V-J Day news: the 442nd leads the parade and evacuees head for the coast

Vol. 21, No. 8, August 25, 1945. 8 pages. View this issue

The end of the war ran through the August 25, 1945 issue. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was chosen to carry its battle flag at the head of the V-J Day parade in Leghorn, Italy, in a report by Meyer Berger. Elsewhere the paper covered a mistaken radio report that the unit would go to Japan, JACL President Saburo Kido’s wire to President Truman, and a WRA count of 755 casualties among Nisei soldiers from relocation centers. Editorials took up the erroneous report and the race-baiters still at work in Visalia.

Also inside: special trains taking Poston residents back to California before the October 1 closing deadline, and about 400 people leaving the Rohwer center by train. Larry Tajiri answered readers about his Masao sketches, Bill Hosokawa wrote about resettlement, and Betty Yakara told of her ordeal in a cave on Okinawa. Several pages followed the VFW post in Spokane that rejected two Nisei veterans.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Japanese American Troops Chosen to Lead V-J Parade, by Meyer Berger, page 1. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team has been selected to lead the V-J Day parade in Leghorn, Italy, with its battle flag and honor position. The report notes the unit’s heavy casualties and its battle record in the Vosges and Texas rescue actions.
• Italy Troops Promise Full Aid to Nisei Veterans Upon Return to Civilian Life, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Every man in Company D of the 168th Infantry Regiment signed a petition pledging full aid to Nisei veterans during their readjustment to civilian life. The petition was sent to the 442nd and the 100th Battalion as a gesture of respect.
• Navy Dept. Revises Rule on Employment of Nisei Veterans, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Navy revised its policy to permit employment of Nisei war veterans at West Coast and Fourteenth Naval District installations. The change followed an ACLU protest over exclusion of such veterans.
• Utah Girl Stationed at Army Headquarters in Frankfurt, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pfc. Priscilla Yasuda, the first American girl of Japanese ancestry to serve overseas with the WAC, is stationed in Frankfurt, Germany. She wrote of sights including the Siegfried Line and nearby German cities.
• Hollywood VFW Post Admits Nisei Soldier, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A Hollywood VFW post voted unanimously to admit Harry Tanouye, a wounded former staff sergeant of the 442nd. He is now a relocation officer with the WRA in Santa Ana.
• Spokane VFW Postpones New Action on Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Spokane VFW Post No. 51 postponed further action on its rejection of two Nisei combat veterans. Only three blackballs were reportedly cast, enough to reject an applicant under VFW rules.
• Spokane VFW Post Learns of Criticism From 442nd Officer, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Col. Virgil R. Miller criticized the Spokane VFW post as among unthinking Americans who violate principles of democracy. He praised the Japanese Americans who served under him in Italy.
• Ben Kuroki, Two-Front Veteran, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Tech. Sgt. Ben Kuroki of Hershey, Nebraska, completed 27 missions in a B-29 from Tinian in the Marianas. He previously served in North Africa, Italy, France and Germany and holds two Distinguished Flying Crosses.
• Nisei Soldiers Seek Surrender of Enemy Units, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Army Service Command announced that teams of Nisei soldiers and Japanese officer POWs will ask bypassed enemy units on islands near Okinawa to surrender. The first team left for Tokashiki Island.
• Reedley Soldier Honored in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pfc. Gichi Yamagata of Reedley, California, received the Bronze Star for extinguishing a fire near gasoline and ammunition trucks under enemy barrage. He served in the 442nd Combat Team.
• Japanese Surrender Envoys Escorted by Nisei Officers, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Lieuts. Kayano and Imada, Nisei officers, joined the Allied reception committee that met the Japanese surrender envoys at Nichols Field in Manila. They rode in the last of seven staff cars to MacArthur’s headquarters.
• Santa Ana Nisei Rescues Comrades, Given Bronze Star, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pfc. Yetsu E. Otsuka of Santa Ana received the Bronze Star for rescuing wounded comrades under heavy barrage near Bruyeres, France. He gave up his own foxhole to a wounded soldier.
• Japanese Surrender Wartime Rulings on Enemy Aliens Lifted in Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Lieut. Gen. Robert C. Richardson removed wartime military restrictions on Japanese aliens and other enemy aliens in Hawaii. He also revoked air raid conduct rules and inter-island travel controls.
• Men of 522nd Battalion Capture Escaping Nazi Art Collector, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Men of the Nisei 522nd Field Artillery Battalion apprehended Nazi art collector Frederick Kops after he escaped Berchtesgaden. Lyn Crost reported the account from Donauworth, Germany.
• Veterans Protest Spokane Action, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A Nevada American Legion official said the Spokane VFW post’s rejection of two Nisei veterans caused a wave of protest. He urged the applications be reconsidered.
• Soldier from Hilo Gets Birthday Cake at Bushnell Hospital, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Pfc. William Higa, wounded with the 442nd and held at Bushnell Hospital, celebrated his birthday with a cake his family in Hawaii arranged through the USO. Fellow patient Pvt. Charles Egr shared the cake.
• Graduation Held at MIS School, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The 14th graduating class of the military intelligence language school at Fort Snelling received awards including Lieut. Shiro Amioka as best all-around student. The ceremony was held August 18.
• Capt. Crowley of 442nd Tells of Heroism of Nisei Soldiers, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Capt. Thomas E. Crowley spoke in Seattle about the heroism of Nisei soldiers of the 442nd, who he said were disheartened by poor receptions for their families at home. He recounted a radioman who died after relaying enemy gun positions.

