Nisei soldiers in Italy and the debate over their return, 1944

Vol. 19, No. 12, September 23, 1944. 8 pages. View this issue

The war record of Japanese American soldiers ran through this eight-page issue. Casualty lists named the dead, wounded and missing in the Mediterranean, and stories followed the 442nd Regimental Combat Team’s push against the German Little Cassino line and the 100th Infantry Battalion’s service in Italy. Pfc. Rice Tomita wrote about the 34th Division’s entry into Leghorn, and Chaplain Masao Yamada wrote from the field about the 442nd. Beside this, the paper followed the argument over the exclusion ban. The American Legion demanded Army control of the camps, a Los Angeles Catholic council asked for the ban to be lifted, and Esther Takei returned to Pasadena Junior College.

Larry Tajiri’s editorials answered the Legion and a Filipino convention’s resolution. Bill Hosokawa wrote on Japan’s empire, and Leaf Madokoro recalled Poston. Elsewhere: a pattern from Ann Nisei, harvest work in Twin Falls, trials of draft resisters in Boise and Cheyenne, and a Salt Lake doctor opening a practice.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Los Angeles Catholics Ask Lifting of Ban on Evacuees, Point to War Record of Japanese Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Catholic Interracial Council of Los Angeles resolved that Americans of Japanese descent who have died or been decorated in service deserve an end to the exclusion ban. The council praised the War Relocation Authority and noted that about 10,000 Nisei were fighting with US forces.

Military & Veterans

• Missing in Action on Italy Front: Pfc. Robert Sachio Hoshino, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pfc. Robert Sachio Hoshino of Chicago was reported missing in action in Italy on Aug. 26. His mother received the Army telegram.
• Japanese American GIs Commended in Lethal Gas Tests, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Chemical Warfare Service commended 500 Army personnel, including 40 Japanese Americans, for voluntarily exposing themselves to lethal gases while testing a new protective ointment. The Associated Press reported the recognition on Sept. 19.
• California Nisei Given Award for Gallantry, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sgt. Noboru Togioka of Dinuba, California, received the Silver Star for repairing battalion telephone lines under heavy shelling in Italy. He was seriously wounded while making the repairs.
• First Nisei Veteran of Pacific Fighting Appointed to OCS, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tech. Sgt. Yoshio Hotta became the first Japanese American appointed to Officer Candidate School directly from the Military Intelligence Service Language School. He is a veteran of the Alaskan Defense Command who took part in landings on Attu and Kiska.
• 442nd Combat Team Played Vital Role in Breaching of German Little Cassino Line, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Units of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team spearheaded the 34th Division’s assault on the German Little Cassino line near Leghorn and Pisa. The unit took Il Terriccio, captured key ridges, and forced German units to retreat.
• Hawaii Troops Enter Training at Texas Camp, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Four hundred Japanese Americans from Hawaii arrived at Camp Fannin, Texas, for basic training and quickly made their mark with their orchestra and a swimming record. Several Japanese American soldiers and their families were noted as residents of nearby Tyler.
• Chaplain Hails Nisei Troops Now in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Capt. Joseph Walker, chaplain of the 34th Infantry Regiment, praised the bravery of the 100th Infantry Battalion, which changed attitudes among other 34th soldiers. He singled out Chaplain Yost as an outstanding hero.
• School Paper Pays Tribute to Nisei Killed on Italy Front, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Poly Optimist, the John Francis Polytechnic High School newspaper, paid tribute to Pfc. Calvin Saito, killed in Italy on July 1 while guiding artillery fire. The editorial urged readers to remember loyal Japanese American soldiers who gave their lives for America.
• Nisei Soldier Helped Capture Midget Sub, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pfc. Thomas Higa, a wounded veteran who helped capture a Japanese midget submarine washed ashore at Pearl Harbor in 1941, met the sub again on a tour in North Platte. He is touring for the Japanese American Citizens League and the Navy.
• Col. Singles Pays Tribute to Soldiers Who Have Experienced Stiff Fighting, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Lt. Col. Gordon Singles, commander of the 100th Infantry Battalion, praised his Japanese American soldiers for battlefield heroism and for capturing several Italian towns. He described their spirit as admirable.
• L.A. Nisei Braves Heavy Enemy Fire to Get Aid to Wounded, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pvt. Jou Okitsu of Los Angeles, serving with the 442nd, crossed more than half a mile of fire to bring aid to 15 wounded comrades in Italy. He guided medics back to the wounded after the barrage subsided.
• Japanese Americans Greeted as Liberators by Italians Upon Entry Into Port City, by Pfc. Rice Tomita, page 3. Pfc. Rice Tomita describes the entry of the 34th Division into Leghorn, where Italians greeted the Americans as liberators. He recounts the cleanup of mines and the last German shelling.
• Two Portland Nisei Receive Commissions, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sgts. William S. Oda and James Kanaya of Portland received battlefield commissions as second lieutenants from Lt. Gen. Mark Clark in Italy. Oda is a Multnomah College graduate whose parents are at Minidoka.
• Hawaii Troops Enter Training at Texas Camp, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Japanese Americans from Hawaii arriving at Camp Fannin in Texas quickly established themselves through music and athletics. The piece also notes several Nisei soldiers and families living in Tyler.
• Letters From Servicemen: 442nd Chaplain Writes of Action by the Crusaders, by Chaplain Masao Yamada, page 6. Chaplain Masao Yamada describes combat against the 16th SS Grenadiers and reflects on Nazi indoctrination versus American democratic values. He praises the 442nd for its courage and its role in changing attitudes toward Japanese Americans.
• Can, Fukuda Home from Italy, Sees Son for First Time, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Capt. Mitsuyoshi Fukuda, a Silver Star recipient, returned to Milwaukee to meet his son for the first time. He praised the 100th Infantry Battalion for dispelling prejudice.
• Camp Savage Becomes Ghost City as Soldiers Transferred, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Minneapolis Times reports that Camp Savage, once home to Japanese American soldiers, is now largely empty after trainees moved to Fort Snelling. The camp’s facilities and history are described.

