Furumoto recalls joining Merrill's Marauders on a secret mission to Burma. He discusses his task of interpreting Japanese soldiers for information, and describes the Battle of Napunga Hill.
Furumoto discusses Roy Matsumoto and the Battle of Napunga Hill. He goes on to describe the diseases he contracted while overseas. He also discusses his participation in creating Black Propaganda.
Nelson Akagi talks about experiences during the Bruyeres-Biffontaine/ Volges Campaign and more of what it was like being a scout. He also tells of the sorrow of the I Company after the Lost Battalion rescue and his experience liberating Jewish POW's.
Nelson Akagi talks about Larry Lubetzky, a Jewish POW turned interpreter for their unit. He recounts finding Lubetzky through the Holocaust Center after almost 50 years and seeing him in person at the 50th year reunion. Akagi also describes the…
In this video clip, Ken Akune goes into detail about his experience during the Occupation of Japan. He talks about being reunited with his family, what type of service he provided, and describes the devastation that he saw within the city.
Harry Akune recalls meeting his wife in Chicago after the war. He describes his Japanese language training at the Military Intelligence Service Language School at Camp Savage, where they studied Japanese military language. Half-way through his…
Harry Akune continues to talk about his experience with the parachute landing on Corregidor Island -- he had been separated from his team, but was luckily not identified as "the enemy." After Corregidor Island, he was sent to Luzon, where he was…
Harry Akune describes his childhood, living and going to school in Japan after his mother died. He talks about learning discipline after living with his Grand-Uncle. He describes his experience during the Occupation of Japan, in which he helped…
Harry Akune continues to describe the Women Prisoner of War camp that he helped liberate in Japan. During the Occupation of Japan, he was reassigned to the Ration and Price Control Division. He talks about the difficulties of interpretation and…
After spending time at the Military Intelligence Service Language School at Camp Savage, Tanakatsubo was sent overseas to begin interrogating in the Aleutian Islands where the Japanese were occupying some islands. It was there at the Battle of Attu…
Narasaki describes his embarkation and the journey across Europe to meet up with the 442nd Infantry Regiment. He recounts moments from combat including his first time using his rifle and the realization that German and US soldiers were similar.…
Mori continues his recollection of his basic training at Camp Shelby in Mississippi and the preparation for the war. After that, he was sent back to Fort Snelling before being shipped out, and at that time also got married. Next, he would be shipped…
Mori continues his discussion on cave experiences while serving overseas in Okinawa. Following Okinawa, he is moved back to the Philippines until the end of the war. After thinking they would be sent back home after the atomic bombs, they are instead…
Saisho speaks about his brothers that also served in the Army. Next, he speaks about the different things he did for the Army when in occupied Japan, including translating negotiations for a hotel that was being built near Sendai. After this, he was…
While at the Topaz Concentration Camp, Kimura would see Army recruiting teams, looking for Japanese speakers to join the Military Intelligence Service (MIS). He would volunteer and pass the tests, giving him a sense of patriotism and a reason to get…
After his language training and basic training, Kimura would ship out, heading first to Australia, where they would set up in tents and settle in at Camp Chelmer. There, he would join up with Allied Translator and Interpreter Section (ATIS) and get…
Kimura talks about his experiences as an interrogator throughout the war, speaking with Japanese prisoners of war and trying to get as much information as possible. He talks about finding a piece of paper which showed the date and location of an…
Hayashi begins the interview speaking about his family background, being born in Denver and what it was like to grow up there. As a child, he would have the chance to live in Japan and would do so for two years, learning all about the Japanese…
Otoshi discusses his role during his assignment in Japan interrogating repatriates and families in Maizuru and Hakata. He then discusses the treatment of Prisoners of War (POWs), returning to Hawaii, and attending college. Lastly, Otoshi talks about…
Otoshi discusses the differences between interrogating civilians and prisoners of war (POWs); his experiences while living in Okinawa; and his assignment as a security officer in Korea. He then talks about his assignment in San Francisco in security…
Tokita explains how he survived on the front line. He talks about a soldiers injury and that soldiers life after World War Two. He describes an attempt to save a soldiers life. He discusses the Gothic Line. He describes a deadly ambush. He shares…
Fujimoto continues to talk about his unit's attempt to capture Cassino, Italy. He describes a recent visit to Cassino, Italy. He discusses an air fight he witnessed. He shares his thoughts on war. He talks about his unit's retreat from Cassino,…
Tanaka discusses learning about the American Concentration Camps on the Mainland. When he is at Camp Shelby, he visits Jerome Concentration Camp. Tanaka is shocked at the living conditions.
