Nisei soldiers at war and the Supreme Court hearings on Endo and Korematsu

Vol. 19, No. 16, October 21, 1944. 8 pages. View this issue

Japanese American soldiers and the fight over their families’ rights filled the eight pages of this October 1944 issue. The front page carried the War Department’s list of 41 Americans of Japanese ancestry killed in action on the Italian front, along with news that John F. Aiso had been commissioned a major at Fort Snelling. Saburo Kido reported on the Supreme Court arguments in the Endo and Korematsu cases, and Bill Hosokawa wrote on the principle at stake in the court test cases. Larry Tajiri’s column examined the opposition to the return of evacuees, and editorials took up the Nisei soldier and Commander Melvin McCoy.

Other pages followed the 100th Battalion’s battles on film, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and Japanese American engineers working with the Fifth Army in Italy. Toshio Mori’s short story “Reunion at Home” appeared on page 5, and Ann Nisei offered cooking advice on herbs and spices. Chapter news, vital statistics and notes on resettlement round out the issue.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• 41 Japanese Americans Killed in Action in Mediterranean War Zone, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The War Department identified 41 Americans of Japanese ancestry killed in action on the Italian front, listed alongside 2,818 U.S. soldiers killed in the European and Mediterranean areas. Nine other Japanese Americans were reported wounded and one listed as a prisoner.
• Japanese American Commissioned as Major in Army, by P.C. Staff, page 1. John F. Aiso, 36, was commissioned a major at Fort Snelling on Oct. 18, becoming the highest-ranking Nisei in the U.S. Army. The article notes two other Japanese American majors and summarizes Aiso’s background and service.
• Twelve Nisei Girls Return to West Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Twelve American-born wives of U.S. servicemen of Japanese ancestry were granted permits to return to the San Diego area from relocation centers. Some permits require escort by a husband on furlough or leave.
• Fort Snelling May Accept Nisei in WACs, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Military Intelligence Language School at Fort Snelling is accepting applications from qualified Nisei women for the Women’s Army Corps. The information was reported from the Omaha WRA News Bulletin.
• Disclose Japanese Americans in France: Combat Unit Now Fighting as Part of Gen. Patch’s Seventh Army on South France Front, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An Associated Press dispatch disclosed that American troops of Japanese descent are fighting in southern France under the Seventh Army. The unit participated in engagements in the Vosges foothills despite numerous enemy counterattacks.
• Heart Mountain Mother Has Six Sons in Army, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mrs. Hisako Tanouye of Heart Mountain has six sons in the armed forces, two of them overseas, with a seventh expecting his call to service. The Heart Mountain Sentinel profiled her family’s wartime service.
• 110-Pound Private Carries Wounded Buddy to Safety, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pvt. Takaji J. Goto of Santa Ana, a member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, crawled under fire to rescue a wounded comrade in Italy. He applied a tourniquet and carried the 175-pound man to safety.
• Japanese Canadians Volunteer for General Service in Army, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A list of Japanese Canadians in Toronto willing to enlist for general service in the Canadian armed forces was forwarded to Ottawa. The volunteers expressed belief in the democratic principles for which Canada is at war.
• Japanese American Engineers Helped Keep Fifth Army Moving in Italy’s Forested Mountains, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A volunteer company of Japanese American engineers worked and fought with front-line infantry in northern Italy, building roads, bypasses, and clearing mines. The unit has killed eight Germans and captured five while suffering casualties of its own.
