The Battle of Belvedere and the Japanese American soldiers in Italy

Vol. 19, No. 8, September 2, 1944. 8 pages. View this issue

The fighting of the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Combat Team in Italy filled this eight-page issue. The front page reprinted Sgt. James P. O’Neill’s report from YANK on the Battle of Belvedere, where the two Japanese American units met a German SS battalion. Page 2 listed 382 soldiers killed, 11 missing and 122 wounded in the Mediterranean area, and reported Silver Stars for two men of the 100th. Page 3 told of two Hawaiian soldiers who won the Distinguished Service Cross, and Bill Hosokawa’s column on page 5 recalled the death of Staff Sgt. Ken Omura.

Other pages followed life in the camps and the debate over a return to the West Coast. Editorials took up Lieutenant Governor Frederick Houser’s campaign remarks, attitudes toward relocation, and the November elections. Smaller items covered the trial of six Japanese Americans in Wyoming, camp population figures, and Nakama’s three national swimming titles.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• The Battle of Belvedere, by Sgt. James P. O’Neill, Yank Staff Correspondent, page 1. The 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Combat Team, Japanese American units, fought a decisive action at the Tuscan town of Belvedere, Italy, capturing German positions and dozens of prisoners. The report, reprinted from YANK, describes the tactics and bravery that earned the unit high praise.
• Report 382 Killed, 11 Missing, 122 Wounded During Recent Action in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The War Department identified 382 Japanese American soldiers killed, 11 missing, and 122 wounded in the Mediterranean area. Families and home locations of the casualties are listed by name.
• Army Honors Members of 100th Infantry Killed, Captured Germans in Action in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Staff Sgts. Calvin K. Shimogaki and Takeshi Miyagawa were awarded Silver Stars for clearing minefields under enemy fire in January 1944. Their citations describe their courage during the Italian campaign.
• Daughter Born to Widow of Soldier Killed in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Mrs. Miye Shiomichi gave birth to a daughter in Milwaukee after her husband, Pvt. Joe Shiomichi, was killed in action in Italy. Her mother traveled from the Gila River project to be with her.
• Cpl. Ichiyasu Wins Wrist Watch at Army Training Camp, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Cpl. Minoru Ben Ichiyasu received a wrist watch for making the most progress in his training course at Camp Savage. The award was presented by a Minneapolis newspaper.
• Two Hawaiian Soldiers Win DSC in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Staff Sgt. Yukio Yokota and Pvt. Thomas Y. Ono received Distinguished Service Crosses for combat achievements in Italy. Yokota neutralized enemy machine-gun nests and captured or killed 17 Germans.
• California Nisei Air Gunner Completes 33 Missions in Mediterranean Combat Area, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sgt. John Matsumoto, the only Japanese American aerial gunner in the Mediterranean theatre, completed 33 combat missions. He said his fondest wish is to serve against Japan in the Pacific while his parents are held at Granada.
• Japanese American Volunteers Check Idaho Range Fire, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Thirty-five volunteers from the Minidoka relocation center helped control a range fire that burned 1,000 acres near Shoshone, Idaho. They worked alongside grazing service crews.
• Japanese Americans in Army Have Proved Their Point, Says Former Commander on Radio, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Major Casper Clough, former commander of the 100th Infantry Battalion, praised the Japanese American soldiers on a March of Time broadcast. He cited their combat record and their lack of fanaticism.
• Wisconsin Boxing Star Inducted into Enlisted Reserves, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Talenyoshi Miyagawa, captain of the 1944 University of Wisconsin boxing team, was among four Japanese Americans accepted for the armed forces from Madison. He had been a national collegiate boxing champion at San Jose State.
• Nazis, Japanese Use Identical Tactics, Says Nisei Officer, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Second Lieutenant Richard K. Hayashi of the 442nd observes that German and Japanese forces use similar camouflage, reverse-slope fortifications, and hit-and-run tactics. He credits his experience against Japan in preparing his men for German trickery.
• Two Japanese Americans Capture Oriental ‘Nazis’, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Staff Sgt. Francis M. Yano and First Sgt. James Sakamoto of the 442nd captured two German Turkoman soldiers who resembled Japanese. The prisoners surrendered after the Americans discovered their dugout.
• Letters From Servicemen: On the East Coast, By the Crusaders, Italian Vino, Italian Fashions, Fresh Fruits, page 6. Several Nisei servicemen write from Italy and the East Coast, describing duty, local wine, Italian women’s fashions, and fresh fruit. The letters convey camaraderie and homesickness among soldiers.

Sports

• Nakama Wins Three National Swim Titles, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Keo Nakama of Ohio State won three national AAU swimming championships at the Great Lakes pool, including a new meet record in the 1,500-meter event. His performance matched a feat by a former Hawaiian teammate in 1932.

