Riess begins the interview speaking of the background of his mother and father and the international upbringing that he had. Being born in Thessaloniki, Greece, his family then moved around Europe and the United States until finally settling in…
Muranaka begins the interview discussing his time in occupied Japan, working with Japanese officials to ease communications between the Japanese government and the United States government, which in the end netted him a gift from the Emperor of…
Oishi continues his recollection of his time arriving in Japan during the military occupation. He would arrive in Yokosuka and head to Camp Zama, where he would see the devastation of Tokyo and the conditions for the Japanese civilians. Next, he…
Oishi begins the interview with his family background and moving to Hawaii from Hiroshima. He would grow up in Kona, Hawaii working at the family farm and then for his aunt at her grocery store, all while attending school and Japanese language…
Asato continues talking about his first combat while in Italy, at the Rome-Arno area. He talks about being able to see Florence from a distance and the tree bursts that could kill a soldier instantly. While there, he would get sick and end up in a…
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…
Uchida describes his return to work at the Halekulani Hotel after the War. He also describes his family including grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Uchida's daughter, Vicki Sakoda discusses on camera the importance of passing generational wisdom…
Uchida describes walking to and from school through the mountainous terrain where he lived. An avid surfer, he describes building his own surfboard out of inferior materials for lack of balsa wood. Later, he describes his role in the popular…
Uchida recalls his childhood on Kawaii, first employments working in sugar cane fields, and eventual move to Honolulu at the age of 18 to live with his sister. There he found work at the Halekulani Hotel near Waikiki Beach where he remained an…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Tsuda begins the interview with a brief introduction of himself and his parents. After this, he talks about what it was like to grow up in Honolulu, living in Haleiwa on a pineapple cannery. He would enjoy attending Japanese language school and would…
Sato talks about his health and the surgery that he had and the emotions that he has had because of it, which is much different than the Japanese culture he grew up knowing. Next, he talks about being drafted into the Army and being sent to…
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…
Taba begins the interview talking about his family background and his parents coming over to Hawaii from Okinawa. Growing up in Hawaii, he was able to attend Japanese language school and have a close family relationship, including a handful of…
Charley discusses the opportunity to visits, Jerome and Rohwer. When traveling to New York after the war, he meets a mutual friend of Eva's who he corresponds with during wartime. During wartime, he describes how the soldiers' shower on the…
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…
Ishizaki begins the interview with his outlook on the surrender of Japan. As he had previously volunteered for the Army, he was already in Manila, awaiting his shipment to Japan. Once arrived at Atsugi Air Base, he immediately noticed the flat…
Aki begins the interview talking about his family, both of his parents were Nisei and had decided to settle in Kauai, his father being a politician, while his mother was a schoolteacher. As a child, he would grow up liking geography, while his…
Sugamura talks about her experiences while working for the Civil Censorship Detachment (CCD); discusses Nisei linguists at CCD; provides some thoughts regarding the United States occupation of Japan; and discusses recreational activities while…
Matsunaga speaks about joining the Army and beginning his training at Schofield Barracks in Honolulu. From there, he was promoted to corporal and eventually to buck sergeant as he decided to volunteer for the 442nd regiment. They were shipped out to…
Doi talks about his involvement with the Democratic Revolution, working with various senators and representatives and eventually getting appointed a judgeship. After this, he speaks about the statehood of Hawaii and what that did for the community.…
Doi talks about his whereabouts when he found out about V-E day, deciding to volunteer with the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) to fight in the Pacific Theater. However, while in transition between the Europe and Asia, he would be on a furlough…
Doi talks more about his high school education, attending Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu, where he would learn social values as well as further his education. He would also partake in acting and even get to take part in a Huckleberry Finn play.…
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…
Kodama continues his recollection of his time visiting family in Hiroshima and seeing the devastation of the city a year after the atomic bomb had been dropped. Shortly after this, he had the chance to re-enlist in the Army as a 2nd lieutenant but…
Hamasaki discusses his time overseas fighting in the war. To begin, he talks about his combat experience at Hill 140, Bruyeres, and the Vosges Mountains. Next, he talks about the Champagne campaign in France, which would be his final campaign before…
Hamasaki begins by giving a background of his family, as well as a sense of what it was like growing up in Maui. Next, he talks about the Pearl Harbor attacks and the effects that it had on the community, the ministers and the Japanese language…
Uriu talks about his siblings including the death of one of his brothers; and life while in Japan including staying in Kyoto and working on copying documents in Tokyo. He then talks about the food and civilians in Japan, sightseeing, traveling to…
