Kameo Toyota oral history interview, part 2 of 5, November 17, 2002

Files

Dublin Core

Description

Toyota discusses family religion, secondary school, and going overseas for the European Theater. In Japan Toyota's Issei parents are Buddhist. However, when migrating to the United States, Toyota's parents believe their children should follow the religion of the country they reside in. The Toyota children then attends Sunday School at a Methodist Church. Toyota and four Brothers also attend Japanese School.

During the time of the Great Depression, Japanese School tuition cost $5 a month. Toyota's parents are share croppers and could not own land due to the Alien Land Law. Toyota is at awe that his parents can afford the Japanese School tuition during the Country's financial hardship.

In 1944 Toyota goes to Camp Blanding for secondary training (replacement training). At Camp Blanding, he remembers the visit from the 100th Infantry Battalion and their discussion about their war experience in Italy. As Toyota is getting ready to go onto the troopship overseas, her receives an Army telegram that his Brother is killed in England. Toyota and all his Brothers are close knit.

In France, Toyota's first action battle is at Bruyeres. He recalls the foot assault, mine fields and casualties. The most memorable moment is a wounded soldier losing his leg. At this point Toyota feels that they are extendable. In the European Theater, the German soldiers are know for their weapons and how more superior the guns were to the American soldiers.



Format

video/m4v

Extent

0:28:07

Language

Spatial Coverage

Identifier

2002OH0318_02_Toyota

Oral History Item Type Metadata

URL

http://www.goforbroke.org/oral_histories/mp4/318-Toyota-Kameo-2.m4v

Date of Birth

1917 Oct 25

Location of Birth

War or Conflict

Branch of Service

Entrance into Service

Nickname

Location of Basic Training

Index

Yes

Citation

Toyota, Kameo: narrator, Kunitomi, Darrell: interviewer, and Go For Broke National Education Center: publisher, “Kameo Toyota oral history interview, part 2 of 5, November 17, 2002,” Japanese American Military History Collective, accessed December 22, 2024, https://ndajams.omeka.net/items/show/1053307.