June 1945: closing the camps, and the 442nd’s victories in Italy

Vol. 20, No. 23, June 9, 1945. 8 pages. View this issue

Plans to close the camps and the record of the 442nd ran side by side in this eight-page issue. Dillon S. Myer told a House subcommittee the War Relocation Authority meant to close all eight relocation centers by the end of 1945, and the committee approved a $25,000,000 budget. Coverage from Italy followed the 442nd Combat Team: a Victory Parade at Novi, 123 decorations, a divisional commendation, and a Distinguished Service Cross for Sgt. Fujio Miyamoto. Editorials looked ahead to the regiment’s future, and columns by Larry Tajiri and Bill Hosokawa took up Canada and the Parlier shooting.

Also in this issue: reports of hostility toward returning families, including the Parlier gun case, a Stockton union dispute and a Seattle produce boycott. Court rulings on the draft and on exclusion orders are covered, as is a JACL appeal to the Navy to accept Nisei. Smaller items follow soldiers, students and chapter news.

What’s in this issue

National

• Congress Told of WRA Determination to Close All Relocation Camps by January 2, 1946, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dillon S. Myer testified that the WRA intends to close its eight relocation centers by the end of 1945. A House subcommittee approved a $25,000,000 budget for the agency for the coming fiscal year.
• Supreme Court Denies Review in Draft Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Supreme Court refused to review a lower court ruling that a Nisei cannot refuse the draft because he is held in a relocation center. Minola Tamesa, serving a three-year term, had argued his constitutional rights were violated by evacuation and detention.
• Group Would Have Nisei Denationalized, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Shasta-Trinity Pomona Grange adopted a resolution demanding deportation of all Japanese ancestry aliens and a constitutional amendment barring persons of Japanese ancestry from citizenship. The resolution was passed May 30.
• Oregon Court Upholds Right of Nisei to Repossess Farm, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Circuit Court jury upheld Masayuki Fujimoto’s right to repossess his leased 60-acre farm after deliberating only 15 minutes. The lessees had argued the lease ran for the duration of the national emergency.
• Proposed Anti-Nisei Bill Meets Opposition in California Senate, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Burns bill, which would tighten the Alien Land Law through a dual citizenship clause, met opposition in the Senate Judiciary Committee as possibly unconstitutional. The committee delayed a vote for a week to allow amendments.
• Draft of Nisei in WRA Camps Verdict Given in Case of 98 at Poston Center, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Judge Dave W. Ling upheld the authority of selective service boards to induct Japanese Americans from relocation centers. The ruling found three Poston youths guilty and applied to 98 men in total.
• Hawaii Nisei Sergeant Wins DSC for Heroism, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sgt. Fujio Miyamoto of Honolulu was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism near Bruyeres, France. He destroyed an enemy machine gun position despite being wounded.
• Charge Prejudicial Practices to Shasta Hospital, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Shasta County Board of Supervisors is investigating hiring practices at the county hospital after a complaint that it refused to hire an American of Chinese ancestry. The request came from the local employment service director.
• Law Enforcement Not Adequate in Fresno, Says Besig’s Letter, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The ACLU asked the attorney general to file felony charges against Levi Multanen, who fired shots into a Japanese American home in Parlier. The letter argued local prosecutors were not adequately enforcing the law.
• Secretary Ickes Raps Lenient Verdict in Parlier Gun Case, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Interior Secretary Ickes called Justice of the Peace L. B. Crosby a disgrace to the bench for suspending the sentence of a man who fired shots into a Japanese American home. Crosby defended the verdict as a community arrangement to prevent further violence.
• Berkeley Group Raps Anti-Nisei Terrorism, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sixteen Berkeley citizens signed a letter asking Attorney General Kenny to intervene against attacks on Japanese Americans in California. The signers argued the violence showed Californians were latent fascists.
• Fresno Official Defends Action in Shooting, by P.C. Staff, page 3. District Attorney James M. Thuesen rejected ACLU criticism of his handling of the Multanen case, saying a felony charge would likely have resulted in acquittal. He said his office filed the only charge it could prove.
• Tenney Wants Closer Watch on Returnees, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sen. Jack B. Tenney introduced a resolution urging the FBI and Army and Navy intelligence to scrutinize Japanese Americans returning to the West Coast. He charged that civil service authorities approved employment of persons who may face counterespionage cases.
• Seattle Produce Row Boycotts Goods of Returned Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Seattle wholesalers are resisting efforts by returned Japanese American farmers to sell produce on Seattle markets, according to the Times. Teamsters union threats were also reported.
• Future of the 442nd, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An announcement from Supreme Allied Headquarters suggests the 442nd will not be redeployed to the Pacific unless its soldiers volunteer. The editorial notes the regiment’s distinguished record in Europe and Italy.
• Federal Judge Rules Military Has No Right to Enforce Exclusion Orders Against Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Judge Peirson M. Hall ruled that military authorities cannot use physical force to enforce exclusion orders against American citizens of Japanese ancestry. He issued an injunction against General Pratt, the Western Defense commander, in three test cases.

