Nisei soldiers in Italy, and Alberta bars evacuees from voting

Vol. 19, No. 7, August 19, 1944. 8 pages. View this issue

Japanese American soldiers in Italy filled most of this 8-page issue. The front page reported that King George VI reviewed the 2nd Battalion of the 442nd Combat Team and presented Silver Stars to Sgt. Hideo Kaichi and Pfc. Paul T. Tahara. The War Department released the Presidential citation for the 100th Infantry Battalion, and reports named casualties, including four volunteers from war relocation centers killed in action. Pvt. Kungo Iwai wrote from the foxholes, and Bill Hosokawa’s column looked at the price of the honors won. The front page also told how some 2,000 Japanese Canadian evacuees in Alberta were barred from voting in the August 8 provincial election.

Larry Tajiri’s editorials covered the multiracial makeup of the Fifth Army and the Denver treason trial of the Shitara sisters. A later story reported their appeal for a new trial. Heart Mountain draft cases appeared on pages 7 and 8, and Ann Nisei explained how to mail Christmas parcels to servicemen overseas.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Alberta Bars Evacuees From Recent Election, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Some 2,000 Japanese Canadian evacuees in Alberta were barred from voting in the August 8 provincial election because authorities classified them as temporary residents. The ruling did not affect permanent residents of Japanese ancestry who had resided in Alberta before the evacuation.
• Army Newspaper Reveals King George VI Reviewed Japanese American Troops, page 1. King George VI inspected the 2nd Battalion of the 442nd Combat Team at Fifth Army headquarters in Italy on July 28, according to The Stars and Stripes. The King presented Silver Stars to Sgt. Hideo Kaichi and Pfc. Paul T. Tahara for their heroism.
• Nisei Combat Team in Italy Has High I.Q., Says Army, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 442nd Combat Team, made up entirely of Americans of Japanese descent, has one of the highest intelligence levels of any Army unit, with nearly one in four members having attended college or university. All members of the unit volunteered for service.
• Evacuee Family Has Six Sons in U.S. Army, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Sakuma family of Minidoka has six sons serving in the U.S. Army, believed to be the only family of Japanese ancestry in America with that many in service. A seventh son was deferred and an eighth will reach military age this fall.
• Nisei Soldier Wounded in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pvt. Norman S. Ikari of Los Angeles was wounded in action in Italy on July 17, according to his mother at Poston. The report is brief and gives limited detail beyond his injury and family information.
• Four Mainland Nisei Killed, Five Injured in Action in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Four Japanese American volunteers from war relocation centers were killed in action in Italy and five others were wounded, according to notices received by next of kin. The casualties were presumably members of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
• War Department Releases Text of Presidential Citation to 100th Infantry Battalion, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The War Department released the Presidential citation awarded to the 100th Infantry Battalion for its actions near Belvedere and Sassetta, Italy, on June 26-27, 1944. The citation praises the unit’s fortitude and intrepidity as reflecting the finest traditions of the U.S. Army.
• Nisei Americans Served as Honor Guard for King George, page 2. A Nisei soldier in Italy wrote that Japanese American combat troops served as the honor guard for King George VI during his recent visit to Fifth Army units. The letter describes the unit’s combat performance and the soldier’s wartime experiences.
• From the Foxholes of Italy: Incident Reveals Spirit of Nisei Comradeship, by Pvt. Kungo Iwai, page 2. A soldier recounts how members of the 100th Infantry Battalion lost three wiremen to a German machine gun during a Volturno crossing. He describes how comrade Donkey Nakauye placed flowers on their bodies, an act reflecting the deep bond within the unit.
• New Japanese American Army Unit Formed at Camp Shelby, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The First Battalion, 442nd Infantry, was redesignated the 171st Infantry Battalion, Separate, at Camp Shelby under Lieut. Col. Sherman L. Watts. A contest selected a new insignia and patch from entries submitted by unit members.
• Denver Nisei Captures Three Nazis in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sgt. Ihara of Denver concealed a slight wound and captured three Germans after going to assist a forward artillery observer. He refused to leave his post until his mission was complete.
• Sgt. Nakamura, Noted Boxer, Killed in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sgt. Henry (Hank) Nakamura, a former featherweight boxer from Honolulu, was killed in action in Italy on January 23, according to his mother. He had earlier been reported missing in action and had been cited for bravery.
