Soldiers answer Hood River: the January 1945 return to the West Coast

Vol. 20, No. 1, January 6, 1945. 8 pages. View this issue

Front-line soldiers’ anger at the Hood River, Oregon, American Legion post led the issue. Gordon Gammack reported that men of the 36th Division, including survivors of the Lost Battalion rescued by Japanese American troops, denounced the post for scratching Nisei names from its honor roll. Clinton B. Conger wrote of similar reactions. Interior Secretary Harold Ickes urged eligible Japanese Americans to leave the camps for outside jobs, and the War Relocation Authority said at least 15,000 industrial and farm jobs were open. Editorials took up Hood River, the Teamsters’ union, and the press, and Larry Tajiri wrote that soldiers had spoken out.

A. L. Wirin explained the Supreme Court’s Endo and Korematsu decisions, and Bill Hosokawa wrote that Nisei civilians owed a debt to men in uniform. Reports of anti-Japanese groups in Vacaville sat beside welcomes from the University of California student body, a Hollywood Legion post, Mayor Roger Lapham and Governor Warren’s supporters. Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart awards fill pages two, three and eight.

What’s in this issue

National

• Interior Secretary Ickes Urges Japanese Americans to Leave Camps for Outside Relocation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Interior Secretary Harold Ickes praised Japanese Americans in the armed forces and urged evacuees eligible to relocate to leave the camps for jobs and housing outside, noting at least 15,000 vital industrial and farm jobs open. He said the Nisei’s concerns stemmed from misunderstanding and that departure was in their own best interests.
• Parlier Escheat Case Continued by County Court, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A Fresno County court indefinitely continued a state petition to seize 80 acres of Parlier orchard and vineyard land from the Chiamori family, alleging violation of the California anti-alien land law. The family’s counsel filed a demurrer arguing the petition is barred by the statute of limitations.
• Nisei Problem Part of Whole Race Question, Says Official, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Los Angeles Supervisor John Anson Ford told the Lawyers Club that the Japanese American question cannot be separated from broader discrimination against Negro, Mexican, and other minorities. He argued that racial antagonism should not be disguised as national security concerns.
• U.S. Troops Indignant Over Anti-Nisei Action, by Clinton B. Conger, page 2. United Press correspondent Clinton B. Conger reported that veteran American soldiers were outraged by Stars and Stripes coverage of the Hood River American Legion post’s action against Japanese Americans. Several GIs, including survivors of the rescued Lost Battalion, said they would write protest letters.
• WRA Debunks Hearst Paper’s Story on Evacuee Relocation, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The War Relocation Authority rejected a Hearst Daily Mirror story warning that 60,000 evacuees would descend on New York City. Official figures showed only 1,051 evacuees had resettled in the city.

