Nisei in the Korean War: a death march survivor, Silver Stars and memorials

Vol. 31, No. 16, October 21, 1950. 8 pages. View this issue

The Korean War was the main subject of this eight-page issue. On the front page, Nisei Army Sgt. Takeshi Kumagai of Honolulu was among three surviving American prisoners who described a death march from Seoul to Pyongyang. Other stories told of Pfc. Mitsuru Mihara, a liberated prisoner heading home, and of Silver Stars awarded to Pfc. Elmer J. Yoshihara and Sgt. Kelly S. Nakashita. Lawrence Nakatsuka reported on President Truman’s tribute to Nisei soldiers at a Pearl Harbor luncheon. Memorial services for Nisei dead were planned at Arlington National Cemetery on Oct. 29, with more on Nisei Soldiers Memorial Day, Oct. 30, in Portland and Ontario, Oregon.

Other pages cover James W. Merrick on the filming of Go for Broke, the editorials and columns, a page of Nisei sports, and court cases over lost citizenship, including strandee hearings in Los Angeles and a ruling for William S. Ishikawa in Hawaii.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Army Sergeant Survives ‘Death March’ of U.S. POWs from Seoul to Pyongyang, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Three surviving American prisoners of war, including Nisei Army Sgt. Takeshi Kumagai of Honolulu, described a death march from Seoul to Pyongyang that claimed many lives. They were found hiding in Pyongyang after their North Korean captors fled.
• Arlington Rites to Honor Nisei Soldier Dead, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Memorial Day service honoring Nisei war dead from World War II and Korea will be held at Arlington National Cemetery on Oct. 29, organized by the JACL. The U.S. Army will provide a guard of honor at the graveside rites.
• Liberated Nisei GI Leaves for Home With Other Ex-POWs, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pfc. Mitsuru Mihara, one of the first Nisei soldiers liberated as a prisoner of war in Korea, departed Tokyo with 81 other liberated POWs for California. The men were treated to medical care and rest at Camp Zama before their journey.
• Nisei Doctor First to Register for Medical Draft in New York, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Sata, a Nisei physician at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, became the first in New York City to register under the new Selective Service medical draft. He said he would be glad to serve wherever needed.
• Nisei Gl Hero Cited for Army Silver Star, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pfc. Elmer J. Yoshihara of Gig Harbor, Wash., was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for volunteering to clear mines under enemy fire in Korea. He was killed by mortar fire on Aug. 25 near Taegu.
• Nisei Sergeant Saves Buddy by Swimming River, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sgt. Kelly S. Nakashita of Los Angeles received a Silver Star for swimming the Naktong River under enemy fire to rescue a wounded American soldier. His actions occurred during the 1st Cavalry Division’s operations in South Korea.
• Corp. Toda Returns From Korean Front, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Cpl. Ryo Toda of Denver became the first Nisei Korean War casualty to return to Fitzsimons Hospital for treatment. He arrived from the war zone on October 15.
• President Truman Pays Tribute to Nisei Soldiers in Speech at Luncheon in Pearl Harbor, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 2. President Truman recalled pinning medals on Nisei soldiers of the 442nd at the White House and praised Hawaii’s wartime contributions. He also reaffirmed his support for statehood for Hawaii and Alaska.
• Dr. Sakada Urges Observance of Nisei Soldier Memorial Day by All Japanese Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 2. JACL national president Dr. Randolph M. Sakada urged Americans of Japanese ancestry to honor Nisei veterans on Oct. 30. He said their wartime service shattered charges questioning Nisei loyalty.
• Ontario Group to Erect Shaft to Nisei Dead, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A monument honoring Nisei war dead, presented to Ontario, Oregon by the local Japanese American community, will be dedicated on Nisei Soldiers Memorial Day, October 30. The Boise Valley JACL is represented on the planning committee.
• Relive War Scenes as MGM Films ‘Go for Broke’, by James W. Merrick, page 3. MGM is filming Go for Broke, a movie about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team’s rescue of the Texas Lost Battalion, using a nearly all-amateur cast of Nisei veterans. Director Robert Pirosh and producer Dore Schary worked with veteran consultants to recreate the unit’s history.
• Honored Memorial Rites for Nisei GIs in Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Veterans of the 100th Battalion and 442nd Combat Team held memorial services at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu on Oct. 15. Delegate Joseph Farrington and other officials paid tribute to the Nisei dead.
• Contribution of Nisei Doctors to Study of A-Bomb Casualties Noted by Commission’s Head, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Dr. Grant Taylor of the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission praised Nisei physicians for their work studying radiation effects in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Five Nisei doctors are among the 23 physicians assigned to the research program.

