Nisei soldiers in Italy, and rising opposition at home, in 1944

Vol. 19, No. 8, August 26, 1944. 8 pages. View this issue

The war in Italy led the news in August 1944. The front page carried War Department casualty lists of Japanese American soldiers killed, wounded or held as prisoners of war, including Pvt. Yoshio Matsuoka of Amache. Pages 3 and 8 followed with Silver Stars, a one-man mortar team, and the death of Pfc. Yukio Sato, told in a letter from his brother Tadao. Larry Tajiri’s editorial column, Convention Time, and a second column on organized labor looked at the resolutions against Japanese Americans passed by the California American Legion and the Teamsters. Bill Hosokawa wrote on the Nisei and the press.

Also in these eight pages: FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover’s article calling Hawaii sabotage rumors false, and two Nisei allowed back to the West Coast after federal court action. Joe Grant Masaoka reported on Pfc. Thomas Higa’s JACL speaking tour, and Nisei women in Washington, D.C. shared cooperative houses.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Two Held Prisoners; Japanese American Soldiers Reported Killed and Wounded in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The War Department notified families of Japanese American soldiers killed, wounded, or held as prisoners of war in Italy and Germany. The list includes soldiers from several relocation centers and mainland communities.
• War Department Identifies 11 Japanese Americans Killed, 86 Wounded in Mediterranean, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The War Department identified 11 Japanese Americans killed and 86 wounded in recent combat in Italy, all presumably members of Japanese American units on the Fifth Army front. The list gives next of kin and addresses for each casualty.
• Patterson Pays Visit to 100th Infantry Unit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Undersecretary of War Robert Patterson awarded Distinguished Service Crosses to combat infantrymen in Rome, including Lieut. Yeiki Kobashigawa. He then spoke with the Japanese American 100th Infantry Battalion and praised its soldiers.
• Veteran General Commands Famous 34th Infantry Unit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A veteran of World War I was named to command the 34th Infantry Division, which includes Japanese American units. The announcement was made by Army headquarters.
• Japanese American Trainees Claim Ft. McClellan Record, page 2. Company B of the 34th Battalion at Fort McClellan set a post record for M-1 rifle firing, with more than half of the company earning expert ratings. Trainees were praised for steady, accurate shooting under difficult weather conditions.
• Nisei Volunteer Reported Nazi War Prisoner, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pvt. Yoshio Matsuoka of Amache, previously reported missing in action, is now confirmed a prisoner of war in German hands. He is the first mainland Japanese American reported as a prisoner of war in Europe.
• Army Official Explains Exclusion Problem, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Attorney General Francis Biddle said in Los Angeles that exclusion of Japanese Americans from the Pacific coast is an Army matter, not a Justice Department matter. He argued that the question would be constitutionally impossible to resolve until the Japanese Americans involved were naturalized.
• Two Minidoka Volunteers Die Fighting Nazis, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Two Minidoka volunteers were reported killed in action in Italy, Pfc. Setsuro Yamashita and Pfc. Yasuo Fujino. Two other Hunt volunteers were reported wounded, and Pfc. Minoru Nagaoka was among those listed.
• Japanese Americans in Action, page 3. Photos show members of the 522nd Field Artillery and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in Italy during combat operations and at aid stations. The captions identify each soldier and describe the battlefield work.
• Earl Finch’s Kindnesses Recalled by Wounded Troops, page 3. A wounded 442nd soldier wrote to Earl Finch of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, relaying the last wishes of comrades killed in action. The letter thanked Finch for the kindness he showed the soldiers during their training at Camp Shelby.
• One-Man Nisei Mortar Team Confuses Nazis, page 3. Stars and Stripes reported that Staff Sgt. Kazuo Masuda of Santa Ana, California, operated a mortar alone against entrenched Germans. His sustained fire forced the Nazis to withdraw in confusion.
• Army Announces Soldiers of Japanese Ancestry Assigned to Central California Camp, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A contingent of American soldiers of Japanese ancestry was assigned to Camp Pinedale Army Air Forces communications training schools near Fresno. The post commander said the men would receive all rights and privileges and would be dispersed among signal units.
• Report Rivers Soldier Killed While Training, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pvt. George Ota, 24, of the Gila River relocation center was killed when a trench mortar exploded during training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. The War Department informed his parents of the accidental death.
• Camp Savage Unit Moved to Snelling, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The army establishment at Camp Savage, Minnesota, was moved to Fort Snelling, as announced by Col. H. J. Keeley. The move was welcomed in a letter published in the Fort Snelling Bulletin.
• Nisei GI Writes of Brother’s Death on Battlefield, page 5. Pvt. Tadao Sato wrote to his parents from Italy after his brother Pfc. Yukio Sato was killed in action. He reassured them, asked for a PACIFIC CITIZEN subscription, and promised to send rosaries blessed by the Pope.
• Nisei GI Wins Place on Army Post Golf Team, page 7. Two Japanese American servicemen training at Fort Snelling earned places on a golf team competing in the Seventh Service Command championships. Staff Sgt. Patrick Nagano led the Fort Snelling golfers with a 76.
• Box Elder Nisei Inducted into Army, page 8. Twenty Japanese Americans from Box Elder County, Utah, were inducted into the Army in August, according to the local selective service bureau. The list gives the names of the inductees.
• Influence of Nisei Soldiers Told by Detroit WRA Office, page 8. A letter to the Michigan WRA office from a Sparta, Michigan farmer reports that Japanese American soldiers at Fort Myer influenced his interest in hiring Japanese families for farm work. The item shows the effect of Nisei soldiers on public attitudes.
• War Department Announces Awarding of Two Silver Stars to Soldiers from Hawaii, page 8. The War Department awarded two Silver Stars and two Bronze Stars to Hawaii soldiers of Japanese ancestry for heroism in Italy. Cpl. Donald S. Hayashi and Sgt. Irving T. Masumoto were cited for courage under fire.

