Michael and Jimmy Doi’s parents are from Yokohama, Japan. After eloping, they went to Oxnard, CA. In Oxnard, Michael and Jimmy's father was a farmer, and their mother was a housewife. There were four sons (Dick, Sam, Michael, and Jimmy) and one…
Yoshito Fujimoto talks about his experiences fighting in the Philippines, and about his reassignment to Japan. He recalls his arrival at the Atsugi Air Field, about his stay in Yokohama, about the signing of the Termination of War documents, and…
Riess discusses more about his father's background, including the legacy that he left in both Greece and the then Czechoslavakia. On trips back to those YMCA's, his father is still remembered by those that were there when it was first built. Next, he…
George Suzuki was born on April 6, 1922, in Astoria, OR. He went to Fort Snelling for Military Intelligence Service Language School. n May 1945, he completed training and was assigned to the Philippines for guard duty. When Japan surrendered in…
Yamamoto talks about his parents immigration. He discusses his siblings. He talks about his father's first marriage. He describes Seattle, Washington. He discusses living in a hotel. He talks about his family's hotel business. He describes his…
Kurata discusses his whereabouts during Japan's surrender; his father's immigration to the United States and employment at a sugar cane plantation; and discusses some of his thoughts regarding Japanese civilians prior to his assignment in Japan. He…
When World War Two ended, Ray Kuniteru Mayeda attended the University of Minnesota for a year, and his finances were running low. Therefore, he decided to volunteer for two years and enlisted when he was in Chicago. Ray went to basic training at Camp…
Nishimura discusses his reaction to landing in Yokohama and duties as part of the bomb survey team in occupation Japan. He shares some interview questions and answers from his survey with women and housewives. Nishimura also recalls the aftermath of…
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…
Konoshima begins by speaking about his time in occupied Japan. After spending time in the American concentration camps, he would be shipped to Tokyo as part of the Headquarters team. When arriving in Tokyo, he would remember the destruction of…
Shishido continues his recollection of his time in occupied Japan, interpreting for the war crimes trials in Tokyo. He discusses the intricacies of the interpreting process, including body language and understanding various dialects and meanings.…
Miyahara begins the interview talking about his family background and how his mother and father came over from Kyushu, Japan and settled down as farmers in the Los Angeles area. Growing up in California, he was able to live a pretty full childhood,…
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.
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…
Sukeo “Skeets” Oji was at Gila for a short time before attending school fall of 1942. The 442nd formed in early 1943, and in September 1943, Skeets was called to active duty. He went to Camp Shelby, and he was assigned Heavy Weapons.
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…
During the Military occupation in Japan, Tommy Mayekawa works for the Third Military Railway Service Headquarters as an interpreter. He guards the trains to make sure they are not pilferage.
Living in Yokohama, Japan, Tommy does not encounter…
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…
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…
To begin the interview, Uyeda speaks about how he learned the Japanese language, while living in a small town in Washington. The conversation jumps to the United States occupation in Japan following the war and first impressions of a Japan that had…
Ishimoto begins the interview talking about his whereabouts when he first heard of the surrender of Japan. At this time, he was already beginning preparations to move into Japan for scheduled invasions, and therefore, when shipped to Japan, he would…
Nishibayashi continues his recollection of his language training at Presidio and his thoughts about what to expect in an occupation. While shipping to Yokohama, he would enjoy a furlough in Hawaii before getting into Japan to begin his time there.…
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…
While Matsui was at Camp Savage instructing classes, his uncle would be at Minidoka Concentration Camp, where the living conditions were very poor. He talks about how he met his wife and his outlook on the war while at Camp Savage. Shortly after, he…
Takashi Matsui begins the interview talking about his family background and his parents coming from Japan and moving to the west coast of the United States. At the young age of three, he would actually move back to Japan, where he would attend school…
Yoshino begins the interview speaking about the surrender of Japan and a little about his childhood, growing up as a Japanese American. Next, he talks about spending a small amount of time at Tule Lake Concentration Camp and working at farms and on…
Hirano continues his recollection of his time in Japan, starting with his arrival in Hiroshima. There, he would see the devastation after the atomic bomb and be assigned to the Counter Intelligence Cops (CIC). After leaving that, he would stay in…
Following the end of the war, Nishimoto would return to Hawaii and join the 442nd reserves. He would then be called for active duty again for the Korean War, and would be on assignment in Japan. He would join the Military Intelligence Service with…
Yukihiro discusses about his assignments and experiences with the Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC). He explains the success rate of his unit gathering intelligence in post-war Japan. Yukihiro discusses about meeting his wife and post-war employment.
Yukihiro discusses being inducted, basic training, and joining the Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC). He details about his experiences in the CIC. Yukihara also discusses about the devastation in Japan.
Nakasone talks more about the movie "Pearl Harbor" and his disappointment in the accuracy of the film. After this, he talks about the military programs that he has been involved with, including one that helps the Navy establish educational programs.…
Mukai talks about meeting his wife in Japan and having to go through an approval process in order to get married, going to business school in Minneapolis, and moving to Japan. Mukai also talks about his daughter, and provides some advice to future…
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.…
Yamada discusses his time in the Dutch East Indies now know as Indonesia. He describes seeing a lot of casualties of Prisoners of War (POWs). He says the action happens so quickly that bodies keeping piling up.
Sasano discusses his time in the Philippines, including describing Japanese Prisoners of War, Philippine citizens, a tour of airfields in North Luzon, and going to Corregidor. He also talks about his experiences in Okinawa, including working as a…
Hashisaka talks about his assignment in the Philippines with the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section, capturing documents and translating them. He talks about one of the diaries that he has and the contents of it. He also talks about the…
Kimura discusses his brothers that were also serving in the Army, one of which would be wounded at the Lost Battalion campaign. He also talks about correspondence with his family and what it was like to be on the front lines. He talks more about his…
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…
Morishima reflects on the ethnic slurs directed towards him and those that he directed towards others. He explains that, as children, there was rarely always mal-intent behind the use of such terms. He then describes his passage to Japan for…
Following his language school training, Hamashige went to continued his training, going to basic, then to Fort Snelling for interpreting training before being sent out to the Philippines for his first assignment. As the war was coming to an end, the…
