Nisei soldiers on T-Bone Hill and a campaign against an anti-Japanese slur

Vol. 35, No. 3, July 19, 1952. 8 pages. View this issue

Nisei soldiers in Korea led this eight-page issue. Lt. Yale J. Kamisar of the 45th Division said Thunderbird soldiers would never forget their Japanese American buddies, and he recalled the June fight for T-Bone Hill, where Pvt. Roy Hiroshi Miyasaki, Cpl. Akira Nakata and Pfc. Jack J. Matsunaga served. A second story followed Cpl. Atsuo Miura of Wailuku, Maui. The paper also covered the American Newspaper Guild’s resolution urging papers to drop the word “Jap”, with an editorial and a profile of Shosuke Sasaki, who started a campaign against it in New York.

Elsewhere, a presidential proclamation set Japan’s immigration quota at 185, and Mike Masaoka spoke about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Tom Shirakawa joined the Fowler City Council. Columns by Bill Hosokawa and Lawrence Nakatsuka, an editorial on Louis B. Mayer and Go for Broke!, and Olympic sports news from Helsinki fill the later pages.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Thunderbird Division Soldiers Will Never Forget Heroism of Nisei Buddies in Korea, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Lt. Yale J. Kamisar of the 45th Division praised Nisei soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 180th Infantry Regiment for their heroism during the June 1952 struggle for T-Bone Hill in Korea. He recounted the deaths and deeds of Pvt. Roy Hiroshi Miyasaki, Cpl. Akira Nakata, and Pfc. Jack J. Matsunaga.
• Chapter of 442nd Veterans Club Being Formed on Island of Guam, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Honolulu 442nd Veterans Club board approved forming a chapter on Guam, where some 60 former 442nd Combat Team members now reside. The new group is expected to be headquartered in Agana.
• Report Two Nisei Killed in Korea War, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Department of Defense reported ten Nisei casualties in Korea, including two killed in action and several wounded or injured. The Washington JACL ADC office published the names and hometowns of those affected.
• Story of Nisei GIs Told by Masaoka Before Mothers Group, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mike Masaoka addressed the Mothers of World War II conference in Washington, D.C., describing the 442nd Regimental Combat Team’s rescue of the Lost Battalion. He argued that Americanism is not a matter of color or creed and that sacrifices for freedom must continue against communism.
• Plan Inaugural Ceremony for New VFW Post, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Golden Gate Nisei Post No. 9879 of the VFW in San Francisco will be formally inaugurated July 26 with an inaugural ball. The post has about 40 members and aims to reach 60, and it invites all Nisei veterans who served overseas to join.
• Tom Shirakawa Appointed to Fowler City Council, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Shirakawa was appointed to the Fowler City Council after a vacancy arose, with his appointment unanimously confirmed. He is a World War II veteran and finance officer of the local American Legion post.
• 100th Veterans Dedicate New Clubhouse, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion dedicated the new Club 100 clubhouse in Honolulu during the battalion’s 10th anniversary celebration. The ceremony also included a memorial service at the National Cemetery of the Pacific honoring fallen comrades.
• Nisei Runs Phones at UN Base Camp, by P.C. Staff, page 2. First Lieutenant Frank K. Inami is in charge of telephone communications at the UN Command advance headquarters at Munsan-ni, Korea. The base supports daily negotiations with Communists at Panmunjom over an armistice.
• Tokyo Police Launch Inquiry Into Beatings of Nisei GIs, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Japanese police investigated an attack by a gang of youths on two uniformed Nisei Air Force members at a Tokyo railroad station. The airmen, Keiji Konya and Donald Hasuike, were both from Los Angeles and suffered minor injuries.
• Two Nisei Pass California Bar, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Tsuyoshi Dean Itano of San Francisco and Sho Sato of Berkeley passed the April California state bar examination. The announcement was made this week.
• Hawaii Nisei Sparks Infantry Raid in Korea, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Cpl. Atsuo Miura of Wailuku, Maui, led a three-man team that killed more than 30 Chinese and captured a soldier on T-Bone Hill. The 45th Division also reported he saved Master Sgt. Carl Morris’s life by smothering a grenade with his helmet and body.