Military & Veterans

• Front-Line GIs Condemn Hood River Legion, by Gordon Gammack, page 1. Soldiers of the 36th Division, including survivors of the Lost Battalion rescued by Japanese American troops, angrily denounced the Hood River, Ore., American Legion post for scratching Nisei names from its honor roll and urging Nisei not to return. Several GIs praised Japanese American troops and said the Legion’s stance was the worst they had heard of.
• Sgt. Masaoka Wins Silver Star for Saving Lives of Comrades, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sgt. Akira Masaoka of the Masaoka family received the Silver Star for crawling 40 yards under fire to rescue four wounded comrades in Italy. Three of the five Masaoka brothers serving have been casualties.
• Salt Lake Nisei Wins Bronze Star for Italy Action, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pfc. Tadao Sako of Magna, Utah, was awarded the Bronze Star for crawling across exposed ground under enemy fire to aid a wounded comrade near Suvereto, Italy. A fellow soldier called the act one few men would attempt.
• Nisei GIs Best Patients, Declares U.S. Army Nurse, by Gordon Gammack, page 2. Lieut. Lillian Smith, an Army nurse at an evacuation hospital in Alsace, told correspondent Gordon Gammack that wounded Japanese American soldiers were among the most courageous and cooperative patients she had treated. She praised their gratitude and mutual help.
• War Department Announces Names of 16 Wounded Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The War Department listed 16 soldiers of Japanese ancestry wounded in action in the European area, with their states of residence and next of kin. The list was compiled from War Department information and included men from several states and Hawaii.
• Sacramento Nisei Knocked Out Nazi Machine-Gun Nests in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pfc. George S. Miyaoka of Sacramento was awarded the Silver Star for destroying a German machine gun nest that had halted his company near Colle Salvetti, Italy. His action cleared the way for the company’s advance.
• General Devers Commends Nisei Heroes, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Lt. Gen. Jacob L. Devers commended several American soldiers, including Japanese Americans from the 100th Battalion and 442nd Combat Team, for heroism in France and Italy. Among those cited were men from Hood River, Ore., where Nisei names had been removed from a war honor roll.
• Nisei Officer Cited for Action Against Nazis, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Second Lieut. Frank S. Okusako of Chicago led eight men in a maneuver that prevented 45 Germans from attacking battalion and company command posts in France. The group held the enemy for six hours until reinforcements arrived.
• General Pratt Assumes West Area Command, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Maj. Gen. Henry Conger Pratt, who announced the Army’s revocation of the West Coast exclusion order, was named commanding general of the Western Defense Command. He succeeds Maj. Gen. Bonesteel, who has been given another command.
• Lieut. Kimura of San Jose Wins Front-Line Commission in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Staff Sgt. Arata Kimura, a member of the 442nd, received a field commission as second lieutenant for service as an air liaison observer. He flew 61 missions during the Allied drive from Rome to the Arno River.
• Nisei Now Fighting as Part of Texas Division, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Gen. Alexander Patch commended the 36th (Texas) Infantry Division, in which the 442nd Regimental Combat Team is serving, for its achievements in the Vosges and Alsace campaigns. The commendation praised the division’s persistence through 183 days of combat.
• Nisei War Veteran Joins Omaha American Legion Post, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Corporal Tachio John Ando, given a medical discharge from the Army, joined American Legion Post No. 1 in Omaha. He urged Nisei to relocate, calling it a golden opportunity to start over.
• Purple Heart Given Posthumously to Cpl. James Kokubu, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The War Department posthumously awarded the Purple Heart to Cpl. Jimmie T. Kokubu, who died in France on October 17, 1944. He was a member of the 442nd Combat Team and a graduate of Benson Polytechnic in Portland.

Community

• 15,000 War Jobs Open to Returning Nisei, Says WRA, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The War Relocation Authority reported that at least 15,000 vital industrial and farm jobs were available to returning evacuees. The announcement was part of a broader effort to encourage resettlement before the relocation deadline.
• Pittsburgh Citizens Committee Formed to Assist Evacuee Resettlement, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Forty leading Pittsburgh residents formed a citizens committee to help evacuees establish themselves in the city, with representatives from labor, industry, churches, and welfare agencies. Speakers at the founding meeting included an Episcopal clergyman and the WRA Great Lakes area supervisor.
• Two Nisei Soldiers Participate in Radio Program in Seattle, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Two Nisei soldiers joined a Seattle radio discussion on the return of Japanese Americans to Washington State. The program was directed by a former national director of the Student Relocation Council.
• UC Student Body Group Welcomes Nisei Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Executive Committee of the University of California student body adopted a resolution welcoming returning students of Japanese ancestry and condemning racism. The resolution passed nearly unanimously.
• Anti-Evacuee Group Formed in Vacaville, by P.C. Staff, page 3. An anti-Japanese association was organized in Vacaville, Calif., to oppose the return of Japanese Americans to the area. About 200 people reportedly attended the meeting, including representatives of similar groups from nearby towns.
• Hollywood Legion Post Asks Fair Play for Japanese American Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Hollywood World War II Post No. 591 of the American Legion urged fair treatment of returning Japanese American citizens in its December bulletin. The post argued that constitutional equal protection applies regardless of race or ancestry.
• Expect Nisei College Students to Register at Coast Schools, by Lawrence Davies, page 7. The New York Times reported that Nisei college students are expected to resume studies at West Coast institutions after the Army lifted restrictions. UC’s provost said qualified applicants would be admitted on the same basis as other students.
• Nisei Bride Flies to Salt Lake to Wed Soldier, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Hisaye Wakamatsu, a Japanese American tennis player, flew from Chicago to Salt Lake City to marry Harry Kiyomura during his week-long furlough before deployment. The Deseret News reported the wedding.
• Southern California Groups Commend Gov. Warren’s Stand, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Eight Southern California organizations issued a joint statement praising Governor Warren for urging cooperation with the Army’s revocation of the evacuation order. They pledged support for public officials who uphold democratic principles.
• Mayor Lapham Backs Rights of Evacuee Group, by P.C. Staff, page 8. San Francisco Mayor Roger D. Lapham declared that evacuees of Japanese ancestry deserve the same fair treatment as residents of any other background. He noted that Nisei have fought heroically in the armed forces.
• Chula Vista Legion Post Will Readmit Japanese American, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Chula Vista’s American Legion post indicated it would readmit Joseph K. Sano, a former member in good standing before the evacuation. The post adjutant called him a helpful and cooperative member.