• Granada Volunteer Injured in Action, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pfc. Naoye Togashi, who volunteered from the Granada relocation center, was wounded in action in Italy on July 17. His parents received word of the injury.
• Pfc. Robert Yasutake Cited for Action with 100th Infantry Battalion, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pfc. Robert W. Yasutake of Lahaina, Maui, silenced three enemy machine guns, killed four Germans and captured seven others in a single day’s fighting in Italy. His actions helped his platoon resume its advance.
• Maui Private Silences Three Machine-guns, Kills 4 Nazis, Captures Seven in Single Day, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pfc. Robert Yasutake of Maui, serving with the 100th Infantry Battalion, silenced three machine guns and killed or captured eleven Germans in one day. His courage held his position and enabled his platoon to advance.
• Poston Nisei Volunteer Dies in Italy Battle, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pfc. John Yamamoto, a former Poston resident from Oceanside, Calif., was killed in action in Italy. He volunteered from Salt Lake City and was the fourth volunteer from Poston to die in action.
• Home Town Learns of Nisei Casualty, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pfc. Richard H. Naito of Kent, Wash., was seriously wounded in fighting in Italy, according to word received by his wife in Seattle. He had volunteered a year earlier and had gone overseas the previous April.
• Nisei Patrol Rescues Three American Troops in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Four company runners of the 100th Infantry Battalion attacked a German-held house near Belvedere, killing one German, capturing three prisoners and rescuing three captive American soldiers. The men were Seitoku Hanashiro, Seichi Maeda, Tetsuo Tateishi and Masaru Kadomoto.
• Town in Utah Mourns Death of Evacuee Soldier, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Springville Herald reported the death of Pvt. George Sameshima, a Japanese American who had worked in Springville before entering the army. He had written that he wanted to return to Springville after the war.
• Pvt. William Yamada Wounded in Action, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pvt. William M. Yamada, a volunteer from Poston, was wounded in action in Italy on July 17. He was a former resident of San Diego and had worked as a fireman in Poston before volunteering.
• Parents Learn Three Minidoka Soldiers Killed, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Three Minidoka volunteers were reported killed in action in Italy, and three others were wounded. The list includes Pvt. George Tatsumi, Pfc. Yukio Sato and Pvt. William Mizukami.
• Hirose, Oda Lead 34th Division Team in Italian Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Japanese American swimmers of the 100th Infantry Battalion won nine of 14 events at the Fifth Army Zone swimming finals in Italy. Pvt. Halo Hirose and Pfc. Charlie Oda, both former Maui competitors, led the team’s sweep.
• Mojave Indians Play at Poston Fete for Inductees, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A crowd of 5,000 attended a Poston festival honoring young Japanese Americans who left the Colorado River relocation center for army induction. A Mojave Indian band provided music at the event.
• Casualties and the 34th Division, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A nisei casualty report notes the heavy losses among Japanese American troops in Italy, which are concentrated in a few WRA centers. The 34th Division and the 100th Battalion had suffered grievous losses in their advance.
• Christmas Parcels for Overseas GIs, by Ann Nisei, page 6. Ann Nisei explains the mailing period of September 15 to October 15 for overseas Christmas packages and lists postal requirements. She also gives packing suggestions for food and gift boxes.
• Calvin Saito Died in Action Recently on Italian Front, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Pfc. Calvin Saito of Los Angeles died while saving his comrades when he directed artillery fire on a German counterattack. His brother George wrote a letter to their father describing his heroism and urging him not to regret volunteering.
• Front-Line Letters from Servicemen, by Various servicemen, page 6. Several servicemen in Italy describe the countryside, the Italian language, combat experiences, and daily life at the front. They recount bartering, laundering and the hospitality of Italian civilians.
• Shelby Hawaiians Entertain Nisei Wounded in Washington, by Lyn Crost, Associated Press, page 8. An eight-man ensemble from the 171st Infantry Battalion entertained wounded 442nd soldiers at Walter Reed hospital in Washington. Guided by Earl Finch, the group performed Hawaiian music and hula.
• Nisei Troops Among World’s Best, Says Coast Officer, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Lieut. Paul Castoldi, a former platoon commander of the 100th Infantry Battalion, praised the unit as among the best soldiers in the world. He was wounded in action and recounted the courage of his men.

