Medal of Honor for Sadao Munemori, and the closing of the camps

Vol. 22, No. 11, March 16, 1946. 8 pages. View this issue

The posthumous Congressional Medal of Honor for Private First Class Sadao S. Munemori of Los Angeles led this issue. A Manzanar evacuee serving with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, he gave his life to save two comrades in Italy, and his mother received the medal at Fort MacArthur. Larry Tajiri’s editorial honored him, and other pieces covered the closing of Poston, Manzanar and Rohwer, the winding down of the Tule Lake center, and the death sentence given to Leroy Bob for the murder of 442nd veteran George Yoshioka.

Other items include Rodney Brink’s report that violence against returning Japanese Americans in California had subsided, and Tajiri’s editorials on martial law in Hawaii. Earl Finch’s welcome in Honolulu is covered, and Bill Hosokawa’s column reflects on the JACL Denver convention. Attorney A. L. Wirin appears twice, challenging California’s Alien Land Law and seeking a stay of deportation for 61 Japanese aliens.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• California Nisei Awarded Medal of Honor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Private First Class Sadao S. Munemori of Los Angeles, a Manzanar evacuee serving with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, posthumously received the Congressional Medal of Honor for sacrificing himself to save two comrades in Italy. His mother received the medal at Fort MacArthur on March 13.
• Tule Lake Paper Ends Two Years of Publication, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Newell Star, news agency of the Tule Lake WRA center, ceased publication with its March 1 issue after two years. Editor Iwao Namekawa said the closure followed the imminent shutdown of the center.
• Ule Lake Camp Census Notes Population Drop, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The population of the Tule Lake WRA center fell below 2,500 for the first time as roughly 1,800 people relocated in late February. The camp administration expected the remaining eligible residents to be cleared soon, leading to the center’s closure.
• Poston, Manzanar, Rohwer Centers Officially Closed by Relocation Authority, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Three of the four remaining WRA relocation centers closed at midnight on March 9, more than four months after the last evacuee left. Only Tule Lake remained open, and the WRA itself is scheduled to end operations on June 30.

Military & Veterans

• Youth to Die in Gas Chamber for Murder of Nisei Veteran, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Leroy Bob was sentenced to die in the gas chamber for the beating death of George Yoshioka, a wounded 442nd veteran, in Stockton. Co-defendant S. J. Johnson was ruled sane and ordered to stand trial on April 11 after a sodium amytal interview revealed details of the crime.
• Japanese American Veterans, People of Hawaii Join in Huge Welcome for Earl Finch, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Blinded Nisei veteran Yoshinao Omiya greeted Earl Finch, the Mississippi rancher who hosted Nisei soldiers during the war, at Honolulu airport. Finch then began a three-week schedule of receptions and visits across the Hawaiian islands.
• Barber-Shop Quartet Contest Planned for Nisei GIs in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The 442nd Infantry in Leghorn, Italy, scheduled a barbershop quartet contest as part of its extracurricular activities. The winning quartet will receive a seven-day pass to Rome.
• Congressional Medal of Honor Awarded to California Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 2. This continuation details Private Munemori’s assault on German machine gun positions near Seravezza, Italy, on April 5, 1945, and his fatal shielding of comrades from a grenade. It also recounts his enlistment, training, and the official citation.
• 442nd’s Cagemen Lose Main Zone Finals to All-Stars, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team basketball squad lost the PBS Main Zone championship to the PBS All-Stars 49 to 43 in Leghorn, Italy. The team had earlier beaten the All-Stars 46 to 44 in a prior game.

Community

• Martial Law Used by Army to Restrict Rights of Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Maj. Gen. Frank R. McCoy admitted during Roberts Commission hearings that the Army used martial law in Hawaii in 1942 to impose restrictions on Japanese Americans that could not have been imposed under civil conditions. The disclosure was made public by Congress during its Pearl Harbor investigation.
• Nisei Children Deported with Alien Parents, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Los Angeles Times reported that several dozen American-citizen children were deported to Japan with their alien parents aboard the U.S. Marine Wolf. The deportees were part of a group of 151 persons of Japanese ancestry on the ship.
• Post-War Plans for Davis County Group Discussed at Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Local organizations in Davis County, Utah, met to report on assistance given to relocating Japanese Americans and to discuss postwar plans. Officials said Nisei children were above-average students and that the FSA would lend to farmers regardless of ancestry.
• Alien Japanese GIs Take U.S. Citizen Oaths, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Two Japan-born soldiers assigned to the Military Intelligence Service Language School at Fort Snelling became U.S. citizens in a Minneapolis court ceremony. Staff Sgt. Okami and Pvt. Ikuo Watanabe both had professional backgrounds in journalism or teaching.
• Returned Evacuee Commits Suicide in Seattle Home, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Seita Aoki, 68, hanged himself in his Seattle apartment, leaving a note expressing that he did not want to be a burden on others. The report contains details of the suicide note.
• Newspaper Seeks Community Action to Assist Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Santa Ana Register called on the community to help relocate returned evacuees housed in barracks at the Santa Ana Air Base, which will close after the property is declared surplus. The paper noted that many residents were elderly or unemployable and had long been county residents.
• Nisei Opens School in Optometry Field, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Dr. Newton K. Wesley opened the American Optometric Center in Chicago to provide post-graduate training for optometrists in contact lens fitting and visual analysis. The school will serve doctors seeking advanced instruction.
• Nisei Girl Joins with Hilda Simms in Harmony Program, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A Nisei singer, Suzanne Tory, joined actress Hilda Simms in the first program of ‘The People in Their Music’ at Chicago’s Parkway Community House. The series aims to foster interracial understanding and friendship.
• Report Stories of Nisei GIs Counteracted Coast Bigotry, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Melvin Harter of the Los Angeles Church Federation praised the 442nd’s achievements for counteracting anti-Nisei bigotry on the West Coast. He noted that anti-Nisei incidents had become rare.
• Relocation Digest, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Brief news items report that a Chicago Buddhist service included an address by a soldier urging religious harmony, and that Philadelphia resettlers held a thank-you tea honoring their supporters. Philadelphia Nisei also planned a lecture on Southern Japan Today.
• Stay of Deportation Asked Until Congress Acts on Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Attorney A. L. Wirin filed a brief on behalf of 61 Japanese aliens facing deportation, asking the Board of Immigration Appeals to delay action until Congress considers the Eberharter Bill. The bill would allow hardship exceptions for Japanese aliens similar to those for other aliens.