National

• Legion Wants Army Control of Evacuation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The American Legion national convention demanded that control of Japanese Americans be transferred from civilian authorities to the military and that the War Relocation Authority be abolished. The convention also called for deportation of citizens whose citizenship was revoked for subversive activity.
• Nisei Record in War Told in Congress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Anthony J. Dimond of Alaska inserted into the Congressional Record a New York Times editorial praising the war record of Japanese American soldiers. The editorial argued that loyalty is shaped by environment, not blood.
• Army Permits Return of First Few Nisei Evacuees to Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Army has begun permitting a few Japanese Americans to return to the evacuated West Coast area, beginning with Miss Kaoru Ichihara in Seattle. Officials and residents expressed mixed reactions, including reluctance from the city health commissioner to hire Nisei nurses.
• Two Charged With Draft Evasion Plead Guilty in Boise, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Two of 35 Minidoka evacuees on trial for refusing induction changed their pleas to guilty in Idaho federal court. Sentencing is set for Oct. 2.
• Chicago Community Sentiment: Seek Foster Homes for Japanese American Babies, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Illinois Children’s Home and Aid Society appealed to Japanese American families in Chicago to foster or adopt homeless babies of Japanese ancestry. The agency offers both adoption and boarding arrangements.
• Colorado Methodists Condemn Proposed Anti-Alien Law, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Methodist district conferences in Colorado condemned a proposed anti-alien land law for the November ballot as un-American and anti-Christian. They urged ministers and laymen to work against its adoption.
• Native Sons Official Protests Return of Evacuees to Homes, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Walter H. Odemar, chairman of a Native Sons of the Golden West committee, protested to the State War Council the relaxation of restrictions on Japanese residence on the Pacific coast. He called the move amazing.
• Hawaii Wants No Part of Coast Evacuee Debate, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Hawaii delegate Joseph R. Farrington said Hawaii does not want to be involved in the controversy over excluding Japanese Americans from the Pacific coast. He noted the Japanese share of Hawaii’s population is lower than at any time since 1900.
• WRA Official Cites Combat Record of Nisei Volunteers, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Harold S. Fistere of the War Relocation Authority told the Kiwanis Club of New York that Japanese American casualties in Italy and the Pacific show the need to distinguish loyal Japanese Americans from Japanese enemies. He noted that hundreds of Nisei have been killed or wounded.
• Hawaii Seen as Model for Race Relations, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Riley H. Allen, editor of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, argued that Hawaii’s wartime treatment of Japanese Americans is a better model than the mass evacuation on the mainland. He said Hawaii’s record in race tolerance supports its case for statehood.
• Filipino Group Seeks Ban on Nisei Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Fourth Filipino Inter-Community convention in Fresno called for permanent postwar exclusion of persons of Japanese ancestry from California. It also sought abolition of remaining discriminatory laws against Filipinos.
• Army Depot Work Opportunity Hailed by WRA Director, by P.C. Staff, page 6. WRA Director Dillon Myer welcomed War Department policy opening ordnance depot jobs to Japanese American citizens. He noted that Tooele and Sioux communities had agreed to accept evacuees.
• Six Will Face Federal Jury in Cheyenne Court, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Six Japanese Americans indicted for conspiracy to aid draft evasion will be tried in Cheyenne on Oct. 23. U.S. District Attorney Carl L. Sackett announced the trial.