Community

• Delano JACL Plans Nisei Reunion Over Labor Day, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Delano JACL will hold its first Nisei reunion over Labor Day weekend, featuring a dinner-dance on Aug. 31. Former Delanoans are asked to contact chapter president Bill Nakagama by the Aug. 15 registration deadline.
• Urges Japan Youth Study Culture of Country, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nisei poet Yasuda, who worked with SCAP’s Civilian Information and Education section, arrived in Japan to stay two years and translate the Manyoshu for publication in the United States. He urged Japanese American youth to study and embrace their cultural heritage.
• Syracuse University Appoints Japanese as School Chaplain, by P.C. Staff, page 1. K. Arnold Nakajima, a Japan-born minister with experience in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, was appointed university chaplain at Syracuse University. He will teach in the religion department in addition to ministering to students.
• Nisei Teacher Revives Boy Overcome by Water, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mrs. Chieko Okazaki, a Hawaiian exchange teacher working as a lifeguard at Liberty Park pool in Salt Lake City, revived a five-year-old Murray boy who had swallowed too much water. She applied artificial respiration until he breathed again, and his mother praised her calm handling.
• Member of New York Guild Initiates Drive on Word ‘Jap’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Shosuke Sasaki, a statistician at Standard & Poor’s and member of the New York Newspaper Guild, initiated a local campaign against the word ‘Jap’ beginning in 1949. His February recommendation led the New York City Guild to adopt a resolution urging metropolitan newspapers to ban the term.
• California City Appoints Nisei to City Council Post, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tom Shirakawa, a Fowler JACL member and World War II veteran, was unanimously appointed to the Fowler City Council. He is believed to be the first Nisei to sit on a municipal governing body in the continental United States.
• San Franciscan Heads YWCA’s Young Adult Group, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Alice Kase of San Francisco was named head of the YWCA Western Regional young adult council covering eleven western states and Hawaii. She is a laboratory technician and a member of the Nisei Y Bizpro club.
• Resettlers Plan Community Picnic, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Chicago Resettlers Committee will hold its fifth annual community picnic on July 27 at Dan Ryan Forest Preserve. Events will include races, Japanese classic dances, athletic contests, and a free drawing.
• Start Appreciation Fund Drive for Mike Masaoka, Ed Ennis, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Los Angeles kick-off meeting launched a fundraising campaign for a ‘Kika Orei’ gift to Mike Masaoka, Edward Ennis, and field assistants for their work on JACL ADC legislation. The national goal is $50,000.
• Shonien Child Care Center Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Shonien board launched a $125,000 capital fund drive for a new child care center in Los Angeles, with committees assigned for advance gifts, business, and residential canvassing. Plans for the building are being developed by Nisei architects in a cooperative effort.
• San Mateo JACL Honors Graduates, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The San Mateo JACL honored local high school and college graduates with JACL memberships at a reception at Sturge Church. The event featured sports films and spaghetti.
• Dr. Igarashi Fulbright Award Research Plans, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. Peter Igarashi, a Baptist minister’s son and University of Chicago researcher, will leave for England on a Fulbright Award to study New Testament manuscripts at Oxford’s Bodleian Library. He will be accompanied by his wife and child.
• Its Bon Season in Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Bon dance season is in full swing across Oahu, combining Japanese folk dances with traditional Hawaiian and regional forms. The Moiliili Community Association dance drew more than 25,000 people over the Fourth of July holiday.
• Dr. Igarashi Fulbright Award, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. Peter Igarashi, a Fulbright Award winner, will leave Sept. 12 for England to research New Testament manuscripts at Oxford University’s Bodleian Library. He will be on leave from the University of Chicago for at least a year.
• Montana Chapter Holds Picnic, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Montana JACL held a Fourth of July picnic at Bridger with guests from the Northern Wyoming JACL chapter. Games and races were enjoyed by all ages, with prizes awarded.

National

• American Newspaper Guild Asks Papers to Stop Using Word ‘Jap’ in Stories, Heads, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The national convention of the American Newspaper Guild, CIO, passed a resolution urging U.S. newspapers to stop using the term ‘Jap’ for persons of Japanese ancestry. The resolution noted the term’s history as a tool of derision.
• Handyman Kills Five Members of Family, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A poultry farm handyman named Jose Aloag killed five members of the Sumida family in their beds in Honolulu on July 4. Only one child escaped, and Aloag was arrested hours later carrying a loaded shotgun.
• House Favors Move to Stay Ouster of 11, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The House approved a Senate concurrent resolution to suspend deportation proceedings for eleven worthy persons of Japanese ancestry. The Washington JACL ADC reported the measure.
• U.S. Consular Offices Begin Entry Registry, by P.C. Staff, page 2. U.S. consular offices in Japan began registering applicants wishing to emigrate under the Walter-McCarran Act, with 185 slots yearly. Application forms are available at the U.S. Embassy.
• Proclamation Sets Immigration Quota of 185 for Japanese, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A presidential proclamation set Japan’s immigration quota at 185 under the new Immigration and Nationality Act, ending complete exclusion dating to 1924. The JACL ADC noted the larger significance of equal treatment for all Asian ancestry and non-quota provisions for spouses and children of citizens.
• Truman Signs Bill Restoring Seniority Lost in Wartime, by P.C. Staff, page 3. President Truman signed legislation restoring grade, time-in-grade, and compensation rights to Nisei civil service workers affected by wartime evacuation. The bill originally covered only postal workers but was expanded after JACL ADC urging.

In-Depth

• Pathologist Reports Finding New Protein Component, by P.C. Staff, page 2. UC Berkeley plant pathologist Dr. William N. Takahashi reported a mysterious protein component found only in diseased tobacco leaves. He cautioned it may be a degradation product but speculated it could help clarify how plant viruses are synthesized.