National

• President Truman Pays Tribute to Nisei Soldiers in Speech at Pearl Harbor Luncheon, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 1. President Truman praised Nisei soldiers of World War II during a Pearl Harbor luncheon en route to his Wake Island conference with Gen. MacArthur. He also urged statehood for Hawaii and Alaska for reasons of national defense.
• Report North Koreans May Be Confusing Nisei for Japanese, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee suggested North Korean claims of Japanese serving in U.S. forces may stem from mistaken identity regarding the many Nisei on combat duty. Nearly 40 percent of the Fifth Regimental Combat Team from Hawaii is of Asian ancestry.
• Los Angeles Harbor Area AFL Group Backs Masaoka Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The San Pedro-Wilmington Central Labor Council passed a resolution supporting the Masaoka case challenging California’s alien land law. The action follows similar support from Los Angeles and San Francisco labor councils.
• Claims Issue Closed, Ottawa Informs Japanese Canadians, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Canadian government told the Japanese Canadian Citizens Association that its evacuation claims program is closed after paying $1,200,000 in claims. The JCCA had sought further compensation, arguing the program’s narrow terms excluded many legitimate losses.

Community

• Boise Valley Chapter to Be Host to Intermountain Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Boise Valley JACL will host the Intermountain JACL district council meeting on Nov. 24 in Caldwell, including officer elections. A bowling tournament and banquet are also planned for the following days.
• Nisei to Attend White House Meet on Youth Problems, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Bill Muramatsu of San Francisco was selected as the first California Nisei delegate to the Mid-Century White House Conference on Youth in December. He will raise issues facing persons of Japanese ancestry.
• Inductees to Get Year’s Subscription to Pacific Citizen, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Eden Township JACL chapter will give every Nisei inductee from its area a one-year Pacific Citizen subscription. The gift is meant to keep inductees informed about hometown and Nisei affairs.
• Issei Couple Gives $1,000 to JACL Work, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mr. and Mrs. S. T. Nakashima of Los Gatos donated $1,000 to the JACL national headquarters in appreciation for assistance with a private bill allowing an Issei mother to return to the United States. Fred Nomura helped secure sponsorship of the bill.
• Wounded Gl’s Parents Unable to Learn of Condition of Son, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The parents of Cpl. Yukio Masai, wounded at Inchon, have been unable to learn his condition from the defense department or military hospital. His mother planned to fly to Japan to see him once she received travel clearance.
• JACL Chapters Hold Annual Joint Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Southern Alameda and Eden Township JACL chapters held their annual joint meeting in Centerville and planned a harvest festival dance for Nov. 16. Committees were named to handle decorations, tickets, and refreshments.
• Portland Will Erect Memorial to Nisei Soldier War Dead, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A war memorial honoring Nisei GI dead will be erected in Rose City Cemetery in Portland on Nisei Soldiers Memorial Day, October 30. The $4,000 monument, funded by community contributions, will list 14 Nisei war dead from the Portland area.
• Ellis Church Honors Teachers Called to Service, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Sunday school teachers and officers at the Ellis Community Center church honored two teachers called into military service. Also recognized were two women who resigned from the staff upon marriage.
• Ellis Workcampers Will Hold Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Workcampers of the Ellis Community Center in Chicago will sponsor a Glenn Miller-themed dance on November 4 at the McCormick YWCA. Guest artists Teresa Georgian and Bob Deu may appear if in Chicago.
• Illinois Congressmen Asked to Support Walter Measure, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Illinois NAACP conference called on all Illinois congressmen to support the Walter resolution removing racial barriers to naturalization. The resolution commended JACL’s Anti-Discrimination Committee for its work.
• Plan Commencement Rites for Issei Class in Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Commencement exercises for the third naturalization and citizenship class in Los Angeles will be held October 27, with some thirty Issei receiving certificates. Supervisor John Anson Ford will be the guest speaker.
• Honolulu Resident Seeks Restoration of U.S. Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Edward Y. Okasako, a Honolulu native, asked a federal judge to restore his citizenship, which the State Department said he lost by serving in the Japanese army. He had been taken to Japan at age 12 and was in a labor battalion during the war.
• Strandee Student Wins Redwood City Poster Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Shin Sawamura, a 17-year-old who was a wartime strandee in Japan, won a McKinley school United Nations poster contest in Redwood City. His poster depicted a world surmounted by a UN flag with the words ‘There Shall Be Peace.’
• Baptists to Join in City-Wide Preaching Mission, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The First Baptist Church of Chicago under Dr. Jitsuo Morikawa will join other Protestant churches in a preaching mission during the week of October 29 to November 3. Rev. Charles Bell Jr. will preach at each service.
• Joint Fellowship to See Film, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Christ Congregational and Ellis Community Center churches in Chicago will jointly view the film Second Chance on October 22. The meeting marks the first joint gathering of these two Nisei church groups.
• Hawaii Judge Signs Ruling in Ishikawa Case, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Federal Judge J. Frank McLaughlin restored full citizenship to William S. Ishikawa, ruling his Japanese army service and consulate employment did not forfeit it. The government had not provided further evidence supporting expatriation.