Arakaki gives a little more background on his career work after his service with the Military Intelligence Service (MIS). He would work as a carpenter before working for the a university as a custodian. Next, he talks about his family, including his…
In November 1944, Susumu Sarae receives his draft notice. He goes to the replacement depot, where is his indoctrinated into service. From the replacement depot, he goes to Schofield Air Force Base, Hickam Air Force Base, and Fort Kamehameha before…
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…
Kaneshige discusses returning back to the United States from his war injury. After the hospital, he goes to Schofield Barracks and Fort Shasta. Kaneshige receives the Purple Heart. Before working for the Defense Department, he attends beauty school.…
Nishimoto discusses facing discrimination when in the South, taking leave in Mississippi and seeing all the segregation between white and colored. Next, he talks about his decision to join the Army, volunteering with friends, not even telling his…
Arthur Nishimoto begins the interview talking about his childhood home and what it was like to grow up in Honolulu, Hawaii. He then talks about his family background, including his father, who was a top car salesman for Chevrolet and Ford. After…
Tsuya continues to talk about his involvement in a Buddhist church. He talks about working in a restaurant. He explains his interest in cooking. He describes his journey to Honolulu, Hawaii. He discusses his work on a planation as a chef. He talks…
Kenneth Inada begins the interview talking about his childhood home and what it was like to grow up in Honolulu. He would be immersed in Japanese culture and ethics, watching Japanese movies and attending Japanese language school after his normal…
Matsukawa talks about his family background, including his mother and father coming over from Niigata prefecture in Japan. As the terrain of Utah was very similar to Niigata, the family would end up settling there. Next, he talks about the…
Oda discusses his time in Europe and the experiences he had while there. He discusses the religions he grew up with and being a boy scout for a short time and how that taught him to give respect to elders. Next, he talks about the things that were…
Saiki continues his conversation about being in Camp Shelby and they would be given the chance to take a furlough to the American concentration camps where he had cousins living. After that, he would be shipped out to Europe, joining up with the…
Saiki discusses more about his childhood years, including festivals where the local children would be able to try sumo wrestling and win prizes. He would attend Kauai High School and talks about his whereabouts during the Pearl Harbor attacks. His…
Nakamura talks about his finishing with Japanese language courses in Monterey and his quick furlough in Hawaii to spend some time with his family and prepare to go overseas. He would head overseas, stopping in multiple countries en route to Yokohama.…
Nakamura would get drafted into the Army and be assigned to the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) at Schofield Barracks. They would head first to San Francisco, then get on a train leading to Fort McClellan in Alabama to begin boot camp. While in…
Nakamura begins the interview with an introduction, talking about what it was like to grow up in Hawaii, attending McKinley High School and Japanese language school while his father was a fisherman from Hiroshima and his mother came from Fukuoka. He…
Oshita continues talking about the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. Although not seeing any direct discrimination, she talks about the FBI taking many of the Japanese and her future husband George deciding to volunteer for the Army. They would get engaged…
Oshita begins the interview talking about her family background, her father being born in Hawaii and going back to Japan at a young age and her mother coming from Kochi, Japan. She talks more about how the families came to Hawaii and the jobs they…
Hoashi talks about the lessons that he learned during the war and from combat. After that, he tells about the awards that he received after he was discharged, including the Bronze Star. He would head back home to Kauai, where he would be reunited…
Hoashi talks in depth about his family and the relationship he had with his grandparents. As he was adopted and his mother had re-married, Seichi was brought up by his grandparents in Kauai, running a boarding house. He talks also about his knowledge…
After completing his basic training at Fort Ord, Kurokawa was shipped to Germany to begin his first assignment. There, he spent time in occupation as an artillery survey specialist and would be able to travel around the area a little bit as well.…
Kurokawa begins the interview speaking about his family background. He would grow up first in Hawaii, and then around the age of 5, move to Kyoto, Japan. There, he became immersed in the Japanese culture and began to lose his English, so his parents…
Ito talks about postwar experiences including his medical practice, keeping in touch with other soldiers in the 1399th Engineer Battalion and going to a reunion every Christmas; and discussing his brother's decision to volunteer for Military…
Ito describes being a part of an army medical reserve commission, discusses the formation of 442nd Regimental Combat Team; and what it was like being deactivated and later called to active duty and assigned to a hospital surgical service. He also…
Kaneshiro goes through his family background, where his parents originated from Okinawa and immigrated to Hawaii. However, on a visit back to Okinawa, his mother's visa expired and she was unable to get back to Hawaii, stranding George and his…
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 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…
When Shigeru Inouye is at McCormick General Hospital in Pasadena, CA, he meets another wounded Lieutenant who encourages him to go to school in Kentucky.
