Hitoshi Sameshima oral history interview, part 6 of 8, February 24, 2002

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 couple of cases of misinterpretations of double negative questions and the different dialects of Japan. Otherwise, Hitoshi says the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) did well at interpreting.

Hitoshi says he works with an FBI agent, Dr. Miller, a professor at Syracuse University, on Captain Murakami's case. If Captain Murakami pleads guilty, the sentence would be lighter. However, that is a mistake. Hitoshi says Captain Murakami receives a 30-year sentence.

Hitoshi works with another FBI agent, Captain Peters. Hitoshi says war crimes go along with war. As long as you treat the POWs in a humane way, there will no be war crime cases. Hitoshi explains the Geneva Conference is a universal guideline on how to treat POWs. However, in Hitoshi's opinion avoiding war is better because he lost all his childhood friends in World War Two. War is not worth it.

Hitoshi corresponds with his parents and they ask him to visit their relatives. Hitoshi recalls meeting his relatives. He says the meeting is awkward because he is Japanese but wearing an American Army uniform. Looking at Japan, the cities are destroyed by the bombing and there are food shortages.

Hitoshi is discharged in October 1946 and stays in Japan to work as a civilian. Hitoshi gets married to Utako before returning to the United States.

2002OH0249_06_Sameshima

http://www.goforbroke.org/oral_histories/mp4/249-Sameshima-Hitoshi-6.m4v

1921 Apr 13