National

• Report Buddy Uno Interned by U.S. Troops Near Manila, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kazumaro (Buddy) Uno, an English-language propagandist for the Japanese, has reportedly been interned by U.S. forces near Manila. He was suffering from malnutrition after hiding in the jungles, and three of his brothers serve in the U.S. Army.
• California PAC Unit Protests Anti-Nisei Policy, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The NCPAC of Southern California wired the State Board of Equalization to protest the denial of sales tax permits and licenses to Japanese Americans. The group called the policy a clear violation of California law.
• War Dept. Has ‘No Information’ On Redeployment of Nisei Unit; Radio Report Proved Erroneous, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The War Department said it had no information on a radio report that the 442nd would be redeployed to Japan, indicating the report was in error. JACL President Saburo Kido wired President Truman and Secretary Stimson asking that the veterans be sent home instead.
• Sen. Thomas Urges Nisei GIs Be Used in Japan Occupation, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Senator Elbert Thomas proposed using Nisei American troops alongside Australian, New Zealand, Dutch and Filipino troops in the occupation of Japan. He said this would show the Japanese that the war was not racial.
• Labor Paper Wants Life Imprisonment For Terrorists, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The North Bay Labor Journal recommended life imprisonment for race-baiters convicted of violence against citizens of foreign ancestry. It urged courts to act quickly on such cases.
• Judge Who Jailed Terrorist Denies Report of Threats, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Justice of the Peace Milo E. Dye denied reports he was threatened after sentencing Mrs. Wilma Insigne to 90 days for threatening a returned evacuee’s home. He said he received many letters of congratulation.
• Coast Army Officials Appeal Court Verdict on Use of Force, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Generals Bonesteel and Pratt appealed to the Ninth Circuit a ruling barring the army from using military force to enforce exclusion orders without martial law. The ACLU said the appeal opens the door to a Supreme Court decision.
• Returned Evacuee Reports Robbery, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Masami Oda reported to Berkeley police that tires, a lawn mower, a vacuum and a living-room rug were stolen from his home after he returned from a relocation center. He had locked the new tires inside his garage.
• AFL Labor Leader Asks for Equal Rights For Canada Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A. Phillip Randolph called in Vancouver for equal rights for Canadian citizens of Japanese ancestry. He said they should face no more discrimination than German or Italian Canadians.
• Conflicting Views on Evacuee Subject Heard in Visalia Hall, by P.C. Staff, page 3. At two Visalia rallies on August 15, John Terry condemned anti-Japanese exclusion activities while Dr. John R. Lechner warned against appeasement and called for congressional hearings. The rallies showed sharply divided local opinion.
• Race Tensions Asked by CIO, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The San Francisco CIO Council called on officials to act against racist violence after a Nisei girl lost her job due to threats. It also cited an attempt to block a Chinese American veteran’s laundry purchase.
• U.S. Japanese Sees Obstacles to Occupation, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Matsuo Suzuki urged strong handling of Japan in Boston, warning that Japan’s belief it surrendered to the atomic bomb rather than military force could cause trouble. The Times reported his remarks.
• Investigation of San Francisco Japanese Alien License Case Charged Prejudice, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A State hearing on Nobusuke Nakanishi’s real estate broker license application was called clearly discriminatory by the ACLU. Seventeen witnesses testified to his good reputation.
• Five Teen-age Youths Appeal Jail Sentences, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Five California-born youths sentenced at Tule Lake for wearing rising sun armbands and other violations sought habeas corpus relief in federal court. ACLU director Ernest Besig filed the petition.

