Nisei soldiers in Italy and the fight to return to the West Coast

Vol. 19, No. 11, September 16, 1944. 8 pages. View this issue

The 442nd Regimental Combat Team in Italy filled the front page and much of the issue. A wounded corporal told medics to treat the others first, and the War Department named 103 Japanese Americans wounded in action. Staff Sgt. Kazuo Masuda and Pfc. Harry F. Madokoro were among those killed. Col. C. W. Pence praised the unit’s conduct, and a twelve-man patrol was the first to reach Pisa.

At home, the question was return to the West Coast. Esther Takei arrived in Pasadena to study, the ACLU filed new suits, and Dr. George Ochikubo’s case was postponed until Sept. 25. Larry Tajiri, Saburo Kido and Bill Hosokawa wrote columns, and Carey McWilliams’ new book was reviewed. Japanese Americans were also invited to apply for ordnance depot jobs in Utah and Nebraska.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• I’m All Right, the Nisei Said, Treat the Others First, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A wounded corporal of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in Italy refused priority treatment, insisting others needed help first. He was among the last treated and died the next night after both legs were blown off by a German shell.
• War Department Identifies 103 Japanese Americans Wounded in Action in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The War Department listed 103 Japanese American soldiers wounded on the Italian front, with next of kin in the United States and Hawaii. The casualty lists named soldiers and their relatives, many with families held in relocation centers.
• Two Nisei Soldiers Killed in Action, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Two Japanese American soldiers from relocation centers, Staff Sgt. Kazuo Masuda and Pfc. Harry F. Madokoro, were killed in Italy, and several others were wounded. Most were former California residents who volunteered for combat duty in 1943.
• Chaplain, GIs Bring Back Bodies of Two Dead Comrades, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Chaplain Masao Yamada and eleven enlisted men crossed German lines under a white flag to recover the bodies of two Japanese American soldiers killed on patrol. Yamada later returned to recover another soldier’s body, and the Germans did not fire on him.
• Commander of 442nd Infantry Combat Team Praises Conduct of Japanese American Unit, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Col. C. W. Pence praised the officers and men of the 442nd for their performance during their baptism of fire in Italy. He noted the unit had never taken a backward step and had driven the enemy back more than 50 miles.
• Federal Jury Convicts Hunt Draft Evader, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A federal jury in Boise convicted Hitoshi Akatsu, 18, of refusing induction from the Minidoka center, after deliberating five minutes. Akatsu conducted his own defense and said he regarded himself a citizen of Japan given his confinement.
• Pfc. Thomas Higa Impresses Audience in Murray, Utah, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pfc. Thomas Higa of the 100th Infantry Battalion spoke to about 90 people at a Mount Olympus JACL chapter meeting, discounting rumors about conditions overseas. The hall owners waived their fee after being moved by his speech.
• Japanese American Soldier Wounded in French Invasion, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pfc. Nobukazu William Kuwada of Morgan Hill, Calif., was wounded in southern France on Aug. 15, providing the first official confirmation that Japanese Americans took part in the invasion. Kuwada was one of the first Poston volunteers for the Japanese American combat unit.
• San Jose Nisei Hurt Seriously on Italy Front, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pfc. Frank Sumio Shimada of Heart Mountain was seriously wounded in Italy on Aug. 23. He and his brother had volunteered for the Japanese American Combat Team in 1943.
• Staff Sgt. Yokoyama Wounded in Action, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Staff Sgt. Satoshi T. Yokoyama of Orosi, Calif., was slightly wounded in Italy on Aug. 23 while serving with the Japanese American Combat Team. He had volunteered for the Army in September 1941.
• Pfc. Madokoro Killed in Action on Italy Front, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pfc. Harry F. Madokoro, a Poston volunteer for the Japanese American Combat Team, was killed in Italy on Aug. 25. He was a former Watsonville, Calif. resident and high school graduate who was survived by his mother.
• Cpl. Mayeda Reported Wounded in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Tech. 5th Gr. Ben Mayeda of Topaz, Utah, was reported slightly wounded in action in Italy on Aug. 25. The War Department notified his family the previous week.
• California Nisei Killed in Action; Sgt. Masuda Called “One-Man Mortar Squad” for Recent Exploits, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Staff Sgt. Kazuo G. Masuda of Santa Ana, Calif., was killed in Italy on Aug. 27 while serving with the Japanese American Combat Team. He had been assigned to the training cadre at Camp Shelby and was survived by parents and several siblings.
• Veterans of Future Wars Warns Against Discrimination on Return, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Sgt. Batterson, a disabled Air Corps veteran, warned that servicemen returning from overseas would not tolerate racial discrimination. He recalled that prisoners of diverse backgrounds in his camp felt first American.
• Veterans of Future Wars: Bob Hosokawa, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Fifty-five members of the 100th Infantry Battalion arrived in Hawaii on furlough from Italy, with photographs showing their homecoming. The group was led by First Sergeant Francis N. Nakamura.
• Japanese American Patrol First to Reach City of Pisa, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A twelve-man Japanese American reconnaissance patrol of the 442nd entered Pisa on July 21 to gather intelligence, guided by a partisan. The patrol penetrated six miles into enemy territory without firing a shot.
• Japanese American Soldiers Have Good Discipline, Morale, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Commanding officers of the 442nd said Japanese American troops in Italy maintained the high discipline and morale shown in training, with no AWOL cases overseas. The unit had also won praise for its efficiency during Louisiana maneuvers.
• Flashlight in Italy: Capt. Takahashi of San Mateo, Calif., Has Portable Dental Office, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Captain George Takahashi, a dentist with the 442nd, performs dental work by flashlight in an old wine cellar near the front lines in Italy. He is assisted by Corporal Abraham Tokioka, a trained dental assistant from Honolulu.
• Story of the Week: Nisei Sergeant Risks Life to Rescue Baby Owl, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Technical Sergeant Kenneth Matsumitsu of the 442nd risked enemy shelling to rescue a stunned baby owl from a crater in an Italian orchard. The owl became the section’s mascot.
• Japanese American Gl Band Plays for Wounded Troops, by P.C. Staff, page 8. An eight-member Hawaiian band of Japanese American soldiers from Camp Shelby toured East Coast Army hospitals during a ten-day furlough. PM newspaper profiled their visit to Halloran General Hospital, where they entertained wounded comrades from the 442nd and 100th Battalion.

