The 442nd’s awards, WRA closings and Nisei stranded in Japan

Vol. 22, No. 16, April 20, 1946. 8 pages. View this issue

Nisei stranded in Japan by the outbreak of war in 1941 were the lead story. State Department and other officials were discussing how qualified petitioners might return, possibly through a special hearing board. The front page also reported new awards to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, bringing its total to 1423, and a march of the unit through Leghorn, Italy. Editorials took up Hawaii statehood, the West Coast, and the internment of Japanese Canadians at Angler, Ontario. Bill Hosokawa wrote about the Fong family’s fight to keep their Oakland home, and John Kitasako’s Washington News-Letter looked at the War Relocation Authority nearing its end.

Other items cover WRA offices and shelters closing, the Hilo tidal wave, new JACL chapters in Cincinnati and Spokane, and a Denver business license hearing. Sports pages carry bowling, boxing and swimming results, and the 442nd basketball team’s tour of northern Italy.

What’s in this issue

National

  • Return of Nisei Stranded in Japan During War May be Permitted Under New Plans, by P.C. Staff, page 1. State Department and occupation officials are discussing procedures to allow qualified Nisei stranded in Japan by the 1941 war outbreak to return to the United States. A special hearing board may be set up to consider petitioners individually, though shipping shortages will delay returns for months.
  • Seek Test on California Alien Fishing Ban, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The ACLU is preparing a test case challenging the 1943 California law barring Japanese aliens from commercial and sports fishing. The suit will seek a writ of mandate requiring the Fish and Game Commission to issue licenses to Japanese applicants.
  • New Group Formed to Combat Coast Racial Prejudices, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Los Angeles civic leaders launched the Pacific Coast Council on Intercultural Education to address racial prejudice on the West Coast. Dr. Stewart G. Cole was named executive director.
  • Japanese Wife of British Navy Officer Reunited with Husband, by Douglas Warth, page 2. Kane Tsujimura, a Japanese woman married to a British naval officer, was reunited with her husband in London after being tortured and imprisoned by Japanese police. She had been arrested in Hong Kong for helping British intelligence.
  • WRA Acts to Provide Housing for Evacuees in Emergency, by P.C. Staff, page 2. With temporary WRA shelters closing April 30, officials planned relocation for residents still in emergency housing in the Los Angeles area. Trailers were made available through the Federal Public Housing Agency for large families.
  • Evacuees File Suit to Upset Duration Leases, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Evacuees of Japanese ancestry filed suit in Justice Court to recover farm property leased for the duration of the war. Tenants are refusing to return properties by claiming the war with Japan is not legally over.
  • Seek Owners of Recordings Used in Pacific Propaganda, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The State Department is seeking owners of more than 1,270 Japanese-language phonograph records used by the OWI in Pacific broadcasts. The records were contributed by WRA camp residents, and owners were asked to contact the State Department by May 20.

