The secret Nisei language school at Fort Snelling, and the camps closing

Vol. 21, No. 17, October 27, 1945. 8 pages. View this issue

The story of the Military Intelligence Service Language School at Fort Snelling led this issue. The War Department revealed that the school trained more than 4,000 Nisei linguists for the Pacific war, serving as interrogators, translators and radio announcers. Bill Hosokawa wrote about their role in a column, and Larry Tajiri’s editorials looked at the closing of the relocation centers and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team’s wartime record. Interior Secretary Ickes announced that War Relocation Authority services at Tule Lake would end by February 1, 1946. Minidoka and Topaz closed ahead of the November 1 deadline.

Also inside: reports on returning families finding housing in Los Angeles County, Long Beach and Kern County, and on Japanese Canadians cancelling repatriation requests. Toshio Mori profiled a laundryman and self-taught philosopher in the Seventh Street column, and the awards pages list Bronze Star and Legion of Merit honors for Nisei soldiers.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Army Department Credits Graduates of School With Major Role in Pacific War, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The War Department revealed the secret story of the Military Intelligence Service Language School at Fort Snelling, which trained over 4,000 Nisei linguists for the Pacific war. Nisei operatives served as interrogators, translators, radio announcers and propagandists, and also gathered intelligence on German-Japanese liaison.
• WRA to Terminate Services at Tule Lake Camp on Feb. 1, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Interior Secretary Ickes announced that War Relocation Authority services at the Tule Lake center will end by February 1, 1946, completing the closure of the last of the ten WRA centers. Eligible residents will receive relocation assistance while those held under Justice Department detention orders remain in custody.
• WRA Director Challenges JACL Report on Conditions at Lomita Air Strip Shelter, by P.C. Staff, page 2. WRA Director Dillon Myer disputed JACL charges of neglect at the Lomita Air Strip shelter for returning evacuees. He said welfare cases had been cleared with Los Angeles County and that facilities were no different from the relocation centers.
• Camps Close Before Deadline: Central Utah, Minidoka Become Ghost Towns, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Minidoka and Topaz closed as the final groups of residents left for West Coast destinations. Arrivals of evacuees on the Coast are increasing, but many counties have received less than 20 percent of their former residents.
• Three More WRA Camps Close Before Deadline, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Minidoka and Topaz closed ahead of the November 1 deadline as the last groups of evacuees left by train. Most Minidoka residents returned to Oregon and Washington.

Military & Veterans

• Seven Nisei Recommended for Congressional Medal of Honor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Seven Nisei soldiers of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team have been recommended for the Congressional Medal of Honor, though none have yet been approved. The 442nd is described as the most decorated regiment in Army history relative to its time in combat.
• Portland VFW Post Welcomes Nisei Troops, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Veterans of the 41st Division Post No. 3049 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Portland welcomed Japanese American soldiers who served overseas. They urged that Nisei receive all the benefits due other American veterans.
• 442nd Gets Three Major Unit Awards for Outstanding Performance, by P.C. Staff, page 2. In a ceremony in Leghorn, Italy, the 100th Battalion received a second Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation, the Service Company received a Meritorious Service Unit Plaque, and the 232nd Engineers received a Fifth Army commendation. Individual decorations were also presented to Staff Sgt. Henry Arao and Capt. Orville Shirey.
• Father Learns of Son’s Death in Plane Crash, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Tule Lake father Ben Kurokawa learned that his son, T/4 Satoshi Kurokawa, was killed in a plane crash while being flown from the Philippines to Okinawa on a classified assignment. Colonel Sidney Mashbir wrote that he had been selected for his special qualifications.
• California Nisei Was Awarded Silver Star in Philippines Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Nisei soldiers of the Army’s Allied Translator and Interpreter Section played key roles in surrender negotiations in the Philippines. Photos show Japanese and American representatives at the surrender.
• Sgt. Yamamoto Wins Legion of Merit in Philippines Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 2. S/Sgt. Masao Yamamoto was awarded the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star for service in the Philippines. His family in Wisconsin and the Gila River Project received the news.
• Coalville Nisei Wins Bronze Star, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pfc. Morio of Coalville, Utah, a rifleman with the 442nd, was awarded the Bronze Star. He also wears the Purple Heart with cluster and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
• Posthumous Award Given to Mother of Soldier Hero, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mrs. Taka Ikeda received the Bronze Star posthumously for her son, Pfc. Roy Y. Ikeda, who died heroically in France in January 1945. He had volunteered from the Topaz relocation center.
• The Nisei in Brazil, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Pvt. Sadayuki Hino, a Brazilian-born Japanese American who lost both legs in Italy, fought with the Brazilian Expeditionary Force. The editorial argues his service shows loyalty to the country of birth and that Japanese ancestry is not inimical to democratic belief.