National

• Some Evacuees Will Remain in Denver Region, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dillon S. Myer estimated that 25 to 35 percent of Denver’s 1,433 Japanese Americans would stay in the city after the war. The estimate was reported by the War Relocation Authority.
• Japanese American Civilian Workers Get Opportunity to Help Produce Munitions, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The War Department announced Japanese Americans would be employed at Army ordnance depots in Tooele, Utah and Sioux, Nebraska, starting with carefully screened loyal workers. The plan had approval from the WRA and other agencies, with housing provided for families.
• Nisei May Apply for Ordnance Work at WRA Offices, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese Americans outside the camps were urged to apply at WRA offices for ordnance depot jobs, as more than 500 workers were needed at Tooele and Sioux. Men with families were preferred, and federal war housing was available for family groups.
• 30 Thousand Evacuees Leave WRA Centers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. More than 30,000 evacuees have left relocation centers on indefinite leave at a rate of about 400 a week, according to the WRA. Over 60,000 remain in the eight centers, and 18,500 are at the Tule Lake segregation camp.
• Houser Makes New Charge in Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Republican Senate nominee Fred Houser claimed the administration had planned to restore civil rights to interned Japanese Americans but deferred it until after the election. The charge was made in an Admission Day address to the Native Sons and Daughters of the Golden West.
• Heart Mountain Center Produces Millionth Egg, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Heart Mountain relocation center’s poultry project produced its one-millionth egg, laid by a white Leghorn hen. The milestone was recorded by the center’s assistant farm supervisor.

Community

• Nisei War Veteran Signs Up for Work at Tooele Ordnance, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kinchee Tom Okamura, a discharged veteran of 30 months’ service, became the first Japanese American to take a job at the Tooele Ordnance Depot. Officials said the depot’s workload would increase as the Pacific war intensified, and housing was available at TOD Park.
• Pasadena Group Plans Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Friends of the American Way announced its next bi-weekly meeting would be held Sept. 20 at the Pasadena YWCA. The group recently opened new headquarters on West Kensington Place.
• Japanese American Student Arrives in Pasadena to Study at Junior College, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Esther Takei, a Granada center resident, became the first person of Japanese ancestry to return to the Pasadena area under a permit from the Western Defense Command. She was welcomed at the train station by student and civic groups.
• Two Spectators Hurt in Tule Baseball Fight, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A disputed catch during a 14-inning baseball game between two segregee teams at the Tule Lake center led to a brawl. Two spectators were hurt, one requiring twelve stitches.
• Students Will Aid Potato Harvest, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Arrangements were made for 200 Heart Mountain students to help with the Snake River valley potato harvest in Idaho. The harvest was scheduled to begin in late September.
• Speaks at Church Confab, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Edson Fujii of the Caldwell church was the only youth speaker at the Young Adult Methodist Conference at Payette Lakes. He addressed delegates from churches across the district.
• Kobayashis of California Hold Family Reunion in Washington, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Kobayashi family, formerly of the Colorado River center, reunited near Washington D.C. over a weekend. Family members had scattered to jobs, military service, and university study.
• Caldwell Bazaar Proves Success, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A bazaar sponsored by the Boise Valley JACL and held at the Caldwell WRA camp was reported a success. Committees handled food, finance, and concessions, and a baseball tournament was also held.
• Seattle Official Divorces Wife, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Willard V. Pape, a Seattle city purchasing agent, divorced his wife, a woman of Japanese ancestry, in a Seattle court. The couple had married in Tokyo in 1926.
• Open Drive for Workers in Topaz Camp, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Topaz residents discussed recruiting about 25 families to work at the Sioux army ordnance depot, with plans to eventually recruit about 500 workers. Recruiters promised expedited clearance and employment guarantees.
• ACLU Urges Letter Drive for Return, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Southern California ACLU urged citizens to write President Roosevelt asking him to lift the ban on Japanese American return to the coast. It also requested protection for returning evacuees from vigilante intimidation.
• Weiser Nisei Fete Draftees, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Over three hundred Japanese Americans attended a dance at Ogden Trail park honoring 31 Nisei inductees. The draftees presented their induction notices as admission tickets.
• Two Relocated Nisei Fight Deportation Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Kern County supervisors voted in favor of the Engle bill calling for deportation of allegedly disloyal persons of Japanese ancestry. The action drew criticism as part of a wider campaign against evacuees.
• WRA Investigates Reported Damage in Florin Fire, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The WRA said an investigation was underway into damage from a June 21 fire at Florin, Calif., after earlier reports of no evacuee property damage were questioned. A full report would be issued upon completion.
• Nisei Minister Installed in Des Moines Church, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Rev. Hideo Aoki was installed as assistant pastor at the First Free Methodist church in Des Moines. Speakers included the church’s relocation committee chairman and the director of the Friends’ Japanese American hostel.
• Cleveland Boy Shot Accidentally While Playing War, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Two-year-old Richard Nakamura of Cleveland was fatally shot by a six-year-old neighbor who pointed a loaded revolver at him during a game of war. Police said the gun had been left loaded in the Marks home.