Community

• Catholic Interracial Group to Welcome Japanese Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Catholic Interracial Council of Los Angeles said Catholics of Japanese ancestry will be invited to join its activities upon their return. The council also urged Congress to make the FEPC a permanent agency.
• Tooele Depot Workers Will Welcome Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Tooele Ordnance Depot’s Daily Information Digest said workers will welcome incoming Japanese Americans who are helping meet a labor shortage. It described them as loyal citizens whose families serve in the armed forces.
• Students Welcome Nisei Girl Back to West Coast College, by United Press (quoted), page 6. Esther Takei became the first Japanese American student to return to a Pacific coast school, at Pasadena Junior College. Her classmates were largely unconcerned with her status and the few objections were minor.
• Evacuee Workers Will Assist Harvest, by P.C. Staff, page 6. At least 75 per cent of 1,000 Japanese Americans requested for Twin Falls farm labor are expected to be available. Recruits will come from Hunt and four other relocation centers.
• San Franciscan Shows Town to Japanese American GIs, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Three soldiers who fought in Italy, including two Nisei from the 100th Infantry Battalion, celebrated in San Francisco. A Spanish American soldier recounts meeting the Nisei in a foxhole.
• Tom Okamura, First Nisei Family to Join War Workers at TOD Park, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Tom and Sue Okamura became the first Japanese American family to join the Tooele Ordnance Depot’s housing community. The couple will be encouraged to take part in community activities.
• Arthur Gaeth Hits Defeatist Attitude, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Commentator Arthur Gaeth told Davis County JACL members that a defeatist attitude undermines good citizenship. He predicted that rights taken from Japanese Americans would be restored after the crisis.
• Dr. Lee Watanabe to Open Medical Practice in Salt Lake, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Dr. Lee Watanabe announced the opening of his physician and surgeon practice in Salt Lake City. He previously practiced in San Jose and worked at the Mayo Clinic.
• Evacuee Girl Gets Post in Nursery, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Kornelia Yukiye Doi is believed to be the first Japanese American employed as a nursery school instructor at a Chicago hotel day nursery. She previously taught at Rohwer.
• Church Leader Deplores Agitation Against Return of Nisei Student, by P.C. Staff, page 8. E. C. Farnham, executive secretary of the Church Federation of Los Angeles, deplored protests against Esther Takei’s return to Pasadena Junior College. He said the Protestant churches support the Nisei’s reestablishment.

Commentary

• Our Loyal Aliens, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial argues that Japanese aliens have contributed to the war effort despite legal ineligibility for naturalization. It notes that postwar deportation bills and pressure groups do not warrant alarm among loyal aliens.
• Basic Assumptions, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial defends the War Relocation Authority against the American Legion’s demand for its abolition. It quotes Harold Fistere’s statement of WRA principles, including faith in democracy and the ability to distinguish loyal from disloyal persons.
• California Filipinos, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial criticizes the Fourth Filipino Inter-Community convention’s resolution calling for exclusion of Japanese from California. It argues that no minority can win acceptance by treading upon another.
• Legion’s Annual Resolution, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial condemns the American Legion’s annual resolution against Japanese Americans as ignorant of facts and racist. It notes that Legion posts repeatedly pass similar resolutions and predicts returning Nisei veterans will reshape those organizations.
• Nisei Heroes, by Washington Post (quoted in Digest), page 4. The Washington Post praised Nisei soldiers in the Pacific for their valuable language skills and risks taken. It criticized the War Department’s silence on their exploits and their families’ detention.
• Not Coming Home Any More, by John Beaufort, page 5. A Waikiki grocery clerk’s husband, a Nisei, died in Italy, prompting reflection on the sacrifices of Hawaii’s Japanese Americans. The piece contrasts their loyalty with hate groups and misleading press on the Pacific war.
• From the Frying Pan: Gone Is Japan’s Dream of World Empire, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa argues that Japan’s empire is collapsing as American landing craft and imaginative strategy overcome Japanese fanaticism. He contrasts Japanese suicidal resistance with American calculated courage.
• Sloppy Joes for the Teen-Ager, by Ann Nisei, page 6. Ann Nisei provides a knitting pattern for a teen-ager’s sloppy Joe sweater. The column gives detailed instructions on materials, gauge, and shaping.
• Ann Nisei Column, by Ann Nisei, page 6. Ann Nisei offers a knitting pattern for a teen’s sloppy Joe sweater. Detailed instructions cover materials, gauge, and assembly.
• Memories of Days Spent in Poston, by Leaf Madokoro, page 6. The writer recalls Harry Madokoro, Poston’s police chief, who protected JACL members during a controversial resolution on Nisei draft classification. He reflects on how loyal Nisei volunteers, including Madokoro, demonstrated their patriotism.
• Soldier Disturbed by Race Hatred Agitation Against Return, by Joe Fromm, page 8. A soldier’s letter printed in the Chicago Sun describes overseas troops’ distress at race hatred at home. He recounts the 100th Battalion’s service and bigoted attacks on Japanese Americans.
• New Canadian Points Canada Nisei to Wartime Record, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The New Canadian editorial urges Japanese Canadians to volunteer for Canada’s armed forces following the American Nisei example. It calls the moment a chance to advance equality and citizenship rights.

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