Nisei casualties in Italy and a California jury’s acquittal

Vol. 20, No. 17, April 28, 1945. 8 pages. View this issue

The 442nd Infantry Regiment’s spring drive along Italy’s Ligurian coast led the news. Seven Nisei soldiers were killed and 44 wounded, and the issue followed the fall of La Spezia, with a Stars and Stripes account by Sgt. Stan Swinton. Medals awarded to 442nd men, including Tech. Sgt. George Iida’s Distinguished Service Cross, were reported inside. Larry Tajiri wrote about the United Nations conference in San Francisco set against anti-Japanese violence in California.

At home, the paper covered the Placer County jury that acquitted three men of arson and attempted dynamiting at Sumio Doi’s farm, with an editorial titled “Placer County Justice.” Bill Hosokawa’s column looked at how evacuation changed Japanese American communities. Other pages carried a Coronet article on the 100th Battalion by Sidney Carroll, news of returning families and church hospitality, and an editorial on President Truman.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• 7 Nisei Die, 44 Wounded in New Italy Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Seven Nisei soldiers of the 442nd Infantry Regiment were killed and 44 wounded during the Fifth Army’s offensive along Italy’s Ligurian coast. Families of the casualties were notified through relocation center sources and OWI reports.
• Two Nisei GIs Ask WRA to Protect Family, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Two Nisei soldiers stationed at Fort Snelling appealed to the War Relocation Authority after night-riders fired shots into their family’s Livingston, California home. The telegram described repeated terrorizing of their parents and sisters.
• Sergeant Killed, Brother Wounded on Same Day, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Two of the five Takasugi brothers of Gila River were casualties on April 5 in Italy, with Sgt. Katsumi killed and Pfc. George wounded. Both were serving with the 442nd Infantry Regiment.
• Nisei Who Regained U.S. Citizenship Is War Hero, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Terry Takeshi Doi, who regained American citizenship through Army service, was among the first soldiers to land on Iwo Jima according to a Marine officer’s letter to Judge Robert C. Bell. The letter praised his bravery and capability.
• OWI Reports 26 Nisei Hurt in Action on European Front, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Office of War Information listed 27 Nisei soldiers wounded in action in the European theater, with names and next of kin by state. Next of kin had previously been notified of all casualties.
• Pvt. Nishimoto Killed in Action in Recent Push, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pvt. Tom T. Nishimoto of Poston, formerly of El Centro, was killed April 5 during the 442nd’s Italian offensive. He had trained at Camp Blanding and had been a student at El Centro Junior College before evacuation.
• La Spezia, Goal of 442nd’s Drive, Captured by Allies, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Italian naval base of La Spezia, the objective of the 442nd Infantry Regiment, fell to the United States Fifth Army. The Japanese American Combat Team had previously captured Carrara, Massa and Mount Belvedere.
• Nisei Troops Returned Secret, Moved Into Positions at Night to Surprise Germans, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Stars and Stripes correspondent Sgt. Stan Swinton reported the 442nd returned to Italy secretly and surprised German forces during the April offensive. He described the unit’s high intelligence and decorations.
• Purple Heart Battalion: Coronet Magazine Tells Saga of Famed 100th Infantry, by Sidney Carroll, page 5. Carroll’s Coronet article recounts the origins and combat record of the 100th Battalion and 442nd Combat Team. It highlights Nisei courage and the struggle for respect at home after their service.
• Two DSCs, 15 Silver Stars, 14 Bronze Stars Presented to Men of Second Battalion, by P.C. Staff, page 6. General Ralph Tobin presented Distinguished Service Crosses, Silver Stars, Bronze Stars and division citations to 442nd men at Antibes. Staff Sgt. Yoshimi Fujiwara and Tech. Sgt. George Iida were recognized for heroism in action.
• Minidoka Soldier, Wounded Five Times, Visits Father at Camp, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Pfc. Fred Hiroshi Sawada, wounded five times and awarded the Silver Star, visited his father at Hunt while en route to a hospital. He praised the men of the 100th and 442nd.
• Hawaii Soldier Receives High Army Award, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Technical Sergeant George S. Iida of Honolulu received the Distinguished Service Cross for neutralizing enemy machine gun nests with grenades and rifle fire. His citation describes him leading his platoon to capture its objective.
• Staff Sergeant Isawo Tabata Wins Silver Star for Gallantry, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Staff Sergeant Isawo Tabata of Los Angeles received the Silver Star for repairing a telephone line under enemy artillery fire despite being wounded. He served with the 442nd Combat Team in the Vosges Mountains.