Incarceration & Redress

• Mrs. Williams Wins Right to Return Home, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mrs. Yoshi Kuwahara Williams and her daughter received Western Defense Command permits to return to their Los Angeles home. The family had been seeking to return since the evacuation to care for Mr. Williams’ ill mother.
• Five New Injunction Suits Filed by ACLU Against Army Policy of Coast Exclusion, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The ACLU filed a test case in Los Angeles federal court challenging the continued exclusion of Japanese Americans from the West Coast. The five plaintiffs, including an attorney and a farmer, argued military necessity no longer justified their exclusion.
• Ochikubo Case Postponed in Los Angeles Court Until Western Defense Command’s Decision Announced, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. George Ochikubo’s hearings before a military board and a federal judge in Los Angeles led to a decision being deferred until Sept. 25. The case may set a precedent for individual loyalty hearings on the right to return to the coast.
• First Evacuees Return to Farm in Washington, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Chitake Yamagiwa and his wife were permitted to return to their farm near Seattle, the first farm operators to return to the West Coast. Their property has houses that can accommodate other returning evacuees.
• WRA Representative Upholds Legal Rights of Nisei Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. WRA assistant director Robert B. Cozzens said that Japanese Americans should not be treated as guilty until proved innocent. He affirmed that they would have a constitutional right to return to their homes and property.
• Prof. Ballif Will Take Trouble-Shooter Post With WRA, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Ariel S. Ballif, a Brigham Young University sociology professor, was appointed as relocation adjustment adviser for the WRA’s Salt Lake regional area. He will guide the community adjustment of relocated evacuees.
• Dr. Ochikubo Hearing Details and Federal Suit Filed on Behalf of Five Plaintiffs, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Saburo Kido and ACLU attorneys represented Dr. George Ochikubo at hearings in Los Angeles. A separate federal suit was filed on behalf of five Japanese Americans seeking to return to the coastal area.

Commentary

• Fighting Intolerance, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Justice Frank Murphy warned that racial hatred at home could cost victory in the war and proposed a six-point program against intolerance. The editorial endorsed his call for equal protection and economic security for all minorities.
• Home Front Service, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial urged Japanese Americans to take jobs at Army ordnance depots as a direct contribution to the war effort. It noted that family housing and community facilities were offered at the Tooele and Sioux depots.
• The Road Back, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial welcomed Esther Takei’s return to Pasadena as a sign of progress for Japanese Americans’ right to travel and study. It described her permission as righting a wrong from the evacuation.
• On Intermarriages, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Hawaii marriage statistics show 82 percent of marriages in 1943-44 crossed racial lines, refuting claims that Japanese Americans are biologically inassimilable. The editorial attributes low rates on the West Coast largely to anti-miscegenation laws.
• The Yellow Peril Falls Flat, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues that racist campaigns against evacuees have largely failed with voters, citing the failed Los Angeles initiative petition. It predicts the yellow peril myth will be discarded as politicians learn it is a liability.
• Timely Topics, by Saburo Kido, page 5. Saburo Kido describes his first return to Los Angeles in two and a half years, meeting civil liberties and community supporters. He concludes that returning to California will be harder than many evacuees expect due to housing shortages.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa uses the Maidenek camp atrocities to argue that the rights of every minority are interrelated. He warns that discrimination against Japanese Americans and other groups threatens democracy.
• Ann Nisei’s Column: Planning the Baby’s First Wardrobe, by Ann Nisei, page 6. Ann Nisei offers a basic minimum layette list and advice on fabrics, seams, and commercial patterns for a newborn’s wardrobe. She also includes a pattern for a terry cloth bathing apron.

In-Depth

• Carey McWilliams’ New Book Tells Story of U.S. Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A review of Carey McWilliams’ book Japanese Americans: Symbol of Racial Intolerance describes its account of racial discrimination against Japanese Americans before and after 1941. The book argues the problem must be treated nationally rather than as a regional issue.

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