Incarceration & Redress

• Fire Siren Used to Tell Victory at WRA Center, by P.C. Staff, page 1. At the Heart Mountain relocation center, a fire siren announced Japan’s surrender because facilities were limited. Veterans visiting the camp were reported elated by the news.
• 400 Evacuees Leave Rohwer for Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Approximately 400 evacuees left the Rohwer relocation center by special train for West Coast destinations. Nearly 800 had left in July, about half returning to California homes.
• Abandon Search for Lost Evacuee, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The search for Giichi Matsumura, missing since July 31 on a Sierra Nevada hiking trip, was abandoned at Manzanar. A party of 100 had been searching for him.
• WRA Director Believes War Record of Nisei Has Insured Future of Group in America, by P.C. Staff, page 2. WRA Director Dillon Myer stated that people of Japanese ancestry can take their rightful place in American life with greater assurance than ever before. He credited the fighting record of Nisei soldiers with striking a blow against racial intolerance.
• WRA Reports 755 Casualties Sustained by Nisei Soldiers From War Relocation Centers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The WRA reported 755 casualties among Nisei soldiers from relocation centers, including 169 killed and 580 wounded. Minidoka had the largest number of combat casualties at 127.
• Special Trains Scheduled for Poston Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Four special trains have been scheduled to return Poston Units 2 and 3 residents to California before the October 1 closing deadline. Departures run from September 5 through September 25.
• Convictions of Heart Mountain Fair Play Leaders Appealed, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A brief filed in the Tenth Circuit Court argues that the First Amendment rights of seven Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee leaders were violated. The men were convicted of conspiracy to evade the draft.
• YWCA Turns Down WRA Bid for Asilomar Housing, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Western YWCA Asilomar committee declined a WRA offer to lease the resort for Japanese Americans to work in Monterey sardine canneries. Demands from military and conference groups made leasing impossible.
• Evacuee Home Guarded After Death Threat, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sheriff Harry Patteson placed guards at the Sebastopol ranch of returned evacuee K. Marita after two men threatened to kill him if he did not leave within 48 hours. The Maritas have eight children.
• Iowa Reports 536 Evacuees in State, by P.C. Staff, page 3. There were 536 resettled evacuees of Japanese ancestry in Iowa in July 1945, the highest number since the relocation program began. Relocation work in the state is set to run until next March.
• Evacuees in Idaho Returning to Homes, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Since the Japanese surrender, evacuees in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon have applied to return to the Pacific coast at eight to ten per day. The Hunt center now houses about 4,000 people, down from 8,000 at peak.
• A Nisei Girl’s Story: Death on Okinawa, by Betty Yakara, page 5. Betty Yakara, a Nisei from Honolulu, recounts being imprisoned with about 1,000 civilians in a cave on Okinawa by Japanese soldiers. She describes the fire that killed many and her escape when Marines found them.
• 45 Orphans Leave Children’s Village For Outside Homes, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Forty-five orphans have left the Manzanar Children’s Village for outside homes, including eight girls at the Frances DePauw School. The WRA reported the children are doing well.
• WRA Official Says End of War May Spur Relocation, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Clyde W. Linville said the end of the war offers a springboard for evacuees to return to the West Coast. He noted jobs are plentiful but housing is difficult.
• First Evacuee Families Occupy Disputed Hostel in Pittsburgh, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Ishimoto and Fujihara families moved into the Pittsburgh Hostel despite neighborhood protests. Local papers reported favorably and the court rejected the protesters’ injunction.