Commentary

• Fright-Makers Shamed Into Silence by Loyalty of Nisei, by Rodney Brink, page 2. Christian Science Monitor correspondent Rodney Brink reports that roughly 200 incidents of violence or threats against returning evacuees in California have subsided. He credits returning soldiers who fought alongside Nisei with shaming the perpetrators into silence.
• Medal of Honor, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. This editorial honors Sadao Munemori, the first Japanese American awarded the Medal of Honor, who was evacuated to Manzanar before volunteering for the army. It argues his sacrifice should serve as a lesson against racial discrimination.
• Martial Law, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial examines Gen. McCoy’s admission that martial law in Hawaii enabled discrimination against Japanese Americans that would not otherwise have been possible. It argues that military powers under martial law should be reexamined in peacetime.
• Misinformation, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial criticizes the Hearst Herald-Express for falsely claiming Hawaiian statehood would grant citizenship to Japanese aliens. It explains that statehood would not change the status of Hawaii’s Japanese residents.
• Aloha, Mr. Finch!, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial welcomes Earl Finch back to Hawaii, praising his years of friendship and hospitality toward Japanese American GIs. It describes the enthusiastic reception he received from thousands of people.
• Parents of Heroes, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial notes that Issei parents of Nisei servicemen receive posthumous military awards while remaining ineligible for citizenship. It urges legislation granting them naturalization rights.
• Combating Racial Stereotype, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Larry Tajiri’s column traces how myths about Japanese Americans, Filipinos, and other minorities were propagated through sensational literature, government booklets, and political campaigns. He argues Nisei should work to dispel these racial stereotypes.
• Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This miscellaneous column covers Nisei-baiting in California, Yasushi Yashima’s new book, Japanese American figures in the news, and publication developments. It also notes the Pacific Citizen’s farthest subscriber in the Malay States.
• Eligibility, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The column clarifies that only 100 of 300 to 400 Nisei in Japan who applied for return were eligible, correcting misreporting in the press. Eligible applicants will be processed under forthcoming U.S. regulations.
• Favors Dispersal of Nisei, by John Kitasako, page 5. K. K. Kawakami, a veteran Japanese journalist in Washington, D.C., argues that Nisei should disperse eastward rather than concentrate on the West Coast. He believes assimilation and patience will serve them better than political bloc formation.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa reflects on his son’s question about whether an atomic bomb would make a big noise and on the faltering hopes for world peace. He also praises the maturity shown at the JACL Denver convention and recounts an anecdote about a Nisei dentist in Portland.

National

• U.S. Attorneys Alerted to Back Civil Liberties, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Attorney General Tom Clark ordered all U.S. attorneys to give special attention to protecting civil rights and liberties of racial minorities. He cited increasing intolerance in the postwar period as the reason.
• California’s Supreme Court Asked to Rule State’s Alien Property Legislation Invalid, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Attorney A. L. Wirin asked the California Supreme Court to overturn its 25-year-old ruling upholding the Alien Land Law, arguing it was enacted from racial prejudice. The court postponed the Oyama test case until its June session.
• Occupation Needed for Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Nisei GIs interviewed in Tokyo for Attiscope mostly believe the occupation should continue until Japan’s government and economy are democratically reconstructed. Their estimates of the necessary duration vary widely.

JACL

• Chicago Chapter Delegates Plan Parley Reports, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Delegates to the JACL national convention in Denver will report to the Chicago JACL chapter at a meeting on March 22 at Hull House. A social with refreshments and entertainment will follow the business meeting.

Arts & Entertainment

• New Serisawa Paintings Shown in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Sueo Serisawa’s new paintings went on view at a Los Angeles gallery, including works depicting his wife, his child’s toys, and a cowboy scene. Critic Arthur Millier described the paintings as showing a graceful, natural style.

Sports

• Japanese American, Rates as Outstanding Swimming Coach, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Soichi Sakamoto, a Hawaii-born swimming coach who never took a formal swimming lesson, has developed many top swimmers including world record holders. He trained his first swimmers in irrigation ditches on Maui before being appointed University of Hawaii coach.

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