National

• Hoover Says FBI Found Pearl Harbor Sabotage Rumors Against Japanese Americans False, page 1. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover wrote in an Associated Press article that wild rumors of sabotage by Hawaii residents of Japanese ancestry were investigated and proved false. He described the rumors, including parachute troops and arrows cut in cane fields, as baseless.
• Two Nisei Granted Right to Return to Coast Evacuated Area by Army Authorities, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Federal court action led the Western Defense Command to grant permits allowing Mrs. Shiramizu and Masaru Baba to return to the West Coast. A federal judge also ordered General Bonesteel to show cause why loyal Japanese Americans should not be allowed to return.
• Navy Official Explains Ban on Nisei Group, page 2. Acting Navy Secretary Ralph Bard said the Navy would continue to bar citizens of Japanese ancestry from its service despite the Army record of Japanese American soldiers. The ACLU publicized his letter, which cited racial problems in combat conditions.
• Washington Legion Wants Deportation, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Washington state convention of the American Legion called for permanent exclusion of Japanese aliens and deportation of disloyal Japanese American citizens. The report also asked that persons flagged by the FBI be kept in camps.
• Grange Officials Rap Relocation in Western Area, page 7. Western Grange masters met in Portland to discuss purchases of land by Japanese Americans and called for federal action to prevent their return to the West Coast. The resolution was framed as a unified western position.
• California State Legion Wants Army Control, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The California Department of the American Legion called for Army control of all Japanese Americans and opposed their return to the West Coast for the duration of the war. The resolution also urged Congress to study the Japanese problem and revoke citizenship of disloyal Japanese Americans.
• Teamster’s Union Opposes Employment of Nisei Workers, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Dave Beck of the Teamsters led a western regional conference that declared a campaign against employing Japanese Americans in western states. Delegates warned employers who hired persons of Japanese ancestry that they would face trouble with union locals.
• Congressional Action Urged on Evacuees, page 7. A Los Angeles resolution urged congressional action regarding Japanese American evacuees. The brief article is part of the broader coverage of anti-evacuee resolutions passed by western organizations.