Military & Veterans

  • Crew Tells of Rescue of Nisei Off Hawaiian Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The crew of a landing craft described rescuing a 14-year-old Nisei boy from debris-filled seas after the recent tidal wave struck Hilo. The vessel, the only undamaged ship in the area, was ordered to search for survivors.
  • 1400 Awards Won by Men of Nisei Unit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. New awards presented to 442nd Regimental Combat Team men on Army Day in Leghorn, Italy, bring the unit’s total decorations to 1423, excluding Purple Hearts. The list includes one Medal of Honor, 49 Distinguished Service Crosses, and 353 Silver Stars.
  • Men of 442nd March Through Italian City They Liberated, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team marched in an Army Day parade through Leghorn, Italy, honoring soldiers of both world wars. Colonel Virgil R. Miller commanded the American troops, and the Nisei were praised for their appearance and marching ability.
  • Ogawa Elected Delegate to VFW County Council, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Elmer Ogawa was elected to the county council of the Veterans of Foreign Wars at Mariner’s Post No. 1310 in Merrick, New York. He served 28 months overseas in anti-aircraft units and later instructed infantry replacements for the 442nd.
  • Fifteen Nisei in Italy Honored With Medals, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Fifteen men of the 442nd received Silver Stars, Bronze Stars, and Army commendations at a ceremony in Leghorn, Italy. Colonel Virgil R. Miller presented the awards at Regimental Headquarters.
  • Gen. Stilwell to Be Main Speaker at Chicago Affair, by P.C. Staff, page 3. General Joseph Stilwell will speak at a Memorial Day testimonial banquet in Chicago honoring Nisei veterans and Gold Star Issei parents. General Frank Merrill and Ben Kuroki are also scheduled to appear.
  • Gen. Stilwell Will Address San Francisco Nisei Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 3. General Joseph Stilwell will speak at a May 7 testimonial banquet in San Francisco honoring individuals who aided Nisei resettlement. The JACL sponsors the event, and Mike Masaoka will also speak.
  • Nisei Lieutenant Gets Silver Star for Combat Action, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Lieut. Richard Hamasaki of Honolulu received the Silver Star in Tokyo for gallantry in action in Italy with the 100th Battalion. He also holds four Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star.
  • Men of 442nd Hold Memorial Services at Graves, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Chaplain George Aki conducted memorial services at the military cemetery in Castelfiorentino, Italy, for 442nd men who fell in the 1945 offensive. A group of soldiers accompanied him to the graves.
  • Government Officials Will Be Informed on Problems Faced By Minority Group Veterans, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A committee led by Charles H. Houston will carry complaints of unequal GI Bill service to minority veterans to federal agency chiefs. Japanese American veterans reported discrimination in jobs and housing.

