November 1945: Nisei service and the closing of the camps

Vol. 21, No. 19, November 10, 1945. 8 pages. View this issue

Nisei in uniform and the wind-down of the wartime camps filled this eight-page issue. Thirteen Japanese American women of the Women’s Army Corps arrived in Tokyo from Hawaii. Admiral Chester Nimitz wrote to Joe Masaoka of the National JACL that Nisei had served with distinction and that he had no objection to Navy enlistment. About 1,300 veterans of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team were on their way home, and Tech. Sgt. Ben Kuroki spoke on New York and CBS radio. Only 8,000 people remained in the War Relocation Authority centers, and Tule Lake was set to close by February 1.

Commentary included Larry Tajiri on the Army’s sabotage complex, an editorial on the Pearl Harbor Board report, and Bill Hosokawa on the WRA staff as the centers closed. Other pages covered returning families in Sacramento, Burbank and Santa Ana, a habeas corpus suit over renounced citizenship, and notes from Twin Cities hostels.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Nisei WACs Arrive for Duty in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Thirteen Japanese American women of the Women’s Army Corps arrived in Tokyo from Hawaii to serve as occupation duty personnel. They are among the first Americans of Japanese ancestry to arrive in Japan since the end of hostilities.
• 1300 Veterans of 442nd En Route to U.S., by P.C. Staff, page 1. Approximately 1,300 eligible combat veterans of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team are returning to the United States after a months-long redeployment delay. Many left Leghorn for Naples and then sailed on Liberty ships bound for Virginia.
• Nisei Seaman, Back from Japan Internment, Seeks to Contact Family in U.S., by P.C. Staff, page 1. Harry Sasaki, a Nisei seaman held in a Japanese internment camp since Pearl Harbor, has returned to the United States and is searching for his family. He was a crew member of the President Harrison, seized at Shanghai.
• Men of 442nd Regiment Pay Final Respects to Comrades, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Awaiting redeployment, high point men of the 442nd visited American military cemeteries near Leghorn with their chaplain George Aki. They honored fallen comrades at Follonica, Vada and Castelfiorentino.
• Nisei in Armored Division Awarded Bronze Star, by P.C. Staff, page 3. S/Sgt. Ray Umade of Peoria received the Bronze Star for action with the 82nd Reconnaissance unit of the 2nd Armored Division. He was discharged after four and a half years of service.
• Bill Mauldin Blasts Anti-Nisei Activities, Native Fascists in Speech at N.Y. Tribune Forum, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pulitzer Prize cartoonist and war veteran Bill Mauldin condemned discrimination against Japanese Americans in a New York speech. He argued the war is not won while bigots like Bilbo, Rankin and Gerald L.K. Smith remain.
• Sgt. Ben Kuroki, Nisei GI Hero, Is Home From the Wars, by John Kitasako, page 3. Tech. Sgt. Ben Kuroki, who flew 58 heavy bombing missions, returned home and appeared on a New York radio forum and a CBS broadcast. He sees a long fight ahead for Nisei and other minorities before the war is truly over.
• Nisei Sergeant in Japan Wins Bronze Star, by P.C. Staff, page 3. S/Sgt. Tad Nomura of Long Beach, serving with the First Cavalry Division in Japan, received the Bronze Star for gallantry at Leyte. He served with the Army, Navy and Marine Corps during the Pacific campaigns.
• Three Nisei Join Disabled American Veterans Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Disabled American Veterans chapter in Peoria, Illinois accepted five Nisei veterans as members. All are studying watchmaking under the G.I. Bill.
• 442nd Medics Win Meritorious Service Unit Plaque, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The medical detachment of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team received the Meritorious Service Unit Plaque for exceptionally difficult tasks from May 1944 to May 1945. It is the second such honor won by elements of the unit.

