Turner begins the interview talking about his father, who was born in Hilo and would work at the Waialua sugar plantation. He talks about the rest of his family and their background, before talking about what it was like to grow up in Hawaii. Growing…
Nishioka talks about his early life in Hilo. He describes the sugarcane work camps in the Hilo area. He discusses the items his family made and purchased from the store. He talks about the sports that he was involved in during childhood. Nishioka…
Hiraoka discusses about his family and growing up in Hilo, Hawaii. He details about his schooling. Hiraoka also discusses about his childhood and community involvement.
Hiraoka discusses about his families watch store and living in Illinois. He details about his post-war life in Hilo, Hawaii and his marriage. Hiraoka also reflects on his military experiences and gives some closing remarks.
Taketa discusses about life after high school and living in Hilo, Hawaii. He details Pearl Harbor and its aftermath. Taketa also discusses about his ship getting hit by a torpedo.
Okumura talks about his marriage that began before the war, and some of his experiences while in Okinawa. Next, he talks more about reconstruction of Japan, including improving housing systems. He discusses being sansei and how he considers himself…
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…
Hiroshi Yafuso talks about the end of World War Two. He went on to talk about attending trade school, so he could learn how to repair radios. Yafuso explains how he started a technology repair store in Hilo. He also describes how Tsunamis impacted…
Hiroshi Yafuso talks about life as a repairman. He also discusses what he did as a child in his leisure time. He describes what life was like in Hakalau for Japanese farming families like his family. He briefly talks about his high school experiences…
Hiroshi Yafuso talks about being inducted into the Army and his overall experiences while in the military. Yafuso discusses his military decorations, post military life, and family. He briefly talks about his translation work and his siblings.
Ushijima and the interviewers introduce themselves. Ushijima describes his early life in Hilo, Hawaii. He talks about his mother's cooking. He discusses his father's war service record and how he immigrated to America. He shares his mother's…
Kiyoji "Jonah" Morimoto discusses he would not do anything different in his battle field experiences. He got along well with the other officers and his rank during the war is Tech Sargent. In his company, the Platoon Sargent gets injured and…
Doi begins the interview talking about the sugar plantation that he grew up on in Hawaii. He would attend Japanese language school while also attending Honokaʻa School. Next, he talks about his parents, coming over from Yamaguchi prefecture and…
Muramoto discusses growing up in Hilo, Hawaii; and talks about his parents, siblings, recreational activities, school, speaking Japanese at home, and religion. He also talks about a classmate who was killed in action, playing softball, childhood…
To begin the interview, Matsunaga speaks about his family background, which included his father, mother and eight siblings. Growing up in Hawaii, he would go to school until 9th grade, at which time, the family purchased the dairy farm they were…
Kodama continues talking about the end of the war, helping with the interrogation process of German prisoners of war. He would miss the first pool of soldiers to head home on the points system but be granted a 30-day leave, in which he would travel…
Teraoka discusses his parents and siblings including talking about how his parents and two older siblings returned to Japan before he was born and the meaning of the term "kibei". He then talks about his relationship with his father, tells a story…
Tanaka discusses what it was like growing up in Hilo, Hawaii. he details about the aftermath if pearl harbor and his draft experience. Tanaka discusses about his experiences during basic training.
Tahara talks about the end of the war, as they were marching through Europe, a plane flew overhead and threw leaflets out to them. He would return to Hawaii, seeing his mother and hearing about the death of his father. He also talks about seeing his…
Hashisaka discusses the war crimes trials that he was involved with, acting as a court interpreter. He brings a charge document from one of the defendants and talks about the intricacies of the trials. He would continue working at the trials until he…
The interview begins with Paul Yamashita talking about his life, growing up in Hakalau Hawaii on a sugarcane plantation. He would attend regular and Japanese school and enjoyed playing games with friends and pounding mochi on New Years. Next, he…
Miyamoto begins the interview speaking about his background and his life growing up in Hilo, Hawaii. He would help his grandfather run a bathhouse and spend his free time going down to the beach to catch crabs. Next, he talks about his family…
Miyamoto continues his recollection of growing up on Hilo, where his pidgin English was heavy and his normal English was inconsistent. After graduation from high school, he and his family would move to Kalihi on Oahu. It was there that he would see…
Kawakami begins the interview speaking about how he got the nickname "Joe" and his family background as his father was from Kumamoto and his mother was born in Hilo. He would attend school and grow up playing a lot of sports until the Pearl Harbor…
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…
Murakami talks about his early life in rural Hamakua. He goes on to discuss his family and stepmother. Murakami reveals his experiences while in Japanese School. He ends this section of the interview by discussing what he did after high school.
Murakami describes his reaction to the Attack on Pearl Harbor. He also reveals the discrimination Japanese people faced after the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Murakami also describes his time at Camp Shelby. He reveals details about his time overseas with…
In this segment, Takemoto describes his family background and life prior to the onset of the Second World War. His parents were Niseis who did not have a strong connection to Japan. While working for the Hilo Electric Light Company, Takemoto…
William Yoshito Thompson is a World War Two veteran who volunteered for the 442nd (Head Quarters 2nd Battalion). He is born March 15, 1924, in Hilo, Hawaii. His father is from Scotland, Ireland, and moved to Hawaii. He remains a British subject and…