Arts & Entertainment

• Sono Osato Has Lead in Broadway Musical Hit, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sono Osato opened in the new Broadway musical On the Town, playing the romantic lead, and critics praised her performance. The show was directed by George Abbott with music by Leonard Bernstein.

Commentary

• Soldiers Speak Out, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial argues that combat servicemen in Europe and the Pacific have rebuked home-front racial prejudice on the Pacific Coast. It says their reactions should give pause to those who used wartime hatred as a business asset.
• Nisei and the Press, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial contrasts the Hearst papers’ anti-Japanese coverage with the many American newspapers that supported Japanese American rights. It lists distinguished papers that backed the Army’s revocation and the Endo decision.
• Hood River Legion, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial criticizes the national American Legion for silence on the Hood River post’s removal of Nisei names and newspaper ads urging evacuees to sell property. It rebuts the post’s charge of dual citizenship by noting Army service is evidence of loyalty.
• Teamsters’ Union, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial condemns the AFL Teamsters’ pending deal with Los Angeles produce dealers to exclude Japanese Americans in exchange for a closed shop. It notes a California Supreme Court ruling against discriminatory union practices may bear on the deal.
• Blueprint for Race Riot, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial warns that race-baiters are stirring Negro-Japanese American tensions in Los Angeles, repeating the pattern of the 1943 zoot-suit riots. It argues that minority groups and fair-minded organizations will prevent violence and that economic interests drive the campaign.
• The Supreme Court Decisions: U.S. High Court Vindicates Faith That Bill of Rights Is Dynamic Reality, by A. L. Wirin, page 4. Special Counsel A. L. Wirin analyzes the Supreme Court’s Endo decision, which unanimously held that loyal citizens cannot be detained in relocation centers solely for ancestry. He also discusses Korematsu, where the Court upheld the evacuation orders over dissents.
• From the Frying Pan: Nisei Civilians Owe Debt to Men in Uniform, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa reflects on the return of a fallen Nisei soldier’s personal effects and on the Army’s decision to rescind evacuation orders. He argues that Nisei servicemen, many of whom died, earned the restoration of rights for all Japanese Americans.
• Welcome Home!, by Hubert Kidder, page 5. Hubert Kidder, writing from Costa Mesa, California, welcomes returning Japanese Americans and celebrates the restoration of their constitutional liberty. He hopes the country is learning that denying liberty to others limits one’s own.
• Relocated Evacuees Find Wider Horizons in East, by Ann Nisei, page 6. Ann Nisei observes that many Nisei relocated to the East are finding professional opportunities unavailable on the Pacific Coast before the war. She urges evacuees to make considered decisions about returning rather than rushing into poorly paid jobs.

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