Nisei in the Korean War and the film Go For Broke!

Vol. 32, No. 23, June 16, 1951. 8 pages. View this issue

News from the Korean War led this eight-page issue. The Defense Department reported Nisei casualties, mostly from Hawaii, and the paper printed the names and families’ addresses. Pfc. Wataru Nakamura, a 442nd veteran recalled to service, was killed in action, and his mother in Chicago received the notice. Jack Yamashiro, a 21-year-old Stockton College student, told of surviving the Hiroshima bombing, and Bill Hosokawa’s article “American By Intent” was chosen for worldwide distribution by the State Department.

Other pages followed the film Go For Broke!: Fresno marked 442nd Day, Detroit veterans met at the premiere, and a Dayton panel discussed it on the radio. JACL-ADC bills in California on liquor licenses and fishing fees moved forward. Chicago JACL passed 1,000 members. Columns by Dyke Miyagawa, Elmer R. Smith and Bill Hosokawa fill the commentary pages.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Hawaiian Nisei Missing, Wounded in Korean War, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Defense Department reported Nisei casualties in the Korean War, including killed, missing, wounded, and returned-to-control soldiers. The list identifies soldiers mostly from Hawaii and reports their families’ addresses.
• Mother Learns of Son’s Death in Korea War, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pfc. Wataru Nakamura, a 442nd veteran recalled to service, was killed in action on the Korean front. His mother in Chicago received notice from the Defense Department, and memorial services were scheduled.
• Body of Nisei GI Arrives from War Front, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The body of Pfc. Mitsuro Goto of Denver was among 287 American war dead returned aboard the Rutgers Victory to San Francisco. Goto had been killed in a jeep accident in Korea after earlier being cited for saving a girl from drowning in Japan.
• Fresno Honors Nisei Veterans at Go For Broke Film Opening, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Fresno officially observed 442nd Day with a proclamation from Mayor Gordon Hoffman and a ceremony honoring veterans and Gold Star families before the film’s premiere. Local JACL and veterans groups organized the event.
• Portland Honors Nisei War Dead at Memorial Rites, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A Memorial Day service at the Portland Japanese Rose City Cemetery honored Oregon Nisei killed in World War II. Speakers and Gold Star Mothers participated, and floral wreaths were presented by local groups.
• Three 442nd Veterans Meet at Detroit Opening of Film, by Helen Bower, page 7. Three Detroit 442nd veterans met for the first time at the premiere of Go For Broke! They described their service and noted that the film’s combat scenes resembled their own experiences.

National

• Nisei Survivor from Hiroshima Recalls Day the A-Bomb Fell, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Jack Yamashiro, a 21-year-old Stockton College student, describes surviving the Hiroshima bombing while working at a factory. He recounts the chaos, the death of a schoolmate, and reuniting with his mother afterward.
• State Department Will Distribute Hosokawa Article, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An article by Bill Hosokawa, editor of Empire magazine, titled ‘American By Intent’ will be distributed worldwide by the State Department. The piece tells of a German teenager who lived with an American family in Alamosa, Colorado.
• Justice Department Ruling Reverses Earlier Decision, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Justice Department ruled that a widow may collect an evacuation claim for community property when her husband died after evacuation but before the Evacuation Claims Act passed. The JACL-ADC had opposed the earlier contrary decision.