Community

  • Business License Denial Told at Denver Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Denver’s City Council delayed action on a proposed ordinance banning license denials based on race, color, or creed. Testimony indicated Japanese American businessmen had been denied licenses outside the Larimer Street area.
  • GI Brings Home Young Nisei He Found in Yokohama Ruins, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Masuo Koike, a young boy who survived the Yokohama bombings, was reunited with his mother in San Francisco through the efforts of an American GI who had found him. The mother had left him in Japan in 1938 when he was too ill to travel.
  • Escheated Property Auctioned by State, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Five acres of farmland confiscated from Kiyoshi Watanabe under the California Alien Land Law were sold at auction in Stockton. A deputy sheriff of San Joaquin County purchased the land for $3,500.
  • Discuss Formation of Community Group to Aid Returnees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A meeting called by G. Y. Katow discussed organizing a community body to continue the work of the War Relocation Authority after the agency is liquidated. The group aims to continue assisting returning evacuees.
  • GI Ceremony Marks First Nisei Wedding in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Lieut. Grant Ichikawa and Miss Mildred Yamamoto were married in Tokyo on April 2, the first Nisei wedding in Japan since the Allied occupation began. The couple plans to return to the United States after the lieutenant’s discharge.
  • Youth, Charged with Murder of Wounded 442nd Veteran, Goes on Trial in Stockton, by P.C. Staff, page 2. S. J. Johnson went on trial in Stockton for the murder of George Yoshioka, a wounded 442nd veteran, pleading not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity. His co-defendant LeRoy Bob had already been sentenced to death in the gas chamber.
  • New JACL Chapter Formed in Cincinnati, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Cincinnati chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League was organized at a meeting attended by Masao Satow of the National JACL. Dr. Makoto Yamaguchi was elected president.
  • Nisei Girl Takes Part in CIO Picketing for Registration, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Leonora Kadoguchi, a Nisei research staffer for the CIO’s International Woodworkers of America, joined pickets in Portland urging citizens to register for the May primary. Her sign urged voters to register so they could help the cause.
  • Watsonville Student Enters California Spelling Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Haruo Kokka, a grade school student from Watsonville, won the Santa Cruz County spelling championship. He advanced to the California state spelling meet on April 27.
  • Good Samaritan Killed Assisting Stalled Motorist, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Takeo Kojo, 54, was killed in Los Angeles on April 14 when he stopped to help a stalled motorist. His car was struck by a third vehicle as he got out to help unlock the bumpers.
  • 79 of Japanese Ancestry Killed, Missing in Wake of Tidal Wave in Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 3. At least 44 Hawaiian residents of Japanese ancestry were killed and 35 are missing after the April 1 tidal wave. Most casualties were in Hilo, and Japanese American organizations joined relief efforts.
  • Brooklyn Hostel Which Aided 1,600 Will Be Closed Soon, by Violet Brown, page 6. The Brooklyn resettlement hostel that housed over 1,600 Japanese Americans will close within days. Despite opposition at its 1944 opening, residents found jobs and community acceptance.
  • Hana Matsuri Observed in Fresno, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Central California YBA held the first postwar Hana Matsuri festival at the Fresno Buddhist church with about 300 attending. Rev. Kumata of San Francisco was guest speaker.
  • Santa Ana Airport Residents Moved to New Trailer Homes, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The final 73 residents of the Santa Ana Army Air Base emergency housing were relocated to trailers in Costa Mesa, Long Beach, and San Diego. The move completed the evacuation of the housing units.
  • Waka Mochizuki Engaged to Wed Rev. Dannenhauer, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The engagement of Waka Mochizuki of Morristown, New Jersey, to Rev. Kenneth Dannenhauer of Oak Lawn, Long Island, was announced. The wedding is planned for June 1 at Riverside Chapel in New York.
  • Spokane Nisei Plan Formation of JACL Group, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Spokane civic leaders and 80 Nisei endorsed forming a JACL chapter, with an organizing committee appointed. A supporting group of Issei was also formed at a meeting in April.
  • Nisei College Students Hold Denver Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Nisei college students from the intermountain area gathered in Denver for the first Nisei Intermountain Collegiate conference. Speakers addressed alleviating discrimination and other topics.
  • Party Planned for Relocation Work Officials, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Resettlement Council of New York plans a farewell party for WRA and relocation staff members before local offices close May 15. The event will honor those who went beyond their jobs.
  • Cincinnati Group Holds Bowling Party, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Young People’s activities committee of the Cincinnati JACL sponsored a bowling party with about 50 attending. High scores and a potluck supper rounded out the event.
  • District WRA Offices to Be Closed in Week, by P.C. Staff, page 8. WRA district offices in Sacramento, Fresno, San Jose, and San Francisco will discontinue services to returned evacuees by April 29, with final closure May 3. Charles F. Miller announced the schedule.

Incarceration & Redress

  • Sgt. Kusaka Wins Guggenheim for Work in Atomic Research, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dr. Shuichi Kusaka, a Japan-born physicist serving as a private in the U.S. Army, was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for atomic research. He had previously taught physics at Smith College despite protests from some townspeople.
  • Evacuees Warned Stored Goods to Be Sold at Auction, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Unclaimed property stored in WRA warehouses in Northern California will be auctioned April 29 in San Francisco unless owners reclaim it. Owners were urged to contact the WRA area supervisor immediately with proof of ownership.
  • Canada Evacuees Find New Homes in Eastern Area, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Evacuees of Japanese ancestry are increasingly relocating from British Columbia to eastern Canadian provinces, with 77 moving in February. The largest group left New Denver, a former wartime settlement in the Canadian Rockies.