Military & Veterans

• Induction of Nisei Will Be on Same Basis as Others, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese American inductees will no longer be placed in the Enlisted Reserve Corps and will instead be sent directly to reception centers like other inductees. Lt. Col. R. J. Miller of Fort Douglas announced the change.
• Special Japanese American Training Teams Will Show Enemy Tactics to Troops, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Teams of Japanese American soldiers trained in Maryland will demonstrate Japanese uniforms, weapons and tactics to American troops being shifted from Europe to the Pacific. The 15-member team includes officers and enlisted men.
• Soldier Killed in Europe War, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pvt. Yeiichi Hiyama of Fowler, California was reported killed in action in Europe. Pfc. George Kojima was slightly wounded on Negros Island in the Pacific.
• Nisei Sergeant Awarded Bars in Germany, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sgt. George Doi received a field promotion to second lieutenant in the 100th Division. His company commander praised him as the company’s best soldier, having performed officer duties while officers were away.
• OWI Reports Six Nisei Liberated in Europe; One Hurt in Action, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Office of War Information listed six Japanese Americans liberated from German prisoner of war camps and one wounded in the European theater. Names and next-of-kin addresses were provided.
• Nisei Unit Met, Defeated Best Nazi Troops, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The 442nd Combat Team captured a large element of the elite Kesselring Machine Gun Battalion in the mountains near Massa during the Allied offensive in Italy. The unit fought through fanatical resistance and took key German positions.
• Sergeant Fujio Miyamoto Wins DSC in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sgt. Fujio Miyamoto of Honolulu received the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism near Bruyeres, France, in which he destroyed an enemy machine gun and killed snipers. The award was presented at a victory ceremony in Novi, Italy.
• Divisional Commendation Given Japanese American Regiment for Victories in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Maj. Gen. Edward M. Almond read a commendation crediting the 442nd Combat Team with a great part in vanquishing the German foe in Italy. The commendation was read during the Victory Parade at Novi airport near Genoa.
• Wounded Veterans Visit Topaz Camp, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Two wounded 442nd veterans, T/Sgt. Lou Tsunekawa and Sgt. Hideo Dobashi, visited the Topaz relocation center. Tsunekawa was wounded at Bruyeres and Dobashi received seven wounds in France.
• 123 Nisei Heroes Honored in Victory Parade in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Lt. Gen. Lucian K. Truscott Jr. reviewed the 442nd Victory Parade at Novi, Italy, and presented 123 decorations and a Presidential Unit Citation to Company L. Several men who had served under Truscott at Camp Bliss were among the honorees.
• Sgt Kuroki Has 120 Points But Stays in Air Forces, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Tech. Sgt. Ben Kuroki of Hershey, Nebraska, who flew raids over Tokyo as a B-29 gunner, has enough discharge points but is remaining in the Air Force. He previously completed 30 heavy missions in North Africa and Europe.
• General Clark Brought Nisei Hero Back from Italy Front, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Gen. Mark W. Clark sent a telegram to the Chicago JACL praising the Japanese Americans in his command. He said he selected T/Sgt. Goro Tsuchida to accompany him back from Italy.
• Palo Alto School to Accept Memorial to Nisei Soldier, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Friends of Fred Yamamoto, the first Palo Alto Nisei killed in service, will present a book memorial to Palo Alto High School. Yamamoto died during the rescue of the Lost Battalion.
• Nisei Soldier Musicians in Italy Round Up Nazi Prisoners, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Members of the 206th Army Ground Forces band of the 442nd were drafted to truck 200 German prisoners held by Italian partisans. The soldiers described how German propaganda had led the prisoners to fear the Americans.
• Gila Volunteer Wins Bronze Star Medal, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Sgt. Charles S. Mayeda, a radio maintenance man from the Gila River center, received the Bronze Star for repairing communications under heavy shelling in the Vosges. He kept radios working throughout the day and night.
• Nisei Discharged on Points Returns to Home in California, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Tech. Sgt. Minoru Masukane became one of the first Nisei soldiers discharged on points, returning to California after 42 months of Army service. He had served 25 months in the Pacific war against Japan.
• Texans Learn of Exploits of Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Texans are learning about the 442nd’s rescue of the Lost Battalion of the 36th Texas Division. Pfc. Saburo C. Takayoshi of Chicago, a member of the unit, was wounded and is convalescing in Temple.
• Hollywood Nisei Commissioned on Battlefield, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Shigeo Teraji of Hollywood received a battlefield commission and the Silver Star for repairing communication lines under artillery fire in France. He was wounded but completed the repair before crawling back to safety.
• Utah Soldier Honored at Italy Ceremony, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Pfc. Rudy K. Tokiwa of Salt Lake City received the Bronze Star for heroic achievement with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in Italy. He has served overseas for 14 months.
• Cane Used by 442nd Officer to Force Surrender of Nazis, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Capt. Joseph W. Hill of Malvern, Arkansas, used his cane to bluff the surrender of ten German soldiers at a house on Mt. Belvedere in Italy. The Germans surrendered after Hill and a lieutenant entered unexpectedly.

