Sachio Takata was born on March 14, 1923, in Southern California. Sachio's father, Kizo, was from Kagoshima, Japan, and immigrated to the United States. He met Sachio’s mother, Hatsumi, from Hawaii, and they married. Sachio is the oldest of ten…
In 1940, Sachio Takata graduated high school and went to the Delta Islands to work in the celery field. Sachio wanted to save money to further his education and attend medical school.
After the signing of Executive Order 9066, Sachio and his…
Sachio Takata recollects his time at basic training at Camp Blanding training to be a replacement for the 442nd. He made a few friends in the Army. However, if you were not in the same company or platoon, it was harder to build a relationship. Sachio…
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.…
Dan Uchimoto is born October 9, 1921, in Loomis, California. Dan's Issei parents immigrated to the United States from Japan for better opportunities. His parents are sharecropped farmers, raising canning tomatoes. People of Japanese descent are not…
Dan Uchimoto explains the meaning of his last name "Uchimoto" in Japanese. In Japan, "Uchimoto" means original home. "Uchi" means a kind of home, "Moto" means original home or basic home. Besides farming, Dan's parents have two additional businesses.…
In Iowa, Dan Uchimoto receives a draft notice from the Army and leaves Loras College. Dan's parents leave camp voluntarily and resettle in the East. However, some people stay in camp until World War Two ends. A family friend tells Dan's parents about…
Dan Uchimoto discusses the effects of war and the atomic bomb. He shares his opinion of having a military career for future generations. Dan feels going to college and educating yourself is the best thing you can do for yourself.
Uchiyama discusses his childhood experiences growing up in farming community in central California. He shares information of how his parents immigrated to the U.S. from Japan and what it was like for him living in a primarily Caucasian neighborhood…
Uchiyama talks about how the war started while he was a student at UC Berkeley. He details about his experiences at internment camps. He also discusses how he attended law school at both Texas University and Harvard; and how he got drafted while he…
Uchiyama talks about his training and experiences serving as an agent of the army's counterintelligence corps (CIC). As part of his assignment he was sent to Japan during the U.S. occupation. He talks about how he went through CIC training in the…
This segment starts "in medias res" in which Uchiyama talks about his Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) experiences. He also discusses his participation in the Yokohama trials, where he worked on the defense counsel. He shares more recollections of…
Ben Umeda begins the interview talking about his family, his father and mother being from Hiroshima and their journey to get to Selma in California. Next, he talks about growing up in California, picking grapes to make raisins for work and doing…
Umeda gives more background on his siblings, and what it was like to grow up on a farm, picking grapes and saving money to go to junior college. He talks about the other recreational activities he did with his siblings, including skating and swimming…
Umeda talks more about the aftereffects of Pearl Harbor, as the Army no longer accepted Nisei soldiers, they would be reclassified as enemy aliens. Shortly after, they would be forced to evacuate their home, taking their only what they could carry…
Umeda talks more about the Gila River Concentration Camp and the living conditions in Arizona, surrounded by barbed wire but being able to go outside of the camp occasionally. He would end up leaving the camp and working at a cannery and living in a…
Umeda continues to talk about his language training at Fort Snelling with the Military Intelligence Service (MIS), talking about the living conditions of the barracks and being classified as a translator. After this, he would be sent overseas, first…
Umeda talks a little bit more about his time in Seoul, translating newspapers during the occupation. He would return to Japan, where they gave him the option of staying in the military or heading home and a friend convinced him to go home and…
Umeda finishes the interview talking about passing on his personal history to future generations. Next, he talks about the legacy of the Nisei and what they've done. After this, he discusses his thoughts of what freedom is, and what makes freedom of…
Yano begins the interview talking about being born and raised in California, playing marbles and hanging out with friends and neighbors. His family would come from Hiroshima, Japan and settle in California, his father as a farm laborer and his mother…
Yano talks about the values that were passed on to him from his parents, such as "gaman" and not bringing shame to the family name. Next, he talks about his elementary school, including the population, which was mostly caucasian. He would face a…
Yano continues to talk about his schooling, taking a history class and finding the Constitution and the way the Japanese Americans were being treated was unjust. He would end up throwing the book across the room and leaving the classroom, never to…
Yano continues to talk about he and his families time at Gila River Concentration Camp and being reclassified for the draft. After this, he talks about the loyalty questionnaire and knowing he would answer yes, yes to the draft questions. He would…
Yano continues to talk about his basic training at Camp Shelby, seeing some friction between the Hawaiian and mainland soldiers. He also talks about seeing one soldier die during basic training in an accident. Joining E Company, he would be shipped…
Yano talks more about his war experiences, including his involvement in the Lost Battalion and the food that he would enjoy in Europe. He next talks about the end of the war and his plan to go to occupied Japan to see his mother, but upon returning…
T. Yoshihashi talks about his youth growing up in Pasadena, CA. He talks about his childhood home life with his parents and siblings. He shares anecdotes regarding: growing up in the Great Depression, school days, and racial segregation in Pasadena…
T. Yoshihashi discusses the political climate before the outbreak of WW2. He also shares his recollections of the Pearl Harbor attack, and the aftermath events that affected him and his family. He shares anecdotes regarding: President Roosevelt's…
T. Yoshihashi discusses his thoughts and experiences regarding the loyalty questionnaire. He also talks about getting drafted in the military. He shares anecdotes regarding: his father's death; "no-no boys"; and how brother's military service was…
T. Yoshihashi discusses his participation and recollections of the European Theater in France. He talks about the battles he was in, and military assignments in between battles. He also shares anecdotes regarding: amenities at his command post; his…
T. Yoshihashi discusses his military assignments in Italy. He describes several incidents enduring enemy fire and talks about guarding German POWs. In addition, he shares recollections of when he heard of VE Day and receiving advice from seasoned…
T. Yoshihashi talks about his final military experiences and his discharge. He discusses his affairs when he returned to the United States. He also talks about his wife and children.
T. Yoshihashi discusses his recollections event immediately before, and after, the attack on Pearl Harbor. He talks about the reactions of his parents and friends. He describes travels to, and experiences at, an assembly center and internment camp.…