Community

• Baby Burned to Death in Spokane, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A seven-month-old baby died when fire destroyed the Kayashida family farm home southwest of Spokane on August 16. The report states the family was away when the fire started.
• Nisei WAC Pays Tribute to U.S. Citizenship Rights, by P.C. Staff, page 2. WAC Pvt. Frances Iritani spoke on a Tyndall Field radio broadcast about her pride in American citizenship. She said her brother was fighting in Italy and that Japanese American families value the privileges of American youth.
• 75 Leave Poston for Military Duty, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Seventy-five Japanese American evacuees left the Poston relocation center for active duty in the U.S. Army, according to the War Relocation Authority. The Nisei soldiers received a community sendoff with a report from a Japanese American unit in Italy.
• Joe Grant Masaoka’s Column: Visit of Japanese American Veteran Belies Wild Rumors, by Joe Grant Masaoka, page 5. Masaoka reports on a speaking tour by Pfc. Thomas Higa, wounded at Cassino, sponsored by the National JACL to reassure families about Nisei soldiers. Higa described how the 100th Battalion was protected by covering fire and how the Hawaiian units earned the respect of the 34th Division.
• Nisei Girls Cooperate to Solve Capital Housing Problem, page 6. Fifteen Nisei women who relocated to Washington, D.C. for jobs now live in two cooperative houses with Caucasian housemothers. The article describes how they share expenses, chores, and a piano while working in government and private offices.
• Salt Lake Realtors Pass Prohibition, page 6. The Salt Lake City real estate board adopted a rule barring its members from helping Japanese American or Negro buyers move into certain districts. The editorial calls the rule a harmful, shortsighted restriction and urges cooperative city planning instead.
• Simple Rites Unite Couple in Detroit, page 6. Yoshiko Kiwata of Topaz and David Hironaka were married in a simple ceremony at a Detroit judge’s home on July 31. Only close friends attended, and the groom reported for active Army duty on August 7.
• Nisei Establish Christian Group in Cleveland, page 6. A Japanese American Christian Fellowship was formed in Cleveland with Victor Fujii as pastor, drawing more than 100 attendees on average. The group meets regularly and serves the local Nisei community.
• Nisei Committee Seeks List of Utah Servicemen, page 6. The Nisei Victory Committee of Salt Lake City announced it is compiling names and addresses of Japanese American servicemen from Utah to remember them at Christmas. Secretary Lily Yasuda asked families to send the information to the committee.
• Parents Learn Two Nevadans Hurt in Italy, page 8. Pfc. Harry Nozu of Reno and Pfc. Dewey Fukui of Carson City were reported wounded in Italy in July. Nozu was wounded on July 8 and Fukui on July 4, and Fukui received the Purple Heart.
• Large Crowds Hear Higa on Speaking Tour, page 8. Pfc. Thomas Higa spoke to packed audiences in Idaho, Oregon, and Utah during a National JACL speaking tour. He described life for soldiers in Italy and brought messages from them to parents and relatives.

Obituaries

• Pvt. Akimoto Reported Killed on Italy Front, page 3. Pvt. John Akimoto of Amache, a volunteer for the 442nd Combat Team, was reported killed in Italy on August 2. He was a graduate of Dorsey High School in Los Angeles and is survived by parents, brothers, and sisters.
• Native Colorado Nisei Killed on Italian Front, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Staff Sgt. Kenneth Kentaro Shibata, the first native-born Coloradan of Japanese ancestry killed in Italy, died on July 18 after being wounded the day before. He was born in 1919 at Fort Lupton, Colorado.

Commentary

• Convention Time, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial argues that summer convention resolutions against Japanese Americans follow a predictable pattern, especially from the California American Legion. It notes growing goodwill from church and liberal groups and predicts that supportive resolutions will counterbalance the hostile ones.
• Refuting Rumors, page 4. The editorial praises J. Edgar Hoover’s Associated Press article debunking Hawaii sabotage rumors. It argues the rumors were widely accepted on the coast and later repudiated, and criticizes Kilsoo Haan and other hate mongers who still repeat them.
• In the Pacific War, page 4. The editorial notes that most published news about Japanese Americans concerns Italy, but Nisei are also contributing to the Pacific war effort. It cites reports placing Japanese Americans in the Aleutians, Marshalls, Solomons, and other theaters.
• One-Man USO, page 4. The editorial tells the story of Earl Finch of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, who befriended the 100th Infantry Battalion at Camp Shelby. It describes how his friendship continued through letters and hospital visits after the unit went overseas.
• Nisei and Organized Labor, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The column argues that the Teamsters’ anti-Japanese stance reflects an old pattern, not the attitude of organized labor as a whole. It traces labor hostility to early anti-Asian movements while noting that CIO unions generally do not discriminate.
• Nisei in Uniform: Letters From Servicemen, page 5. The column reprints letters from wounded and combat soldiers describing hospital recovery and front-line experience. The writers express a shared hope for a better postwar world and insist that Nisei must fight for rights without undercutting others.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa argues that Nisei have learned to use the press more wisely since Pearl Harbor, though they still need to make better use of letters to the editor. He describes a Portland Nisei girl whose restrained letter about a cemetery desecration prompted an editorial and many supportive replies.

JACL

• Olympus Chapter Schedules Dance, page 6. The Mt. Olympus chapter of the JACL announced a Leap Year dance called The Starlight Swing for September 2 at the Jensen Home. George Fujii, social chairman, is handling arrangements and the public is invited.
• Buck-A-Month Club and Credit Union Updates, by Hito Okada, page 6. Okada reports new members in the Buck-A-Month Club and a request to locate a Hilo schoolmate of the Kono brothers. The column also explains that the JACL Credit Union has saved about $5,700 for its 122 members since October 1943.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.