Incarceration & Redress

• Strandee Returns to Testify at U.S. Citizenship Hearing, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Harumi Seki, a wartime strandee denied a passport after the State Department claimed she forfeited citizenship by voting in Japanese elections, is returning to testify. Her case will be heard in federal court in Los Angeles on Nov. 9.
• Trial Date Set in California for Strandee Cases, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Federal trial dates were set for six Nisei strandees seeking restoration of American citizenship between October 19 and November 15 in Los Angeles. Attorney A. L. Wirin will represent them, citing that their citizenship losses were not voluntary.

Commentary

• Nisei Soldier Memorial Day, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial urges local observances of National Nisei Memorial Day on October 30 to honor Nisei who served in the armed forces. It argues the day recognizes Nisei contributions made despite wartime hysteria and racial suspicion.
• Canadian Evacuation Claims, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial supports the JCCA’s request for reopening Canada’s evacuation claims program, which limited compensation to goods confiscated and auctioned by the government. It argues the brief documents the cost of wartime prejudice and government action against a minority group.
• Segregation in Education, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial criticizes a federal judge’s ruling that North Carolina’s Negro law school was equal to the state university’s, arguing that segregation itself constitutes inequality. It contends that separate facilities cannot provide truly equal educational opportunity.
• The Political Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial denounces a letter by Kiyoshi Okamoto urging Nisei support for Richard Nixon with anti-Semitic appeals and misrepresentations of Helen Gahagan Douglas. It notes Jewish organizations have supported JACL civil rights efforts and urges Nisei political participation.
• Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This column covers a range of Nisei news items, including Nisei entertainers, the North Korean protest over Japanese troops, and Japanese Peruvian soldiers mistaken for Japanese. It also notes cemeteries in Los Angeles that still exclude non-Caucasians.
• Cost of Living in New York, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A columnist describes estimating monthly living expenses in New York City at $600 for a Nisei manager being sent from Japan. The piece humorously examines how the cost of living has roughly doubled since 1940.
• USA: The Political Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The column reviews Nisei participation in mainland and Hawaii political campaigns, noting Nisei candidates and organized support efforts. It observes that Nisei are increasingly participating as individual citizens rather than as a racial minority.
• Aliens Under McCarran Anti-Subversives Law, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee explains how the McCarran Subversive Activities Control Act affects alien admission and deportation. It lists categories of aliens who may be excluded or deported based on political affiliations.

In-Depth

• Do You Know? JACL Enters Court Tests on Nisei Rights During 1942, by Elmer R. Smith, page 5. JACL entered the Supreme Court case challenging Nisei citizenship rights after the Native Sons of the Golden West sought to strip citizenship from Nisei. The column also describes the JACL’s Seventh National Convention in Salt Lake City in November 1942.

Sports

• Coldwell Bears With Nisei Gridders, by P.C. Staff, page 6. For the first time, two Nisei captains faced each other in a college football game when College of Idaho and Ricks played. Coverage notes Utah’s loss of Nisei basketball star Mansfield Doi to the Army.
• Salt Lake Bees, Now Aligned With Phillies, Want Yonamine to Return for 1951 Season, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Salt Lake Bees general manager Claude Engberg indicated Wally Yonamine would be welcomed back for the 1951 season. Yonamine, a centerfielder who was named to the all-Pioneer League team, had hit well during the past season.
• Utah Loses Nisei Cage Star to U.S. Army, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The University of Utah lost Sumida, a promising Nisei basketball player from Hilo, to Army service. Coach Frank Brickey had counted on him as a cornerstone of the first-year squad.
• Roy Hatate Stars for South Dakota School, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Roy Hatate, a 160-pound quarterback at a South Dakota school, is highlighted as a standout player. The sports column also covers several other Nisei athletes across California, Oregon, and Utah high schools and colleges.
• Northwest Boxers Aid Nisei Veterans Fund Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A boxing smoker in Seattle sponsored by the Nisei Veterans Committee raised funds to buy football equipment for the Nisei Vets team. Tommy Umeda and other boxers donated their services, with over 200 attending.
• Seattle Nisei League Gets ABC Sanction, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Nisei bowlers in Seattle began rolling under American Bowling Congress sanction in the Nisei Commercial Bowling League. Royal Amusement led the standings, and several individual and team high scores were reported.
• Tomita Takes Fifth Place in World Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Honolulu weightlifter Richard Tomita placed fifth in the featherweight division at the world weightlifting championships in Paris. The United States won the team title narrowly over Egypt.
• Honolulu Swimmer Wins Army Race in Germany, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Pfc. Carl Nishiyama of Honolulu took first place in the 200-meter freestyle at the Army’s European swimming championships. He also placed second in the 100-meter event.

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