On August 25, 1947, Shigeru received an acceptance letter to Centre College. Shigeru shares…
Shigeru Inouye recollects the events that lead to his injury in the battle at Cassino, Italy. He goes to the 36th General Hospital in Italy and is in the hospital for two weeks. Later, he is transferred to an Evacuation Hospital and returns to the…
Tanaka reveals what life was like while growing up in Honolulu. Tanaka also talks about his family and his experiences in school. He goes on to discuss the discrimination Japanese people faced after the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Tanaka explains his…
Takekawa talks about his father and his various occupations, and discusses his mother, siblings, and growing up in Hawaii. He also talks about some of the recreational activities and games he played as a child, friendships, and discusses attending…
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…
Takabayashi talks about his birthplace and his childhood in Honolulu, Hawaii. He discuses his parents immigration. He talks about his siblings. He describes witnessing segregation while stationed in the south. He discusses his father's career.…
Otoshi discusses his childhood growing up in Honolulu including talking about his childhood home; father's occupation; his neighborhood and neighbors; and mother's laundry business. He then talks about his father's involvement with Hiroshima…
Tahara begins the interview talking about the origin of his name and the background of his parents. His father would come to Hawaii and begin a general store, his mother was born in Hawaii and would help out at the store, while all of his brothers…
Teraoka talks about how his parents met, what it was like moving to Honolulu to attend high school, and discusses the boat trip from Hilo to Honolulu. Next, Teraoka talks about his participation in ROTC, attending the University of Hawaii, and his…
Yamashita talks about his whereabouts during the end of the war. At the time of the V-J day, he was guarding German prisoners of war in Italy but would get the chance to come home due to the points system. He would ship back to the Hawaii, but would…
Hara starts the interview discussing his family background and what it was like to grow up in a small rural town in Honolulu, Hawaii. Growing up, Hara's father went through a multitude of jobs, with a laundry business as the most memorable. As the…
Tanna discusses about his family and career aspirations. He describes Honolulu growing up. Tanna also discusses about his schooling and best childhood memories.
Thomas Takemoto was born in Waimea, Kauai, but moved to Honolulu, Hawaii at the age of 6. His parents were Japanese immigrants from Hiroshima, Japan, and became rice farmers on Kauai. When they moved to Honolulu, Thomas and his siblings helped their…
Kimoto discuses his involvement in campaigns in France before returning to Italy as the war wound down. He describes a comical celebration among his army friends and discusses returning to the United States. Receiving his discharge in Honolulu, Mr.…
During this part of the interview Edward Ichiyama recalls leaving Baltimore for Hawaii, living in a Jewish community, and the discrimination he faced while living there. In addition, Ichiyama discusses The Champagne Campaign, as well as significant…
During this portion of the interview, Edward Ichiyama recalls his duties within his military unit. Specifically, he gives detail s on regards to being a fuseman and forward observer. In addition, Ichiyama recollects his experiences marching with the…
