William Yoshito Thompson oral history interview, part 2 of 3, June 27, 2007
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Description
William Yoshito Thompson discusses going to Schofield and going overseas to the Mainland to Camp Shelby. At Camp Shelby, William is assigned to the 2nd Battalion Head Quarters and later to the Antitank Company.
There are approximately 10,000 Nisei who volunteers for the 442nd. Williams explains the relationship between Mainland soldiers and the Hawaiian soldiers. William says some factors for the misunderstandings are due to the different cultural up brings, and he provides some examples. Eventually, the animosity between Mainlanders and Hawaiian guys subsides, and they get along.
When William gets weekend passes, he enjoys eating steak and watching movies. Being from Hawaii, William has not experienced or seen discrimination until he goes to the South. He describes segregation and experiencing discrimination at the movie theater.
In May 1944, William ships out of Camp Shelby to go overseas on the Liberty ship. William's older brother volunteers and ships out December 1944 for the Anzio Campaign. His other brother is with the 442nd 522nd Field Artillery Battalion and ships out the same time as William.
Overseas, William's company lands in Naples. He recalls his first battle, the Little Battle (Little Cassino Battle) and the Arno Campaign. William's outfit faces artillery fire when carrying supplies to the front line and bringing the wounded soldiers back for treatment. William's specific task is picking up the injured soldiers. After the Arno Campaign, they go to France and land in Marseille.
There are approximately 10,000 Nisei who volunteers for the 442nd. Williams explains the relationship between Mainland soldiers and the Hawaiian soldiers. William says some factors for the misunderstandings are due to the different cultural up brings, and he provides some examples. Eventually, the animosity between Mainlanders and Hawaiian guys subsides, and they get along.
When William gets weekend passes, he enjoys eating steak and watching movies. Being from Hawaii, William has not experienced or seen discrimination until he goes to the South. He describes segregation and experiencing discrimination at the movie theater.
In May 1944, William ships out of Camp Shelby to go overseas on the Liberty ship. William's older brother volunteers and ships out December 1944 for the Anzio Campaign. His other brother is with the 442nd 522nd Field Artillery Battalion and ships out the same time as William.
Overseas, William's company lands in Naples. He recalls his first battle, the Little Battle (Little Cassino Battle) and the Arno Campaign. William's outfit faces artillery fire when carrying supplies to the front line and bringing the wounded soldiers back for treatment. William's specific task is picking up the injured soldiers. After the Arno Campaign, they go to France and land in Marseille.
Identifier
2007OH0777_02_Thompson
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Date of Birth
1924 Mar 15
Location of Birth
War or Conflict
Entrance into Service
Location of Basic Training
Unit of Service
Citation
Thompson, William Yoshito: narrator, Yuge, Tim: interviewer, and Go For Broke National Education Center: publisher, “William Yoshito Thompson oral history interview, part 2 of 3, June 27, 2007,” Japanese American Military History Collective, accessed April 26, 2024, https://ndajams.omeka.net/items/show/1052970.