Sports

  • Barnstorming Nisei Cagemen Win Games in Northern Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The 442nd basketball team toured northern Italy, defeating an Italian All-Star team 44 to 37 in Udine. The Nisei also staged an exhibition for British soldiers, impressing them with speed and skill.
  • Kasugai Was Recognized for Tennis Ability, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Paul Kasugai, a noted Northern California tennis player and teacher who died March 6, was honored for his contributions to the sport. He had been a member of the San Francisco JACL before the evacuation.
  • Miyashiro Loses to Callura in Match in Trenton, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Richi Miyashiro, a Nisei boxer from Hawaii, lost a decision to Jimmy Callura of Hamilton, Ontario, in an eight-round main event in Trenton, New Jersey.
  • Kataoka Rolls 206 Average in Pin Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Moon Kataoka of Denver won multiple titles at the second annual Nisei bowling tournament in Salt Lake City, including the all-events trophy with a 206 average. Okada Insurance of Salt Lake City took the team championship.
  • Abo Pitches Fresno to Victory Over COP, by P.C. Staff, page 6. George Abo, a Nisei pitcher for Fresno State College, pitched the Bulldogs to a victory over College of the Pacific. The article reports the game result.
  • Charlie Oda Stars in Hawaii Swim Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Charlie Oda, a Nisei swimmer who led 442nd teams to Fifth Army swimming victories, returned to Hawaiian competition and was the standout of the AAU championships. He won the 100- and 220-yard freestyle events.

Commentary

  • Statehood Issue, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Rep. Henry Larcade expects the Japanese question and Hawaii’s noncontiguity to be raised during House debate on statehood. The editorial argues public opinion, including on the West Coast, favors statehood and that Nisei war service has made Japanese Americans a positive factor.
  • Attention: West Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Radio commentator Harry Flannery describes receiving protest letters after speaking favorably of Nisei soldiers, quoting Lt. Gen. Lucian Truscott’s praise. The editorial argues the West Coast situation for Japanese Americans remains unresolved.
  • Interracial Church, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A Chicago Baptist congregation about half Japanese American has achieved interracial harmony, according to pastor F. R. Steiger. The editorial praises it for emphasizing shared Christianity over differences.
  • A Dark Page, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial describes the internment of Japanese Canadians at Angler, Ontario, including Canadian-born citizens held since 1942 after protesting family separation. Fifty-three were recently released after four years of internment.
  • Politics and the Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial examines how wartime experiences have politicized the Nisei, noting liberal forces largely supported them. It contrasts the limited political weight of Nisei voters on the mainland with their significant influence in Hawaii.
  • Jaggaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A short column of anecdotes about discrimination and support for Japanese Americans, including a hardware store clerk’s policy and a Japanese-Irish woman who refused evacuation. It also notes controversy over Ruth Kingman and Hubert Phillips as candidates.
  • Good Sign, by Sgt. Bae Bae, page 5. A soldier writes from Japan about his seven-month stay, describing his affection for the country and the people’s singing in the streets as a sign of hope. He says he is sad to leave.
  • Washington News-Letter: WRA Nears End of Arduous Work as Emergency Agency, by John Kitasako, page 5. The WRA is nearing dissolution after years of controversy, with Dillon Myer reviewing final reports and property transfers. The column reports on Los Angeles housing arrangements and the Winona trailer installation.
  • From the Frying Pan: The Fongs Fight to Keep Their Home, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa criticizes the Oak Knoll Improvement Club for trying to block Chinese American Horace Fong from living in his Oakland home. He argues the restrictive effort is blatant discrimination against a fellow American.
  • Editorial Digest: The Nisei’s Record, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Seattle Times editorial summarizes an American Council on Race Relations report on Nisei wartime service, citing their awards. The paper argues the record confirms the good Americanism of the Nisei.
  • Entertainers, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The column notes entertainers increasingly advocating interracial understanding, citing Joe E. Brown’s Legion speech urging tolerance toward Japanese and Russians. It urges Americans to move past wartime hatred.
  • Mme. Butterfly, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Tamaki Miura, the Japanese soprano who was ill with an intestinal tumor, sang arias from Madame Butterfly over Japanese radio. She expressed her wish to return to America, where she had enjoyed her happiest years.

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