National

• Lieut. Gov. Houser Charges New Deal Seeks to Return Evacuees to Coast Area, by P.C. Staff, page 3. California Republican Senate nominee Frederick Houser claimed the administration would return persons of Japanese ancestry to the West Coast after the November election. The Pacific Citizen notes his remarks were racist and inconsistent with the Republican national platform.
• American Newspaper Guild Urges Early Return of Nisei Evacuees to Pacific Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The CIO American Newspaper Guild passed a resolution at its Milwaukee convention asking the federal government to reexamine its policy and return loyal Japanese Americans to their homes. The resolution cited the constitutional guarantee of citizenship.

Commentary

• Attitudes on Relocation, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial notes that relocation has fallen far short of WRA goals, with only about 40 percent of adult Nisei at Poston favoring resettlement. It urges more education, support, and resettlement programs to prevent permanent desert camps.
• Racism in Politics, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial criticizes California Lieutenant Governor Frederick Houser for racist campaign statements about returning evacuees. It argues that only military authorities can rescind the exclusion orders.
• The Sentinel, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial congratulates the Heart Mountain Sentinel on its second anniversary as a camp-run weekly newspaper. It praises the paper’s vigor and honesty despite constant staff turnover.
• The Nisei and the Elections, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial urges Japanese Americans and all citizens to vote in November to shape a peaceful postwar world. It warns against candidates who exploit prejudice against Japanese Americans.
• Home to America, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A short anecdote recounts two Gila children who went back to America and discovered that outside the camp the world looked very different. The piece is a brief human-interest reflection on evacuation.
• Letter to the Editor: Relocation Aid, page 5. A reader praises Miss Harriet Yarrow and her mother for their volunteer assistance to Nisei relocating to Chicago. The letter describes their help with housing, schooling, and social integration.
• From the Frying Pan: Sgt. Ken Omura—The Final Chapter, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa recounts the death of Staff Sgt. Ken Omura, the first Nisei to die for his country in the Southwest Pacific, as described in a letter from a comrade. He reflects on the sacrifice of Nisei soldiers and the challenges of postwar readjustment.

Community

• Rohwer Youth Fatally Hurt in Accident, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Six-year-old Henry Yoshio Taniguchi of Rohwer was struck and killed by a dump truck at the camp. The evacuee driver was absolved of blame.
• Sentinel Urges Veterans’ Base for Post-War Nisei Organization, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Heart Mountain Sentinel argued that Japanese American veterans should form the nucleus of a postwar organization representing loyal citizens. It noted the 100th Battalion’s distinguished record.
• Madison Evacuees Honor First Nisei Army Volunteer, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Miss Grace Hanna hosted an informal party in Madison, Wisconsin, honoring T-5 Fred Suzukawa, the city’s first Nisei volunteer. Guests included several evacuees from various camps.
• Poston III Elects First Woman Block Manager, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Mrs. Ann Iwasaki of Block 308 in Poston became the first woman block manager in Unit III. She filled a vacancy left by Tadashi Iwasaki.
• Two Nisei Doctors Pass State Board Exams in Wisconsin, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Drs. Kinge Hara and Sambo Sakaguchi, Marquette University graduates, passed the Wisconsin State Board medical examinations. They will receive licenses after completing a year of internship in Milwaukee.
• L.A. Judo Students Go to Manzanar for Practice Matches, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Los Angeles police Sergeant Jack Sergel’s judo class travels to Manzanar to practice against evacuee experts. Sergel said the evacuees are far better at judo than he is.
• Quaker Group Pledges Aid to Evacuee Return, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Pacific Association of Friends pledged to help Japanese Americans return to their former homes on the Pacific coast. The group also backed a fair relocation plan and a form of world order involving the United States.

Incarceration & Redress

• Trial of Six Not Set for Present Court Session, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Federal prosecutors in Wyoming have not scheduled the trial of six Japanese Americans indicted for conspiracy to violate selective service regulations. One defendant, James Omura, has requested a separate trial.
• Resettlers Enjoy Picnic, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Eighty-three evacuees who resettled in Omaha held a picnic on August 20. Issei and Nisei renewed acquaintances at the gathering.
• Relocation Hinges on Return to Coast, Says Dr. Emerson, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Caltech plant pathologist Dr. Robert Emerson told a Pasadena audience that successful relocation depends on restoring the right to return to the Pacific coast. He called on Californians to right the injustice.
• WRA Population Figures Cited, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The WRA reported that the nine relocation centers held 79,484 people as of August 18, 1944. Manzanar was the smallest and Tule Lake the largest.
• Evacuees Increase Denver Population, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Denver’s Japanese American population has grown to about 2,300 individuals in roughly 1,200 families, according to city health bureau figures.
• Rep. Engle Wants Congress to Investigate WRA Reports, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Congressman Clair Engle launched an investigation into whether the WRA used free mail privileges to distribute favorable material about persons of Japanese ancestry. The probe followed a Sacramento Bee editorial on the matter.

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