Community

• Texas Girl Wins Prize for Article on Race Relations, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Grace Watanabe, a junior at Hardin-Simmons University, won first prize for her essay on improving race relations. She had previously received the Minter Medal for top scholarship.
• California “Little Dies” Group’s Report on League Activities “Grossly Distorted,” Says JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The JACL charged that the Tenney committee made untrue statements about its December 1944 convention in a report published by the California senate. JACL president Saburo Kido said the committee should investigate anti-Japanese American groups instead.
• Returned Evacuees Offered Farm Jobs in Fresno District, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Former baseball star H. (Dutch) Leonard has hired several Japanese American families for his Fresno-area ranches, with more expected. Other large operators in the area are reportedly making similar plans despite recent terrorism.
• 200 Leave WRA Camp for Homes in East, West, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Over two hundred persons left the Heart Mountain relocation center on June 4 in the largest single departure in its history. Most California-bound evacuees headed for the San Jose and Los Angeles areas.
• ILWU Will Hold Formal Trial for Stockton Members on Race Discrimination Charge, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The ILWU announced formal trials for Stockton Local 6 members who refused to work with an American of Japanese ancestry. Officials said the only issue is race discrimination.
• Los Angeles CIO Council Backs ILWU Condemnation of Discrimination, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Los Angeles CIO Council and San Pedro Local 13 passed resolutions condemning discriminatory acts against Japanese Americans. The resolutions were prompted by the Stockton unit’s refusal to work with returned Nisei.
• Nisei Soldier Likes Attitude of Midwest People, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Sgt. David K. Inouye, recently back from the Philippines, said the Midwest is the most American part of America. He settled his parents in Madison, Wisconsin.
• Man in Union Case May Not Be Citizen, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The WRA said Fukuso Yamamoto, at the center of the Stockton union dispute, is believed to be an alien. Yamamoto insists he was born in Hawaii but has no records to prove it.
• War Labor Board Praises Ability of Nisei Personnel, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The personnel officer of the National War Labor Board in New York praised five Nisei women employees as among its most valued workers. The letter was sent to the local WRA relocation office.
• Three Nisei Win Graduate Degrees, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Three Nisei received graduate degrees at the University of Wisconsin’s May 26 commencement. Michael Morizono also won the Lewis prize for the best freshman theme.
• Denver JACL to Hold Inaugural Ball, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Denver JACL chapter will hold its semi-formal inaugural dance on June 23 at the Cosmopolitan hotel. All Nisei servicemen will be admitted free as honored guests.
• Dr. Yatabe Completes Tour of Midwest Areas for JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Dr. T. T. Yatabe, head of the Chicago JACL office, returned from a Midwest tour during which he gave three radio addresses and numerous public talks. He spoke in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Mankato, Cincinnati and Dayton.