Going from Camp Shelby to Camp Savage, Tanaka recalls the…
Ikari continues talking about his basic training at Camp Shelby, joining E Company and preparing for their shipment overseas. They would ship out from Newport News aboard a liberty ship, gambling, playing cards and listening to music throughout the…
Masuda discusses more about his time on Tinian. He also discusses about his knowledge and thoughts about the atomic bombings. Masuda details about his life after leaving the army.
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…
Kuwabara discusses his experiences at Military Intelligence Service Language School (MISLS) including the demographics of the graduates and his thoughts on discrimination in the military. He also talks about interrogation techniques taught at MISLS,…
Uchida and Kinoshita continue their recollection of joining the Army. At the time, Uchida was working on the railroads in Montana and Kinoshita was at the Minidoka concentration camp. They talk about their individual basic training at Camp Shelby,…
Overseas, every two months Ken's company moved to a different area.
Ken's first battle was on Mount Fogarito. In the Headquarters Platoon, Ken did various assignments. One job was to be a litter-bearer and carry the wounded soldiers off the…
Wada discusses hearing about the death of his father after battling with leukemia, and then going from basic training to overseas. They would go from Camp Patrick Henry on a 30 day trek to Naples, where he would begin his combat. He talks about his…
Noguchi talks about traveling to the Philippines and his experiences there including living conditions, food, interactions with POWs, and duties interrogating POWs. He then talks about being sent to Japan after the end of the war and his assignment…
Yamada discusses his experience on the Mainland and going overseas. Yamada is not at Camp McCoy for very long. Only a few months for infantry training for the 100th Infantry Battalion. Later he volunteers for Military Intelligence Service.
Ken Tamura discusses the effects of war on the soldiers, civilians, and the country. When Ken first arrives in France, many of the 442nd are either killed in action or wounded in action from the Lost Battalion rescue. In Europe during this time,…
After Nagasaka was at Minidoka Concentration Camp, he would be drafted into the Army and get inducted at Fort Douglas. While at basic training, he would train to be a part of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, where he would learn to use various…
Teramura discusses more about his time in Europe during the war. One of his assignments there would be processing German prisoners of war. He discusses the SS and the power that they had in the Nazi Army. After the war had ended, he would work as a…
Hinatsu talks more about the rescue of the Lost Battalion, including a parade that followed the rescue. Following this they would get some rest and relaxation during the Champagne Campaign, going through the South of France. Shortly after they war…
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 discusses his involvement with the war crimes trials, first in Australia, where he would interrogate the prisoners of war in Sugamo prison, then to Tokyo for the Class B trials. After these, he would work as a translator for prisoners of war…
Fukuzawa discusses about his experiences in Italy both during and post-war. He details about his experiences in France, including the Champagne Campaign and his interactions with French citizens. Fukuzawa also discusses about the casualties of war.
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…
Nakasone discusses attending Japanese language school and his involvement with Buddhism and judo. After this, he talks about the attacks on Pearl Harbor; living just three miles from Pearl Harbor, he would see firsthand the Japanese zero's flying…
Nakasone discusses his marriage and how he met her at the University of Minnesota while he was a student and she was a librarian. He talks more about his family and names his grandchildren. Next, he talks about settling in Minnesota and his military…
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.
…
Oye would be discharged from the Army after some guard duty in Europe and being shipped back to the United States, passing the Statue of Liberty on the way back. He would end up in Philadelphia, where he would meet his wife and begin his career as a…
Hamada discusses Operation Magpie and the role he played in it. He also details of what some of the Doolittle Flyers went through as prisoners of war. Hamada discusses his family.
Fukasawa discusses living off the land and surviving off the rations. In the rations there are meat, eggs, can vegetates, rice and bread. The Caucasian soldiers did not want the rice, therefore he is able to have a good amount of rice to eat. In…
Matsui continues stories from occupied Japan, including talking with desperate civilians trying to sell things on the black market. He would also help with the war crimes trials as an investigator with the 8th Army Judge Advocate section. His…
Nobuo "Nob" Yamashita is born September 28, 1920, in Los Angeles, CA. Nob and his family worked on the farm before starting a fresh produce business in Bell.
In 1938, Nob graduates high school. When his younger brother Ace graduates high school a…
In New Guinea, Nobuo "Nob" Yamashita's assignment is to interrogate Prisoners of War (POWs). He says the POWs are happy someone can speak their native language and be treated decently. The goal of interrogating the POWs is to find out their mission…
Douglas Kodama begins the interview with an introduction of his family and what it was like growing up in Maui. During his freshmen year of high school, the attacks on Pearl Harbor occurred and though he didn't see much discrimination, he did feel…
Hozaki talks about his nickname. He explains why he volunteered for the military. He describes interrogating Prisoners of War (POWs). He discusses his relationships with Mainland Soldiers. He talks about his interactions with civilians while…
Okubo recalls December 7, 1941 and his high school graduation. After high school, he works in the hotel business and the Big Five before joining the military in May of 1942. He contributes attending Japanese Language School for 12 years helped him…
Okubo discusses his interpreter experience and interrogation tactics with the Prisoners of War at Palau. Okubo is at Palau for two to three weeks before moving to the next invasion.