• Nisei on Burma Front Midwest Newspapers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Chicago and Madison newspapers reported on Japanese American soldiers serving with Merrill’s Marauders in Burma. Sgt. Henry Gosho’s letter describes front-line service and the platoon’s cohesion under fire.
• Sgt. Masaoka’s Courage Cited in News Story, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sgt. Akira (Ike) Masaoka, wounded on the Italian front in July, was praised for crawling 40 yards over exposed ground to aid injured mortar men. He administered first aid under enemy fire.
• Poston Families Have 752 Persons in Army Service, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A survey found 752 members of Poston families serving in the U.S. Army, with Block 308 in Unit 3 having the most men from a single block. Poston men serve in both the European and Pacific theaters.
• Saburo Kido Returns From Supreme Court Hearings in East, by P.C. Staff, page 2. JACL national president Saburo Kido returned from Washington and New York after attending Supreme Court hearings on the Endo and Korematsu cases. He was also admitted to practice before the Supreme Court.
• Three Hunt Soldiers Given Purple Hearts, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Three Japanese American soldiers from the Hunt, Idaho relocation center received Purple Hearts for wounds in Italy. The article profiles Pfc. Jack Matsudaira, Sgt. Mike Hagiwara, and Geo Komoto.
• Memorial Service Held in Poston for Pfc. Madokoro, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Poston held memorial services for Pfc. Harry Madokoro, who died in action in the Italian campaign. The service honored his sacrifice.
• GI in Italy Writes Letter Praising Japanese Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pvt. Abe Cohen wrote from Italy to his sister-in-law praising the Japanese American soldiers he served with, calling them fighters and gentlemen. He encouraged the Japanese American girl in her office to hold her head high.
• War Department Announces Names of Nisei Casualties, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The War Department listed additional Japanese American soldiers wounded in the Mediterranean and European areas, along with Hawaiian casualties and one soldier held as a prisoner of war by Germany. Next of kin addresses are included.
• Noted Columnist Denounces Assertions Against Evacuees, by Marquis Childs, page 3. Columnist Marquis Childs denounced claims made at California Republican meetings that relocated Japanese Americans were placed to vote Democratic. He called the use of the issue dangerous and noted the estimated small number of eligible voters.
• Nisei Gunner Visits Parents in WRA Camp, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sgt. Johnny Matsumoto, a veteran of 50 combat missions as a gunner in the 12th Army Air Force, visited his parents at the Granada relocation center. He volunteered for Army duty before evacuation.
• War Film Tells of 100th’s Battles on Italian Front, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A joint U.S. Signal Corps and British photographic unit film documents the 100th Infantry Battalion’s combat in Italy from Anzio to Rome. A small preview audience in San Francisco saw the battalion in action.
• Wounded Veteran of Italian Campaign Visits Hunt, by P.C. Staff, page 7. S/Sgt. Shigeo Sumioka, wounded in Italy on July 11, visited his father at the Minidoka center in Hunt after being flown back from the Mediterranean. He is scheduled for a nerve graft operation in Illinois.
• Californian Wins Battlefield Commission for Combat Action, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Technical Sergeant Masuo Chomori of Glendale, California, received a battlefield commission as second lieutenant for leading his platoon through several Italian battles. His leadership under heavy enemy fire near Hill 140 and Castellina earned him the promotion.