National

• Admiral Nimitz Declares Nisei GIs Have Served With Distinction in Pacific Forces, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Admiral Chester Nimitz wrote to Joe Masaoka of the National JACL that Americans of Japanese ancestry have served with distinction and that he has no objection to Navy enlistment. He noted that the Navy’s non-acceptance policy is subject to reevaluation.
• First Degree Murder Charge Faces Youth in Slaying of Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A first degree murder charge has been filed against Floyd Pousson in the slaying of Natsu Kurisu, a 61-year-old Japanese man found shot in Oregon. Pousson was arrested in Texas on a car theft charge and was found with Kurisu’s car and personal papers.
• Council on Race Relations Asks Congressional Action to Reimburse Evacuee Group, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The American Council on Race Relations called for congressional reimbursement of Japanese Americans for wartime evacuation losses. It also criticized the WRA for glossing over resettlement problems.
• Southern Pacific Railroad Accedes to Legion’s Demand, Withdraws Evacuee Workers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Southern Pacific Railroad agreed to remove Japanese American track workers from Shingle Springs, California after protests from the El Dorado Post of the American Legion. The Legion had argued the workers, all from Tule Lake, posed a threat of violence.
• Canada Lifts Censorship on War School, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Canada disclosed a wartime language school in Vancouver where mostly Japanese Canadian personnel trained as interpreters. Only one in four Nisei had enough Japanese to serve in that role.
• Anti-Nisei Prejudice Diminishing on Coast, Says YMCA Official, by P.C. Staff, page 3. With paid race-baiters gone from the Pacific coast, prejudice against Japanese Americans has subsided, according to a YMCA official. Community tensions have eased as returning evacuees settle in.

Incarceration & Redress

• Only 8,000 Left in WRA Centers, Reports Official, by P.C. Staff, page 1. WRA regional director Paul Robertson reported that only 8,000 evacuees remain in five relocation centers, excluding 16,000 at Tule Lake. The Central Utah center has closed following the departure of its final evacuees.
• Expatriate Files Suit to Regain Citizen Rights, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Fumiko Tamura, a Manzanar resident, filed a habeas corpus writ in federal court to block her deportation to Japan and challenge the renunciation of her citizenship. The case could affect about 4,500 Tule Lake residents in the same situation.
• Unclaimed Ashes of Tule Lake Aliens to be Sent to Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Arrangements are underway to ship ashes of aliens who died at Tule Lake without relatives in the U.S. to Japan through the Swiss legation. Remaining ashes will be held for those leaving for relocation.
• WRA to Relocate 11,000 From Tule Lake Center, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The War Relocation Authority announced that the Tule Lake center will close by February 1, with about 11,000 persons to be relocated. About 4,500 renunciants who are not considered loyal will remain for deportation.

Community

• Sacramento Chamber Protests Housing Evacuees at Kohler, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Sacramento Chamber of Commerce protested plans to house returning evacuees in Army barracks at Camp Kohler instead of veterans. Secretary A.S. Dudley argued the facilities should be used for returning servicemen.
• Roy Yoshida Flies to Japan for U.S. Army, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Roy S. Yoshida, a language instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, flew to Japan on a scientific expedition for the U.S. Army. He had relocated from Poston in 1944.
• Legion Post Protests Homes for Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 2. American Legion Post 61 and the Eagles in Sacramento protested housing returning evacuees at Camp Kohler. WRA district officer Harold Choate responded that evacuees would use a separate section and that they are Americans deserving equal treatment.
• Brighton VFW Post Accepts Japanese American Veteran, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Brighton, Colorado VFW post accepted Pfc. John Masunaga, a veteran of overseas service, after a heated vote despite an earlier letter saying he would not be welcome. Masunaga said he hopes to help veterans facing discrimination.
• Santa Clara Valley Residents Praised for Attitude on Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 2. WRA official James Edmiston praised Santa Clara County residents for welcoming returning Japanese Americans, who have been better received there than anywhere else. He credited democratic schooling and the community’s willingness to help save the fruit crop.
• Returning Evacuees Move Into Temporary Units at Burbank, by P.C. Staff, page 2. One hundred thirty evacuees from Heart Mountain arrived in Burbank and moved into former Army barracks. Their leader Yasutoshi Yoshizawa said they were glad to be back in California and felt no resentment despite their wartime treatment.
• Orange County Project Houses Evacuee Group in Abandoned Barracks, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Eight persons from Poston arrived at Santa Ana’s FHA project of converted Army barracks for returning evacuees. Families pay modest rent and share a community kitchen while seeking permanent housing.
• Ken Matsumoto Commissioned in Ohio Guard, by P.C. Staff, page 5. First Lieut. Ken Matsumoto became the first Nisei commissioned in the Ohio State Guard and attended its officers convention. He is vice-president of the National JACL and was one of the first Japanese Americans to relocate to Cincinnati.
• New York JACL Chapter Plans Anniversary Affair, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The New York JACL chapter will celebrate its first anniversary with a dance at the Hotel Delmonico on Thanksgiving eve. Guest of honor will be Sgt. Ben Kuroki, with music by Joe Carroll’s orchestra.
• En Route to Hawaii Homes, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Nearly 400 persons of Japanese ancestry evacuated from Hawaii arrived in Seattle from an internment camp in New Mexico. Many were elderly and many had sons serving in the U.S. Army.
• Kansas City Relocation Notes, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A brief report on Issei social club activity in Kansas City, Missouri. Coverage highlights community life among relocated families.
• Relocation Digest, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A compilation of brief relocation news from across the country, including notes on new homeowners, returning evacuees and personal milestones. Items cover Minneapolis, St. Paul, Indianapolis and Omaha.
• U.S. Tenth Corps Discloses Important Role Played by Nisei Troops in Pacific, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Nisei translators with the Tenth Corps Language Detachment translated about 2,500 captured enemy documents and interrogated 1,000 Japanese prisoners in the Philippines. Their work provided critical tactical information.
• Second Hostel to Be Opened for Evacuees in Twin Cities, by P.C. Staff, page 8. An interfaith group in St. Paul will open a 17-room hostel at the Kellogg Hotel to house Nisei within a week or ten days. The Minneapolis hostel has operated since January and will be repurposed as the need declines.