The next assignment for Okubo is psychological warfare. He…
Okubo discusses Guadalcanal, Marshall Islands and his duties of getting the Prisoners of War (POW) ready to ship back to Japan. Preliminary investigation of Unites States soldiers' casualty postpones Okubo from being discharge. Soon after, Okubo…
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…
Kozono talks about his deployment to the Philippines after the war ended as part of the "Luzon POW Processing Team". As a staff sergeant, and due to his limited ability to speak Japanese, he often had his team conduct interviews while managed the…
After making his way to Japan with the Army, Uyeda would begin his assignments, working for the Civil Intelligence Service (CIS). With this team, he would go throughout Japan, interrogating prisoners of war, researching the population, and reporting…
Aki continues to talk about his experience as a prisoner of war on Wake Island. There, he would be treated pretty normally, although there were some casualties and they were guarded by the Japanese Army. He also talks about one incident that was…
Aki continues to talk about his experiences as a prisoner of war while in Japan. Towards the end of the war, he noticed that a lot of weird things were happening with the Japanese Army guards and that the POWs were taken out of work. He overheard…
After joining the Air Force, Aki would ask to be sent to occupied Japan, instead of having to serve in the Korean War. He talks about coming into Japan for the first time since his time as a prisoner of war, and comparing the destruction he saw when…
During the occupation of Japan, Paul Ichiuji worked for the CIC to gather information. Paul got information from the butokai and couriers. Although Paul’s Japanese was not that proficient, he knew important words to communicate with the butokai.…
Tommy Mayekawa and his family evacuate to Santa Anita Assembly Center after receiving the evacuation orders. He describes the living conditions and life in the camp. Tommy and his family live in a horse stable, and his parents accepted the situation…
At Camp Savage, Masato Eddy Kurushima learns Japanese to be am interpreter. He recalls studying late at night to learn the vocabulary and kanji characters.
Eddy also goes to basic training for eight weeks. His learns infantry training and…
Masato "Eddy" Kurushima discusses why the natives in the Pacific did not like anyone with Japanese ancestry. Eddy recalled an encounter with the Filipino natives and was mistaken for Japanese soldiers. Eddy says there was always a guard with the…
Hitoshi G. Sameshima discusses his training to be an interrogator at Fort Snelling. After completing his training, he goes to Fort Spellman and goes overseas to the Philippines. Hitoshi stays in Manila and Luzon to interview the Prisoners of War for…
Hitoshi G. Sameshima recalls going to Japan for occupation. He describes the cities destruction from the atomic bomb. When Hitoshi arrives at the NYK Building, his first assignment is to take a group to the Red Cross warehouse and guard the…
Hitoshi G. Sameshima describes the process of the war crime trials in Japan. Hitoshi feels the good interpreters are the ones who have been to college in Japan and the United States. Some interpreters and instructors are Kibei. Hitoshi recalls a…
Kitagawa discusses revisiting Bruyeres for the 50th anniversary, and seeing the monument there dedicated to the 442nd. After this, he talks about the end of the war in Europe and seeing the German prisoners of war. He would be able to take a short…
Taba continues talking about his time in combat throughout Europe with the 100th Infantry Regiment. He talks about various battles that he was involved with, including the Gothic Line and the Lost Battalion. Shortly after this, the war came to an end…
Sukeo "Skeets" Skeets recalls the saddest part of the war was seeing political prisoners' dead bodies. He never forgot the smell of the bodies. The American troops advanced to the 2nd Infantry Division; Skeets received orders from the CIC to form an…
Kawamoto discusses why his parents moved back to Japan before the Pearl Harbor attack. He also talks about his experience being drafted in the army. He shares anecdotes regarding: basic training, battle experiences, and his post-war life.
Hiro Nishimura further speaks about his connections to Harry Fukuhara and John Aiso. As a soldier he ships out and serves in the China-Burma-India theater as a translator in the MIS.
Kaneshiro begins the interview talking about his whereabouts when Japan surrendered. As he was already on a ship heading to Manila with the Military Intelligence Service (MIS), he would go to the Philippines first, then head to Tokyo. Once he…
Tadayoshi Sugiyama arrives in Manila, Philippines, and goes to the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section (ATIS). He is stationed in Manila for a month. In November, Tadayoshi arrives in Yokohama, Japan.