Community

• Canadian Evacuees Cancel Requests for Repatriation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Thousands of Japanese Canadian evacuees in Slocan Valley camps are cancelling their repatriation requests and forming committees to resist repatriation. Many said they had signed under pressure because non-repatriates were told they must relocate outside the camps.
• 23 Hostels Serve Los Angeles County, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Twenty-three hostels now operate in Los Angeles County to house returning evacuees, with a capacity of 1,042 persons. The article lists daily rates and meal charges for residents.
• Return of Evacuees Crowds Schools in San Jose Area, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A large influx of returning evacuees working on strawberry farms in the Madrone area threatens to overcrowd Burnett school and Live Oak Union high school. Officials are discussing creating a new school district and using Army barracks as a school.
• Stranding of Evacuees Laid to Bus Tieup, by P.C. Staff, page 2. WRA assistant director R. B. Cozzens explained that 20 evacuees from Gila River were stranded in Los Angeles without meals due to bus and telephone strikes and a railroad diner failure. He said the WRA hoped such incidents would not recur.
• 1000 Evacuees to Resettle in Long Beach Area, by P.C. Staff, page 2. About 1,000 returning Japanese Americans are being settled in the Long Beach area, with some housed in trailers. County officials said about 10 percent were applying for public assistance, which the federal government would partly reimburse.
• Returned Evacuee Attacked, Robbed in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Itaro Tanaka, 55, was attacked and robbed of $40 in a Los Angeles parking lot by two men who posed as police. The victim was left semi-conscious.
• Student Council Will Continue Through June, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The National Japanese American Student Relocation Council decided to continue its work until June 30, 1946, because about 2,400 young people still remain in the centers. The council also noted scholarship needs for nursing and trade school students.
• Body of Nisei in Gravel Pit Near Ontario, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The body of N. Kurisu, a Japanese American man missing since October 5, was found in a gravel pit near Ontario, Oregon. A Texas man, Floyd Pousson, was charged with murder after being found carrying Kurisu’s watch and personal effects.
• Toronto Committee Works to Prevent Nisei Deportation, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Cooperative Committee on Japanese Canadians in Toronto is organizing nationwide support to prevent the forced deportation of Japanese Canadians who signed repatriation forms.
• Symon Satow Elected President of Forum at Wooster College, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Symon Satow, who relocated with his family from Gila River in July 1945, was elected president of the Freshman forum at Wooster College in Ohio. The forum is the most important student organization at the college.
• Auburn Church Plans Drive to Aid Drive to Rebuild Home of Soldier, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Auburn Baptist Church launched a fund drive to help rebuild the Loomis, California home of Sgt. Cosmo Sakamoto, destroyed by fire on the eve of the family’s return from relocation. Investigations of the arson produced no criminal charges.
• Seek Housing for Evacuees in Kern County, by P.C. Staff, page 6. About 380 evacuees are expected to return to Kern County before the WRA camps close on December 15. The county board rejected the use of the fairgrounds for temporary housing due to lack of sanitary facilities.
• Grayce Kaneda Stockton Incident Closed as Two Union Members Expelled, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Stockton incident involving the expulsion of two union members over the hiring of Japanese American workers was resolved after the ILWU executive board ordered reinstatement. The board’s decision followed appeals from Alva Bone and O. A. Schmidt.
• Colonel Will Describe Pacific Work of Nisei in Utah Talks, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Lt. Col. Wallace H. Moore, who took the first group of Nisei intelligence men into the Pacific, is touring Utah in November. His speaking schedule includes Federated Women’s Clubs and other civic groups.
• Detroit Social Held by Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Two hundred Detroit Nisei attended a Halloween social sponsored by the International Institute. Committees were formed to organize the event.
• Three Nisei Teach on Staff of Lochland School, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Three Nisei teachers joined the staff of the Lockland school in Buffalo, New York, including Rosie Takahashi as music director. Seiko Ishida and Yaye Yamamoto also joined the faculty.

In-Depth

• Canadian Evacuees Cancel Requests for Repatriation, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Japanese Canadian evacuees in Slocan Valley camps are cancelling repatriation requests and organizing committees to resist repatriation. Many say they signed only because of uncertainty about relocating in eastern Canada.

Commentary

• Centers to Ghost Towns, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. This editorial reflects on the closing of the WRA relocation centers, from Topaz and Hunt to the remaining camps, as the program nears completion. It quotes a WRA report describing the disintegration of center life after peace came.
• On the Birth Rate, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial refutes the racist claim that Japanese Americans have a high birth rate, citing 1940 census figures showing lower rates than the general population. It notes the Japanese American population actually declined between 1930 and 1940.
• VFW and Racism, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin contrasted the VFW national stance on discrimination against Nisei veterans with the American Legion’s firm action. The national Legion threatened to revoke an Oregon post’s charter, and the post reversed course.
• Seventh Street Philosopher, by Toshio Mori, page 5. Toshio Mori profiles Motoji Tsunoda, a lonely laundryman and self-taught philosopher in the community. Tsunoda arranged a lecture after a visiting philosopher canceled, and delivered it to a small audience.
• Unsung Nisei Aided Victory in the Pacific, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa profiles Staff Sgt. Dave Hirahara, wounded in Italy with the 442nd, and then describes the previously secret role of Nisei translators and interpreters in the Pacific war. He argues their record refutes racist claims that Nisei fought only against whites.
• Friendly GI Attitude Aided Readjustment of Evacuees, by John Kitasako, page 6. Kitasako discusses the controversy over US soldiers jitterbugging with a Geisha girl in Tokyo and criticism from servicewomen. He argues that GIs have been warm toward Nisei and the best ambassadors of democracy.
• Secretary Ickes Commends Gen. Stillwell for Suggestion on GI Club to Assist Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Interior Secretary Ickes praised General Stillwell’s suggestion that soldiers form a club to protect Japanese American veterans from discrimination. Ickes cited examples of Californians helping the Sakamoto and Masuda families.
• Rumors Plague Alien Japanese in Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Hawaiian Japanese-language newspapers are combating rumors that Japan had won the war and that Nisei interpreters were jailed. Investigators suspect the rumors originate from quasi-religious sects or traveling salesmen.

Arts & Entertainment

• The Evacuees and the Arts, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial argues that the artwork, handicrafts, and drawings produced in the relocation centers may be the main lasting record of the evacuation. It discusses the work of artists such as Mine Okubo and Chiura Obata.

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