Incarceration & Redress

• County Officials Oppose Return of Evacuee Group, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California county boards of supervisors are reportedly unalterably opposed to any return of persons of Japanese ancestry to the evacuated areas for the duration of the war. The position was reported by Eldred L. Meyer of the Native Sons of the Golden West, who had written to county officials.
• Grant Postponement of Anti-Alien Law Trial in Salinas, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The trial of the anti-alien land law action against Yeizo Ikeda, Satsuka Ikeda and Toshi Hanazone was postponed until October at the defense’s request. The case involves about 70 acres of land in Carr Flats.
• Six Draft Evaders Reported at Heart Mountain Camp, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Six Heart Mountain residents were charged with failing to report for draft preinduction physical examinations and were brought to Cheyenne. The report is brief and factual regarding the charges.
• Five Evacuees Enter Pleas in Cheyenne Court, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Five Heart Mountain residents pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and aiding others to violate the selective service act. A. L. Wirin, the ACLU’s Southern California counsel, represents them.

Community

• Evacuee Girl Quits Job in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Fumiko Takata, a clerk-stenographer in the Los Angeles Police Department on leave due to evacuation, resigned her position. She stated she did not expect to return to California.
• Shitara Sisters File Appeal for New Trial, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Shitara sisters, convicted of conspiracy to commit treason, plan to seek a new trial through attorney Kenneth Robinson. Robinson argues that if they are innocent of treason they cannot be guilty of conspiracy to commit it.

Commentary

• All Are Not Nisei, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial notes that the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Combat Team include non-Japanese American officers and soldiers who share the same dangers. It argues that the Fifth Army’s multiracial composition shows men of all races can fight together as equals.
• Audience Reaction, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial describes how a newsreel showing the 100th Infantry Battalion receiving a Presidential citation drew warm applause in a Salt Lake City theater. It argues the motion picture is a powerful medium that can correct public misconceptions about Japanese Americans.
• Trial in Denver, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial comments on the Denver federal trial in which the Shitara sisters were acquitted of treason but convicted of conspiracy. It notes that the proceedings were conducted fairly despite wartime pressures.
• Hearst’s Nisei Election Scare, by Larry Tajiri, page 5. The column rebuts Jack Lait’s claim that Japanese American evacuees hold the balance of power in the coming election. It argues the claim is false and suggests it is part of a Hearst campaign against relocation.
• With Liberty and Justice for All, by James R. Muse, page 5. Muse argues that Americanism is defined by ideals of liberty and opportunity rather than ancestry or appearance. He condemns the mistreatment of Japanese Americans and praises the loyalty of the Nisei soldiers, including the 442nd.
• From the Frying Pan: The Honors Were Not Won Without a Price, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa reflects on Nisei casualties in Italy and how the loss of life weighs on families and communities. He argues the sacrifices should be honored by ensuring they are not in vain.
• Chicago Defender on Evacuees in Chicago, by Chicago Defender, page 5. The Chicago Defender condemned discriminatory statements against Japanese Americans in Chicago as the work of a loud minority. It argued that racial persecution of any group threatens all minorities.
• Treason Trial Verdict, by Rocky Mountain News, page 5. The Rocky Mountain News editorialized that the jury’s verdict in the Shitara sisters case was a strange compromise. It noted the jury convicted on conspiracy while acquitting on treason.
• Letters to the Editor: On Fighting Fascism, page 6. A reader praises the Pacific Citizen for advocating unity among all racial minorities against fascism and discrimination. The letter also criticizes Martin Dies and Hearst for promoting fifth column ideology.
• Letters and Morale, by Pvt. Mits Kojimoto, page 6. A soldier writes to urge people at home to send letters to servicemen, explaining how mail sustains morale in combat. He asks the community to remember the soldiers who visited their camps.

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