National

• Placer County Jury Rules Trio Innocent of Terrorism, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An Auburn, California jury acquitted three men of arson and attempted dynamiting of Sumio Doi’s farm despite evidence and a confession implicating them. The defense offered no evidence and argued it was a white man’s country.
• California Anti-Evacuee Groups Organize State Body to Carry On Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Delegates of anti-Japanese organizations in Northern California met in Sacramento to form a statewide body opposing the return of persons of Japanese ancestry to the West Coast. The group also planned to refuse selling or leasing property to Nisei.
• Jury Acquits Three Men of Arson, Attempted Dynamiting, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Continued trial coverage details testimony including a witness who withdrew identification and the court’s admission of defendants’ statements. Doi testified about his land purchase and the anti-alien land law question.
• Nisei American GIs Oppose Soft Peace in Pacific War, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Two wounded Nisei veterans, Sgt. Peter Fujikawa and Pfc. Kiyo Nakatsu, appeared on a Blue Network broadcast urging a firm peace with Japan. They also said Japanese American families should not be kept in relocation centers.
• Anti-Nisei Leaders Routed at Seattle Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Pro-Nisei speakers at a Bellevue forum refuted anti-Nisei arguments raised by Remember Pearl Harbor League members. The audience largely favored the Nisei’s return.
• WRA Declines Utah Bid for Farm Workers, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The War Relocation Authority refused Utah’s request to release relocation center residents for seasonal farm work. The agency said seasonal work would hinder permanent resettlement plans.

Obituaries

• Parents Learn of Only Son’s Death in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pfc. Haluto Moriguchi of Salt Lake City was killed in action in Italy on April 4 during the 442nd’s spring offensive. He had been evacuated from San Francisco, graduated from American Fork High School, and was inducted in 1944.
• Nebraska Nisei Soldier Dies in Italy Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pfc. Harley Tanaka, a former Mitchell, Nebraska farmer who volunteered for the 442nd, was killed in action in Italy on April 5. Local reports noted anti-Japanese protests in the Shelton area the following night.

Commentary

• Editorial: Placer County Justice, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial condemns the Auburn jury’s acquittal of three men despite overwhelming evidence of arson and attempted dynamiting. It argues the verdict shows a disregard for law when victims are Americans of Japanese ancestry.
• Editorial: Victory in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial marks the near end of the Italian campaign and honors Nisei participation, including the 100th Battalion and the 442nd Regiment. It notes the sacrifices of the original 100th at Salerno and Cassino.
• Editorial: President Truman, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial reflects on Harry Truman’s assumption of the presidency and his record on civil rights and racial equality. It highlights his March 1945 denunciation of racial and religious intolerance.
• San Francisco and the Nisei, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Tajiri contrasts the United Nations conference in San Francisco with anti-Japanese violence and agitation in California’s valleys. He argues the world is watching American racial attitudes during the conference.
• Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A miscellaneous column noting a radio broadcast on the 100th Battalion, an anti-Japanese sign in Orosi, and the purchase of a Yasuo Kuniyoshi painting. It also mentions a California senator sponsoring a visit by Nisei soldiers.
• Home to California, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A reprinted column from the Imperial Valley Weekly describes a Nisei veteran with the Distinguished Service Cross refused service in Indio cafes. The writer warns against judging all Japanese Americans by such discrimination.
• From the Frying Pan: Evacuation Has Brought Permanent Changes, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa argues that evacuation permanently dispersed Japanese American communities and changed their social patterns. He discusses assimilation, intermarriage, and how dispersal will shape future generations.

Community

• Churches Offer Hospitality to Evacuee Group, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Eleven Methodist churches on the West Coast opened as friendly centers offering temporary lodging to returning evacuees. Seven more were scheduled to open in May and June.
• Report 35 Japanese Students Attend Wisconsin University, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The University of Wisconsin enrolled 35 Nisei students by department and origin, many from relocation centers. Ten students were lost to army induction.
• Ministerial Group Takes Steps for Resettlement of Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 8. An Episcopal church conference in Seattle discussed handling of property and finances for returning parishioners. Rev. Daisuke Kitagawa argued evacuated farmers should be allowed to reestablish themselves on their land.
• Opposes Land Sales, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A committee formed at Honeyville, Utah to encourage landowners to sell property to white buyers rather than Japanese ancestry buyers. The brief reports on this local effort.

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