• Escheat Case Goes to Court in San Diego, by P.C. Staff, page 8. San Diego District Attorney Thomas Whelan instituted escheatment proceedings against Shigeru Matsumoto and his children over a $8000 flower nursery. He alleged the property was held through subterfuge in violation of the alien land law.
• Major Kovac Will Attend Chicago JACL Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Major Ivan Kovac, who trained the 442nd as Regimental Training Officer, will be a guest at a special Chicago JACL meeting on June 14. Kovac returned from the European front with General Mark Clark.

Obituaries

• Noted Physician Dies in New York, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. Toyohiko Campbell Takami, a Japanese-born skin disease specialist naturalized in 1901, died May 17 at his Brooklyn home at age 70. He had served on the staffs of several Brooklyn hospitals and taught at Cornell Medical College.
• Shiro Iida Dies of Heart Attack in Salt Lake City, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Shiro Iida, a former Japanese American News representative and owner of the Rocky Mountain Times, died June 5 in Salt Lake City at age 65. He is survived by his widow and five children.

JACL

• National JACL Asks for End to Navy Ban Against Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL wrote Navy Secretary James Forrestal urging that Japanese Americans be accepted for Navy training and service given their Army record. The letter rebutted objections raised by a Navy officer in a prior conference.

Commentary

• It Happened in Monterey, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An editorial describes a Monterey Bay Council advertisement calling to discourage the return of evacuees, and the protest from over 400 Monterey residents that followed. The piece also quotes Edward F. R. Ricketts condemning racism.
• Enlisted Reserve Corps, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial explains that dropping ERC status for Nisei inductees means they will be processed like other recruits. It notes ERC had served to build a pool of Nisei replacements for the 442nd and to aid families during relocation.
• The Superman Cult, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial notes that Nazi racial theorists Alfred Rosenberg and Julius Streicher were captured, yet their racist ideology continues on the West Coast. It argues the war for freedom is not over until such racism ends.
• Racism in British Columbia, by LARRY TAJIRI, page 4. Tajiri writes that Canada’s Japanese Canadians face deportation and exclusion despite their loyalty, with politicians in British Columbia driving the policy. He argues the Canadian evacuation was ordered weeks before the American one.
• Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A column of brief news notes covering Hollywood casting, a Connecticut baseball pitcher, a book on Poston, and labor incidents involving Nisei. It also reports on a Louisiana property ordinance and Nisei GIs finding Japanese civilians in Okinawa.
• From the Frying Pan, by BILL HOSOKAWA, page 5. Hosokawa criticizes the light sentence given to Levi Multanen for shooting into the Iwasaki home in Parlier. He contrasts the court’s leniency with the loss of Nisei soldiers, including Pvt. Ben Stafford and T/3 Eddie Fukui, from the Minidoka camp.

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