Community

• California Senate Group Backs Return of Liquor Licenses, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A California Senate committee advanced A.B. 1582, a JACL-ADC supported bill to restore liquor licenses revoked from Nisei and Issei after Pearl Harbor. The bill passed the Assembly unanimously and moved toward Senate action.
• ADC’s Legislative Program for California in Capable Hands, Declares Masaoka, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mike Masaoka praised JACL-ADC legislative representatives Tats Kushida and Sam Ishikawa for their work on California bills extending old age assistance to Issei and lowering fishing license fees. He cautioned that legislative timing still threatened passage.
• California Legislature Passes Repeal of Anti-Chinese Ban, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California Senate passed A.C.A. 59, which repeals a 70-year-old constitutional article barring Chinese and Mongolians from state employment. Voters will decide the measure in the next state election.
• Six Nisei Receive College Degrees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Six Nisei received degrees at the University of Cincinnati twilight commencement on June 8. Two were accepted into the university’s medical college for fall.
• Jack Yamashiro, 21, Now Attends Stockton College, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Jack Yamashiro, a 21-year-old Stockton College student, recounts surviving the Hiroshima bombing as a youth working in a factory. He describes the devastation and his reunion with his mother.
• Legislative Group Approves Lowering of Fishing Fees, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A California Senate committee unanimously approved A.B. 1967, cutting sport fishing license fees for aliens including Issei from $25 to $10. The bill, sponsored by JACL-ADC, will take effect for the 1952 season if fully approved.
• Stockton Nisei Recalls A-Bombing, by P.C. Staff, page 2. This is the continuation of Jack Yamashiro’s account of surviving Hiroshima, describing his reunion with his mother and siblings and their search for his missing father. He ends by expressing hope never to witness such suffering again.
• Chicago JACL Tops Thousand Mark, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Chicago JACL finished its 1951 membership drive with 1016 members, retaining first place among chapters. Drive captains and volunteers across city districts were credited with the success.
• Midwest Chapter Enrolls 1016 During Membership Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Chicago JACL concluded its three-month membership drive with 1016 members, ahead of the Los Angeles chapters. Dr. Frank Sakamoto credited the many volunteers who helped.
• Naomi Nakano Announces Troth to Joseph Tanaka, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Naomi Nakano of Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, announced her engagement to Joseph K. Tanaka of St. Louis. The wedding is set for July 7 at the Methodist Church of Ridley Park.
• Three Churches Plan Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Christian Fellowship Church, Ellis Community Center Church, and Nisei Methodist Church will hold a joint conference June 15-17 at a YWCA camp in Michigan. Henry Tani will be the main speaker for the event expected to draw over 100 delegates.
• 47 Degrees Awarded to Nisei Students at U of Washington, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Forty-seven degrees were awarded to Nisei students among 1,600 graduates at the University of Washington commencement on June 9. The list includes graduates in arts, sciences, pharmacy, engineering, and business.
• Nisei Problems Discussed in Dayton Broadcast, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A panel of Dayton Nisei led by Rev. Reuben Coleman discussed the film Go For Broke!, evacuation, JACL activities, and the record of the 442nd on a radio program. The program was successful enough that the panel was invited back.
• Masaoka Meets with Leaders in Stockton, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Mike Masaoka met with JACL chapter officials and Issei leaders in Stockton and surrounding areas before leaving for Hawaii. He addressed a public meeting on evacuation claims and alien status issues.
• Philadelphia JACL Holds Art Show, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Philadelphia JACL held an art show at its June 1 meeting featuring works by members and friends alongside Japanese art objects. Mary Hanam spoke about Scandinavian crafts.
• Nisei with Brilliant Shorthand Record Unable to Find Job, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Marjorie Nagaoka, a 17-year-old Lodi High School student, qualified for a Gregg shorthand certificate at 140 words per minute but cannot find employment. Her teacher says other students with less ability have received job offers.
• Art Student Wins Travel Scholarship, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Isamu Kashiwagi, a student at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, won a Cresson Traveling Scholarship and left for a three-month European art tour. He was one of eight recipients that year.

Obituaries

• Hold Final Rites for Fred Oshima, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Funeral services were held in El Cerrito for Fred Yuji Oshima, 38, son of prominent Richmond nurseryman Yuhei Oshima. He died June 9 after abdominal cancer surgery and is survived by his wife and two sons.
• Ada Mahon Dies at Summer Home, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Ada J. Mahon, longtime principal of Bailey Gatzert School who supported Nisei students from 1921 to 1945, died of a heart attack at her summer home in Westport, Washington. The Japanese American community remembered her friendliness and helpfulness.

Commentary

• Box-Score on Race Relations: Early Ideas on Race, by Elmer R. Smith, page 4. Elmer Smith surveys how human groups have historically designated themselves and others, using examples from Polynesian, Navaho, Egyptian, and Cherokee traditions. He argues that racial classification has long existed in varied forms across cultures.
• The Machines, by Jack Matsuye, page 4. A fictional first-person piece describes a worker frustrated by repetitive machine work in a factory. The narrator feels reduced to a mechanical function and despairs of unfulfilled hopes.
• Lo, the Hopeful Graduate, by Dyke Miyagawa, page 5. The writer compares the job market for 1951 Nisei college graduates with the bleak prospects of fifteen years earlier. He notes better opportunities in the East and the rising salaries for graduates.
• Cities to Live In, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Bill Hosokawa discusses a Columbia University study ranking Salt Lake City as the most desirable U.S. city, and shares his personal preference for Denver. He reflects on climate and living conditions in various cities.
• Budahead or Butahead?, by Dyke Miyagawa, page 6. The columnist asks how the slang term for Nisei males should be spelled after several reviewers of Go For Broke! offered different versions. He speculates on its origin, possibly in Hawaii.

Sports

• Yonamine Talks Contract in Tokyo, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Wally Yonamine is in Japan to finalize a contract with the Tokyo Giants after a strong season in the Pioneer League. Two other Hawaiian Nisei, Kats Kojima and Larry Yaji, are also reportedly joining Japanese pro teams.
• Tominaga, Springfield Pitching Star, Will Spurn Offers to Sign for Pro Ball, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Henry Tominaga, a Hawaiian Nisei pitcher at Springfield College, drew interest from major league scouts at the NCAA tournament. He reportedly plans to decline pro offers to finish his physical education degree and teach in Hawaii.

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