as a few times he got in trouble…
Kawanishi discusses reactions to coming home from the war and beginning his career as a watch maker. After this he would work in grocery stores, where he would meet his second wife and start a family with. He then talks about his past interactions…
Isamu "Sam" Saito was born on April 27, 1925, in Seattle, Washington. His parents are from Japan and immigrated to the United States for a better opportunity. Sam's parents are instrumental in shaping him in his informal years of education.
Isamu "Sam" Saito recalls his school years. At school, the students are primarily Japanese Americans. The teachers had a hard time pronouncing the Japanese names. Therefore, many of the Japanese American students used English names for the benefit of…
Isamu "Sam" Saito discusses his friends' and parents' reactions after Pearl Harbor. One evening after the attack, Sam's parents burned items connected with Japan.
When Executive Order 9066 (EO9066) was announced, Sam's family prepared for…
Isamu "Sam" Saito describes life in the camp. Minidoka was the third-largest in Idaho, with approximately 12,000 Japanese American internees. Inside the camp, the people developed a police station, fire station, hospital, and administration.…
After Camp Shelby, Isamu "Sam" Saito went to Fort Snelling. There were approximately 2,000 soldiers at Fort Snelling training to go overseas. The curriculum focused on reading and writing. Sam discusses his daily schedule at the Japanese school.
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During the Occupation of Japan, Isamu "Sam" Saito got an opportunity to travel around Japan. He recalls visiting Osaka, and the locals have their dialect. Luckily, his cousin from Yokohama helps translate for him.
Sugimoto talks about his birthplace in Yuma, Arizona. He shares his parents backstories. He explains how his father immigrated to the United States. He describes his parents marriage. He discusses his siblings. He talks about high school. He…
Sugimoto talks about his friendship with Marvin Smith. He discusses the people who supported Japanese Americans amid their forced removal. He describes his family's forced removal. He explains what happened to his family's property after they were…
Isamu Sugimoto talks about what it was like spending time with other Nisei soldiers. He discusses being discharged. He describes his life in Kansas City, Missouri. He talks about his employment after the war. He discusses reuniting with his…
Kikuchi discusses his father including talking about his immigration to the United States, employment, and experiences in college. He then talks about attending Japanese language school, attending high school, growing up in Los Angeles, playing…
Kikuchi describes Manzanar Concentration Camp including discussing the living conditions, barracks, food, and his job as a lifeguard. He then talks about his parents' jobs at Manzanar; discusses the riots; tells a story in which he escaped but…
Kikuchi talks about getting drafted; his induction; and basic training at Camp Shelby. He then talks about his relationship with Hawaiian soldiers; discusses weapons he carried; and talks about traveling overseas. Next, Kikuchi discusses landing…
Kikuchi tells a story regarding the capture of German soldiers; discusses his guard duty assignment; and talks about receiving orders to go to Italy. He then talks about his experiences in Nice and Marseille; discusses arriving in Livorno; and…
Kikuchi discusses experiencing enemy fire; talks about the end of the war; and discusses his combat experiences at Po Valley. He then talks about the Army point system; getting a pass to travel in Italy and Switzerland post-war; and attending college…
Kikuchi shows and describes photographs taken during World War Two while he was overseas including images of a bivouac area, other Japanese American soldiers, his platoon, and Milano, Italy. Lastly, Kikuchi shows and describes some of his wooden…
Yokooji discusses his nickname; moving to different Hawaiian islands as a child; and his experiences while living on Lanai including attending school, his childhood bicycle, and discussing a swimming accident that resulted in the deaths of his…
Yokooji discusses his experiences post high school including farming with his father, working at the Dole Cannery, and working as a carpenter for the Department of Defense. He then talks about the attack on Pearl Harbor and aftermath including…
Yokooji discusses how his family traveled to and from the Hawaiian Islands; discusses his reasons for volunteering; and provides some thoughts regarding World War Two and opportunities for Nisei during the war. He then talks about the "Go for Broke"…
Yokooji talks about basic training at Camp Shelby; discusses 442nd Regimental Combat Team replacement soldiers; talks about the merging of the 100th and 442nd; and discusses going to Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Fort Benning. He then talks about…
Yokooji talks about meeting his wife while visiting Rohwer Concentration Camp; discusses the differences between Mainland and Hawaiian soldiers; and talks about recreational activities while at basic training. He then talks about his relationship…
Yokooji discusses his reasons for volunteering to go to Korea and talks about his assignment during the Korean War interrogating POWs. He then talks about his relationship with a company commander; discusses the end of the Korean War; talks about…
Yokooji talks about rejoining the Army reserves in the civil affairs division; discusses his experiences during the Vietnam War including his assistance with Army war plans in Thailand; and provides some thoughts regarding his military service.…
