During wartime, Hiroshi "Hershey" Miyamura worked at the Ford Agency and was the youngest mechanic at 17 years old. He recalls December 7, 1941, and hearing the news when he went duck hunting. Hershey was shocked and felt uncertain about the future…
In this oral history interview, Raymond Aka talks about his early childhood in Hawaii and his subsequent move to Okinawa and attending school in Japan. After returning to America, Aka describes his time in high school, working in California, and his…
James Fujii grows up in a rural area. After the war, the community doubled in size. James felt everyone got along after they knew one another. In his opinion, the Japanese American community did not rebel against racism after the war. They are happy…
Janet Brown Hardwick and Susan Hardwick come from a family of men who serves their country. Their great-grandfather serves in the Civil War, and their father, Bill Hardwick, is part of the 36th Infantry Regiment during World War Two. Following their…
William Yoshito Thompson arrives in France and lands in Marseille. William's unit is the 2nd Battalion Head Quarters, which services the Rifle Company. In the Rifle Company, there is E Company, F Company, and G Company (the heavy weapons company).…
On December 7, 1941, Masato Eddy Kurushima was at the free market selling their harvest and heard the news about Pearl Harbor. Eddy was in shock and felt things would go back to normal the next day. The Pearl Harbor attack changed the lives of the…
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…
Kishiue discusses his early years in California's King County. He talks about his family background and their experiences evacuating their home during WW2. He also talks about being drafted in the military before the Pearl Harbor attack; and race…
Imoto shares details about his war injuries, how he got wounded and where his wounds are. He talks how he recuperated. He also discusses his life after the war ended.
Furukawa talks about his experiences and recollections regarding his draft into military service, race relations between Caucasians and Japanese Americans before and after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and his recruitment and training in MISLS. He also…
Onodera discusses his experiences being a translator for US commissioned officers in Japan. He recounts the living conditions in the US military barracks and some details of his job. In addition he talks about how 5 of his siblings also served in the…
At Camp Savage, Yoshio Izumi is assigned to Headquarter Company and does clerical work. He is tasked with morning reports and supplies inventory. Yoshio recalls being inducted at the same time as John Aiso and seeing him at basic training at Fort…
Samuel Yamaguchi talks about his family moving in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack. He discusses moving to central California to join his uncle. He also describes moving to the Poston camp after Executive Order 9066.
Keegan discusses his trajectory becoming a commissioned officer assigned to the 442nd. He shares his recollections of the Pearl Harbor attack. He also talks about some of the hardships Nisei soldiers faced.
Aiko Nakahara, Peter's wife, tells us of her early life growing up in Seattle, Washington. She recounts her experiences at Puyallup and Minidoka Assembly Centers.The interview ends with photos from Peter's life and a final word regarding advice he…