Community

• Hawaiian Nisei Catches Shark With His Bare Hands, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kenneth Komori of Wahiawa caught a 65-pound man-eating shark with his bare hands after his companions fled to shore. He wrestled the shark into the lobster net and his companions knocked it unconscious with a hammer.
• Christmas Books, Games Sent Overseas By JACL Donations, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Approximately 175 books, playing cards, and puzzles were sent overseas as Christmas gifts for wounded soldiers of the 442nd, funded by JACL donations. Almost $100 was contributed during the past month.
• Japan Soldier Aided Marines on New Britain, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A Japanese soldier surrendered to U.S. Marines at Cape Gloucester, New Britain, and revealed enemy gun emplacements, according to Pharmacist Mate Lyman B. Kenney. The soldier said he had been forcibly enlisted while visiting Japan.
• Hold Rally for Roosevelt; Japanese Americans Will Pledge Support in Election Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Japanese American Roosevelt rally was scheduled in New York City, sponsored by a committee of Japanese Americans. Speakers and entertainment were planned, with hundreds of attendees expected.
• Southern California Baptists Urge Return of Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Southern California Baptist Convention adopted a resolution urging that persons of Japanese ancestry authorized to return be received in a Christlike spirit. A Northern California Baptist convention separately urged restoration of civil rights.
• Evacuees at Gila River Center Make Ship Models for Navy, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Japanese Americans at the Gila River relocation center built nearly 800 ship models for the Navy, which the WRA said are valuable for training. The shop has closed now that Navy requests have been met.
• Yaye Togasaki Wins Army Commission, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Yaye Togasaki, a registered nurse from San Francisco, received her commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Nurses Corps. She was on leave before reporting for active duty.
• Drake Nisei Is Lightest Fullback in College Football, by P.C. Staff, page 3. George Kita, a 165-pound Japanese American fullback at Drake University, has been a key blocker and linebacker for the undefeated Bulldogs. He previously played at Fresno State before evacuation.
• Japanese Americans Win Back Jobs at New Jersey Plants, by Ina Sugihara, page 3. Eleven of fifteen Japanese Americans dismissed from two New Jersey radio plants were reinstated after employer Delbert Replogle fought for them. The FEPC and the Federal Council of Churches pressed the matter with Army officials.
• Chicago Nisei Hear Report on Court Hearings, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Saburo Kido reported on the Korematsu and Endo Supreme Court hearings at a Chicago JACL meeting of more than 60 persons. The chapter formation was discussed and charter membership forms were distributed.
• Reunion at Home, by Toshio Mori, page 5. In this short story from the Topaz Mosaic, a Nisei soldier named Sam returns home on furlough to his family. His father discusses the camp’s progress and the family’s determination to relocate, while the family’s light shining in the window symbolizes hope.
• Calling All Chapters! Contributions and Buck-a-Month Club, by Hito Okada, page 6. Hito Okada acknowledges contributions to National Headquarters, updates the Buck-a-Month Club membership, and reports the completion of the Overseas Book Project. The Boise Valley Chapter completed its $1,000 quota.
• Evacuee Student Heads Junior Class at Nebraska School, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Harry Tsuneo Hidaka, an evacuee student at the University of Nebraska, was elected junior class president and also to the student council. He was formerly a University of Washington student and varsity football player.
• Pocatello JACL Will Sponsor Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Pocatello JACL will sponsor a Harvest Sport Dance on Oct. 28 at the LDS Institute on the University of Idaho’s southern branch campus. Wayne Chiver’s orchestra will play.
• Vital Statistics, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Births, deaths, and marriages among evacuees at various relocation centers are listed for the week. The section lists families and individuals by center and date.
• Buddhist Ceremony Opens Church for Chicago Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Chicago Buddhist Church opened on October 8 with a service led by Rev. Gyomay M. Kubose, offering counseling and assistance to resettling evacuees. The service included an incense offering and silent meditation for the war dead.
• JACL Speaker, Nisei Contralto Continue Tour, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Dr. T.T. Yatabe of the Chicago JACL office and Ruby Yoshino, a Nisei contralto, scheduled appearances in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington during late October. Their itinerary includes NAACP and YMCA events.
• Mt. Olympus Chapter Plans Nomination of New Cabinet, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Mt. Olympus JACL chapter named a committee to nominate officers for the coming year. The chapter also urged unregistered Utah voters to register and encouraged War Chest donations.
• Heart Mountain Evacuees Working at Tooele Depot, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Seven men from the Heart Mountain WRA center are working at the Army Ordnance Depot at Tooele, Utah, according to relocation officer Joe Carroll. The Heart Mountain Sentinel reported the employment.