Arts & Entertainment

• Veteran Passes State Bar Exams, by P.C. Staff, page 2. David T. Yokozeki, a veteran and graduate of the University of Utah, was among those who passed the April California bar exam. He will be sworn in July 31 in San Francisco.
• Louis B. Mayer and Go for Broke! in Hollywood, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Drawing on Lillian Ross’s New Yorker series ‘No. 1512,’ the editorial recounts Louis B. Mayer’s hostility toward the MGM film Go for Broke! and his opposition to producer Dore Schary. It argues Schary was right and that the film proved audiences accept socially conscious movies.
• Oratorical Styles Unchanged, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Bill Hosokawa observes that political convention oratory has changed little despite modern broadcasting, with lengthy and ceremonial speeches still dominating. He also reviews Pearl Buck’s novel The Hidden Flower, about a Nisei war bride who is separated from her American husband.

JACL

• JACL Leaders Feted at Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Newly elected Hollywood JACL officers and National JACL board members were honored at an informal dinner on July 9 at the Thistle Inn. Community Center board members and other Nisei leaders were introduced to the JACLers.
• 800 Attend National Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Registration figures show more than 800 delegates attended the 12th biennial National JACL convention in San Francisco, the largest in JACL history. The editorial commends chairman Dr. Tokuji Hedani and his board for their work.

Obituaries

• James Zenichi Kato Death Investigated, by P.C. Staff, page 3. James Zenichi Kato, a recent University of Washington pharmacy graduate, was found dead in bed after a borrowed car he had driven was wrecked in an accident. Investigators found no obvious cause of death and noted he was survived by his parents and four brothers.

Commentary

• Newspaper Guild’s Resolution, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial commends the American Newspaper Guild for opposing use of the word ‘Jap’ in newspapers, calling it a racially derogatory term. It urges newspapers to eliminate the word before it becomes accepted usage.
• Nisei and Community Leadership, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial highlights growing Nisei leadership in local politics and civic organizations across several states. It credits the JACL with developing this leadership and encouraging participation in the broader community.
• Our First Night in Rome, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 5. Honolulu journalist Lawrence Nakatsuka describes feeling conspicuously stared at by Romans during his first night in Rome after a European tour. A guide and a waiter suggested the curiosity was simply because Romans rarely saw Orientals, and the author concluded they were friendly but curious.
• Fight Not Over, by Mrs. D. Kitagaki, page 5. A letter to the editor urges JACL members to continue working to correct the discriminatory features of the McCarran Immigration Act even after naturalization and immigration rights were won. It calls for continued support of the JACL ADC’s efforts.
• Japanese in the Americas: Immigrants in Mexico, by Elmer R. Smith, page 6. Elmer R. Smith explains that Japanese immigrants in Mexico have been very few and insignificant in the country’s social, economic, and political life. He attributes this to limited economic opportunity, lack of trade relations, and absence of migration agreements.

Sports

• No Konno, Furuhashi Duel in 1500 Meters, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Japan’s Hironoshin Furuhashi was withdrawn from the 1500-meter freestyle at the Helsinki Olympics, cancelling the expected duel with Honolulu Nisei Ford Konno. Furuhashi will focus on the 400 meters and 800-meter relay instead.
• Utah JAAU Plans Annual Ball Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Utah JAAU baseball tournament will be held July 25-27 in Ogden, with Denver’s Nisei squad already invited. The column also briefly covers other West Coast Nisei sports results, including tennis, golf, and hydroplane racing.
• Chick Sarae Posts Record 5-Game Bowling Series, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Honolulu bowler Chick Sarae set a national record for a five-game series with 1,232 pins in the Kapiolani Bowl tournament. He and partner Beans Robinson also posted the fourth-highest doubles score in the nation.
• Tommy Kono Nears World’s Record in Helsinki Workout, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Weightlifter Tommy Kono came close to the world record during a practice session in Helsinki before the Olympic welterweight event. His coach said Kono had as good a chance at a gold medal as Bob Mathias.
• Bussei Bowling Tourney Set in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Nisei Bowlers of America will sponsor the second Pacific Coast Nisei bowling tournament and the American Bussei tournament in Los Angeles on Aug. 16-17 during Nisei Week. The events will offer about $1,500 in cash prizes and 23 trophies.
• Kitamura Signs Pro Contract With Tokyo Mainichi Orions, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Honolulu-born shortstop Dick Kitamura, a standout for Colorado A&M, signed a professional contract with Tokyo’s Mainichi Orions. He had been passed over by major league scouts who considered him too small.
• Konno Likes Water in Pool at Helsinki, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Ford Konno tested the Olympic 50-meter pool in Helsinki and found the water to his liking despite cold weather. He and other American middle-distance swimmers practiced side by side in the pool.

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