Community

• Ken Matsumoto Wins Commission In Ohio State Guard, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ken Matsumoto, a national JACL vice president, was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Ohio State Guard. He is believed to be the first Japanese American to receive such a commission in the continental United States.
• Wisconsin Legislators To Sponsor Three Nisei Students, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Three Nisei students will study at the University of Wisconsin under legislative scholarships arranged through C.V. Hibbard. Each sponsor recommends one non-resident student, waiving out-of-state fees.
• Hopi Families Will Occupy Poston Units, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sixteen Hopi families will occupy Block 208 of Poston Unit 2 after evacuees depart. They are expected to be the vanguard of Indian farm families brought to Parker Valley for a colonization program.
• Santa Ana Soldier Wins Commission, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Fred I. Kobayashi of Santa Ana was commissioned a second lieutenant after graduating from the Infantry officer candidate school at Fort Benning, Georgia.
• Calling All Chapters!, by Hito Okada, page 5. Hito Okada acknowledges contributions received at National Headquarters during July from chapters and individuals across the country. The column lists donors by state.
• Nisei Cadet Nurses Open Jobs for Evacuees in Philadelphia, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Nisei Cadet Nurses training at Philadelphia hospitals impressed patients, leading to WRA job placements for Nisei and Issei in manufacturing plants. One patient requested several clerical and semi-skilled positions.
• Detroit Nisei Group Will Sponsor Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Nisei Committee of the Detroit International Institute will host a dance on September 8 with Bobby Grayson’s orchestra. George Kubo is general chairman.
• Prof. Obata Will Return to Art Post at Coast University, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Chiura Obata, a landscape artist and teacher, was reappointed to the University of California faculty and will return to Berkeley. The Oakland Tribune reported he had been physically attacked at Topaz.
• Nisei Lieutenant Marries Seattle Girl on V-J Day, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Mary Jane Kinoshita and Lieut. Joseph Hashisaki were married in Chicago on August 14, hours before news of Japan’s acceptance of surrender terms. They met while Mary was studying at St. Catherine’s College.
• ACLU Reports Reward Offer Still Unclaimed, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The ACLU reported that no one had claimed its $1,000 reward for convictions of those who attack returning evacuees in California. It said violence had declined in the San Joaquin Valley.
• Pocatello Chapter Displays Honor Plaque, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Pocatello JACL displayed an honor roll plaque with names of 64 Nisei servicemen at its August general meeting. Mothers of the servicemen were to receive service pins.

Commentary

• Revoking Restrictions, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial anticipates that the Army will revoke wartime restrictions on Japanese Americans once the surrender is formalized, restoring pre-December 1941 legal status. It notes Executive Order 9066 underpinned the mass evacuation of over 115,000 people.
• Race-Baiters Carry On, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues that exclusion leagues and similar groups will continue their racist campaigns after the war, citing the Visalia rally as an example. It calls for continued opposition to prejudice on the West Coast.
• Erroneous Report, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial addresses the erroneous radio report that the 442nd would go to Japan as occupation troops. It notes that many evacuee families need their soldier sons’ help in readjusting after relocation.
• Gls and Prejudice, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial highlights the War Department’s concern over anti-Nisei incidents and GI support for Japanese American veterans, as shown in Yank articles and petitions. It notes the flood of soldier letters supporting Nisei.
• A Character Named Masao, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Larry Tajiri responds to readers who objected to John Nakamura’s sketches about the Nisei character Masao. He argues that Masao is representative of many Nisei shaped by environment and economic insecurity, though not a stereotype.
• From the Frying Pan: Some Thoughts on a Night Off, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa reflects on the WRA’s relocation policy in light of the war’s ending, arguing that resettlement was wiser than a wartime work corps. He notes communities and evacuees would have been far less prepared after prolonged confinement.

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