Commentary

• Army’s Sabotage Complex, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Tajiri argues that the Army’s belief in Japanese American sabotage, shaped by the Pearl Harbor board’s report, led to mass evacuation despite no actual sabotage occurring. He contends that the report’s racist assumptions have been disproven by Nisei loyalty.
• Pearl Harbor Report, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial criticizes the Army Pearl Harbor Board report for racist generalizations about Hawaii’s Japanese Americans and for relying on biased sources. It argues the report ignores the loyalty record of Nisei soldiers from Hawaii.
• On Fighting Intolerance, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial outlines four WRA-developed rules for combating community prejudice, drawn from Carleton Kent’s Chicago Times column. It recommends publicly defeating race-baiters and not ignoring their activities.
• Nisei Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A column of brief notes covering Nisei achievements, including Field Marshal Alexander’s praise of the 442nd, a Canadian Nisei school, and new appointments of Nisei majors. It also notes Nisei-related magazine articles.
• Report to the Nation: Japanese American Veteran Interviewed on CBS Program, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A transcript of a CBS radio program in which Tech. Sgt. Ben Kuroki discusses discrimination, his combat service and his family’s experiences. Kuroki says he hopes to dispel prejudice while telling his story.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa reflects on the WRA staff facing reconversion as the centers close, describing the range of employees who worked with evacuees. He notes many made personal sacrifices and grew closer to the evacuees.
• Letter-Box: Sculptor-Artist and Earl Finch, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Readers’ letters highlight sculptor-artist S/Sgt. Masood Ali Warren, who welcomes correspondence with Nisei, and praise Earl Finch for hospitality to Nisei soldiers in Chicago. One writer recounts a dinner with Finch and his concern for the delayed return of the 442nd.

Arts & Entertainment

• Henry Sugimoto’s Paintings Will Be Shown in New York, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Henry Sugimoto, a leading Japanese American artist, will exhibit 26 paintings including oils of Arkansas relocation centers at the American Common in New York. The exhibit opens November 12.

Sports

• Frank Miyaki, Sub Halfback, Starts in Cougar Victory, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Freshman Frank Miyaki played well as a third-string halfback for Washington State in a 21-0 win over Idaho. He intercepted two passes and made a successful aerial in limited action.
• Michigan State Swim Coach Praises Nisei Soldiers, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Michigan State swimming coach Charles McCaffree praised the Nisei soldiers he met in Italy as upstanding, courageous and superior sportsmen. He said they were the finest type of American young men.

Obituaries

• Vital Statistics, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A list of births, deaths and marriages among evacuees at Tule Lake and Heart Mountain. Entries record names and dates of each event.

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