Nelson Akagi tells of his training at Camp Shelby and shipping out to the European theater. He recounts his first combat experiences and the emotions he experienced upon seeing a dead Nisei soldier. He also talks about good and bad officers and being…
Michael Doi was born on May 25, 1920, in Camarillo, CA. Later the family moved to Oxnard, CA, when Michael was five years old. On December 7, Michael went to Los Angeles to watch a movie, and news of Pearl Harbor was announced. During this time,…
Lillian Matsudaira describes life before the war and remembers how her mother would make Udon. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, a curfew is in effect for Japanese Americans to return home early. Lillian also speaks about differentiating between…
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…
On the day of the evacuation, Henry Gary Shiota recalls the check-in process by the JACL and going to Stockton Assembly Center. At the Assembly Center, the Japanese Americans are assigned Barrack numbers and given medical shots.
Takahashi talks about the german weapons that were used against them and the different sights and sounds they heard while getting shot at. After this, he discusses a bit more about his war experiences, including when they were able to have hot…
Wada talks more about his war experiences, including a sad memory of a friend in the Army that died of a wound. After this, he talks about the Po Valley campaign and the famous trek up the mountain to break the Gothic Line. After this, he would…
Dr. Coolidge Shiro Wakai was part of the 100th Company B. He was born December 2, 1925, in Kappa, Kauai, Hawaii. Coolidge's father was a missionary for Japanese Immigrants and established the first Christian church in Kappa, Kauai. Coolidge has six…