Commentary

• Canadian Newspaper Declares U.S. More Realistic on Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Vancouver newspaper editorial criticized Canadian election campaign proposals to banish Japanese Canadians, calling them dishonest. It contrasted Canada’s stance with the U.S. record of Nisei service.
• Rights Regained, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial argues that Japanese Americans are slowly regaining citizenship rights, with selective service reopened and some war work restrictions eased. It notes that remaining West Coast military restrictions must be lifted to complete the return to normal conditions.
• The Nisei Soldier, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial celebrates Japanese American soldiers’ combat service in every major theater, from Italy to the Pacific, and their commitment to democratic principles. It predicts their continued participation in the return to the Philippines.
• Commander McCoy, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial condemns Commander Melvin McCoy for using his Navy rank to spread race hatred against Japanese Americans. It calls for a clear Navy repudiation of his remarks.
• Nisei, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Larry Tajiri analyzes the opposition to the return of evacuees, finding it largely economic rather than racial despite racist rhetoric. He argues the opposition’s arguments reveal how economic interests shaped the original evacuation.
• Little Kenny Yasui: TWIN FALLS TIMES-NEWS, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This brief notes the legend of Little Kenny Yasui, the Baby Sergeant who captured sixteen Japanese soldiers on Bougainville, as reported in a Twin Falls newspaper editorial. It is a short news-digest style item.
• From the Frying Pan: Principle Involved in Court Test Cases, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa argues that the legal test of the evacuation matters chiefly for the principle at stake, since financial losses are irretrievable. He questions whether discriminatory exclusion based on ancestry can be squared with American constitutional principles.
• Nisei Troops Want Pinup Photos of Girls They Left Behind, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Japanese American servicemen overseas requested pinup photos of the girls they left behind, in letters published by the Pacific Citizen. The requests came from soldiers in Burma and New Guinea.
• Using Herbs, Spices in Your Cooking, by Ann Nisei, page 6. Ann Nisei offers guidance on which herbs and spices to keep on hand and how to use them in various dishes. She also suggests substitutions for scarce spices like cinnamon and cloves.

National

• Naval Hero Fights Return of Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Commander Melvin H. McCoy predicted trouble if evacuees returned to the West Coast, speaking to the Remember Pearl Harbor League. WRA official R.B. Cozzens defended the loyalty of Japanese Americans in response.
• Says Government To Deport Disloyal, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Senator Sheridan Downey told a Los Angeles luncheon club that the government plans to repatriate aliens who wish to go to Japan and persons who have expressed disloyalty. The statement was reported without further policy detail.
• Federal Workers Union Protests Discrimination by Civil Service Against Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Local 203 of the United Federal Workers of America condemned Civil Service Commission procedures that disadvantage Japanese American applicants. The resolution asked for immediate abolition of these procedures and was to be taken to the national convention.
• Supreme Court Hears Civil Rights Cases, by Saburo Kido, page 6. Saburo Kido reports on Supreme Court arguments in the Korematsu and Endo cases, including the government’s position and the justices’ pointed questions. He explains that attorneys have personally financed much of the litigation and that the JACL brief cost $1,500.
• Carey McWilliams Scheduled for Talk in Denver, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Author Carey McWilliams is scheduled to speak in Denver on October 28 on racial minority problems. His talk is timely given his recent book on Japanese Americans and the November ballot proposal on land ownership.
• Court Drops Case Against Two Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The U.S. District Court dismissed the case against Seattle exporters Charles Takahashi and Edward Osawa after the Circuit Court of Appeals reversed their conviction for illegal search and seizure. No new evidence was available for a retrial.
• Evacuee Youth Held for Wearing Uniform of Air Forces Cadet, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Masato Mormon Fukumoto, 19, was arrested in Detroit for illegally wearing an air cadet uniform and pleaded guilty. He said he donned the uniform to avoid heckling.
• Rules Nisei GIs Must Vote in Pre-Evacuation State, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Idaho’s Secretary of State upheld a county prosecutor’s rejection of a soldier vote ballot for Pvt. E. Hiromura, who listed Portland as his residence. Japanese American soldiers at Hunt cannot vote there since no precinct exists at the center.
• Congressman Admits Note of Condolence to Mother in Camp, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Rep. Clair Engle admitted writing a condolence letter to a Tule Lake evacuee whose son was killed in Italy, in response to charges he was writing letters to secure votes. Engle asked a committee of veterans to investigate the charges.

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