Fujikawa talks about his time training at Fort Snelling, studying Japanese language with the Military Intelligence Service (MIS). He briefly talks about his marriage background, his wife moving to Minnesota while he was at Fort Snelling. After this,…
During Paul Takao Bannai's school years in Utah, and Colorado there are no Japanese American students. Paul's friends are mainly white. When he moves to Los Angeles, CA, his friends are more diverse, and he meets other Japanese Americans. Paul…
When Paul Takao Bannai hears the news of Pearl Harbor on December 7, his reaction is to help and defend the United States. Paul's parents support him and encourage him to defend America. By joining the 442nd and serving with the Military…
Paul Takao Bannai discusses Nisei in the Japanese Army and wants to learn more about their experience. In Kyoto, Paul helps organize the breweries to sell alcohol to the United States military.
After Japan, Paul has one more year of service. He…
Tsuda discusses meeting up with the 100th Infantry Battalion once arrived in Italy. He would be assigned to a rifle company, even though he was trained as a heavy weapons expert. After this, they would march to Anzio. While there, he would get his…
After the campaigns in Italy, Tsuda's unit would move into Southern France, where they would be involved in more combat, including a mortar barrage that wounded him with shrapnel into his hip. He would head to the hospital and stay there for a short…
Matsumura discusses the friendships he made in the field during the War - one friend who was killed in action towards the end of the War, and another who he remained friends with for decades. He then lists the numerous decorations and medals he…
Cunningham explains how he got the German soldiers to come out of the underground fortress. He talks about having trench foot. He discusses Prisoners of War. He explains the extent to which he interacted with the 100th Infantry Battalion. He…
Julian Quayles' interview is combined with Ray Wells.
Julian Quayles joins the National Guards during his sophomore year in college. He is a part of Company B, 124th Infantry, 31st Division. Julian does his training at Camp Blanding. He…
Julian Quayles' interview is combined with Ray Wells.
Julian Quayles discusses what happens after he escapes from the German soldiers. Julian with another Officer, finds shelter on an Italian civilian's property until they can rejoin the American…
Ray Wells's interview is combined with Julian Quayles
Julian Quayles joins the National Guards during his sophomore year in college. He is a part of Company B, 124th Infantry, 31st Division. Julian does his training at Camp Blanding. He describes…
Ray Wells's interview is combined with Julian Quayles
Julian Quayles discusses what happens after he escapes from the German soldiers. Julian with another Officer, finds shelter on an Italian civilian's property until they can rejoin the American…
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…
At Camp Savage, Robert Sugimoto reports to the Headquarters Company. When Robert joined the Military Intelligence Language School, the classes have already started a few weeks earlier. The class focus on Japanese conversation skills. Robert recalls…
At Camp Shelby, Robert Sugimoto learns he is AWOL because there are no traveling orders. He tries to visit his family at Poston. However, Poston is under the Western Defense Command. Although Robert is in Army, he is not allowed to go.
Overseas, Minoru Miyasaki spent his time in Italy seizing the mountain from the German soldiers. When Minoru was not in combat, he was a litter-bearer. He recalls carrying Senator Daniel Inouye in a stretcher to the Aid Station. Minoru explains the…
Wallace Nagao talks about his family's history and his early life growing up on one of Hawaii's sugar plantations. Nagao goes through his educational history-- from elementary school through college and his experiences at Japanese language school. He…
In the second part of his interview, Wallace Nagao details the work he did helping the British Army in Burma, his experience meeting Admiral Mountbatten, and hearing about the Japanese surrender. He also recounts his time post-surrender in…
Shima continues his recollection of joining the 442nd Regiment in Europe after V-E day. He would become involved with the public relations team and be chosen for temporary duty. He would head to New York to hand out public relations papers to…
Coolidge Wakai guarded thousands of POWs in the Po Valley when the war ended. Later, Coolidge was transferred from guarding the POWs to Headquarters Company as a cleric.
After the war, Coolidge returned to the United States. He participated in a…
Kawamoto talks about dropping off Korean soldiers at the front lines. He describes his first time in combat. He discusses a strategic meeting with top officials. He describes his platoon's travel through China using a map. He describes the Japanese…
Miyahara continues his recollection of his time visiting Asia in 1936 for kendo. Next, when back in America, he speaks about Pearl Harbor and the forced removal to temporary detention centers at the Pomona fairgrounds. His friends would visit him…
Miyahara discusses the change of Japan during the occupation, including manufacturing quality items that turned into a big part of their future economy. As a welfare officer and member of occupational forces, Miyahara helped in the recovery of Japan.…
