Nisei soldiers and the return to the West Coast, June 1945

Vol. 20, No. 26, June 30, 1945. 8 pages. View this issue

Japanese American soldiers and the reception awaiting them at home ran through this eight-page issue. Sid Feder reported on a plan started by officers of the 442nd Regiment to help returning Nisei find work and housing, and Army figures counted 2111 casualties in the European war. Bill Hosokawa wrote that servicemen had been among the most supportive of Japanese Americans, and Larry Tajiri examined the campaign of prejudice behind attacks on returned families.

Other pages covered the WRA’s announcement that two Poston units and Canal Camp at Gila River would close by October 1, shots fired into a San Jose WRA officer’s home, and a Rosenberg Foundation grant to the JACL. Tributes to decorated 442nd soldiers appeared on pages 2, 6 and 8, and Hisaye Yamamoto joined a Los Angeles weekly’s staff.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Veteran of Two Wars Honored, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tech. Sgt. Tanikawa, a combat-infantry veteran of World Wars I and II, received the Bronze Star Medal in the Philippines. He served through six campaigns in World War I and has fought two Pacific campaigns with the 41st Division.
• Officers of 442nd Regiment Institute Own Relocation Plan for Nisei Returning from War, by Sid Feder, page 1. Officers of the 442nd Regiment organized a relocation plan so returning Nisei soldiers can find work and housing despite exclusion tactics on the Pacific Coast. Each soldier leaves with contacts in the United States and letters of reference from his commanders.
• Army Reports 2111 Casualties Among Nisei GIs, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An Army compilation reported 2111 casualties among Japanese American soldiers in the European war, including 361 killed in action. The Pacific Citizen noted that the figures may not reflect whether all were mainland Nisei.
• Nisei Escapes Injury in Recent Air Mission, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Hen Kojima, a Japanese American in a liberator crew with the 18th Air Force, escaped injury on a bombing mission over Saigon. The crew downed two Zeros and scored a direct hit on a Japanese transport.
• Three Thousand Casualties Sustained by Nisei in War, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pacific Citizen records show Japanese American casualties in World War II total 3004, including 558 killed and 2376 wounded. The total spans European, Mediterranean and Pacific theaters.
• Nisei Courage in Pacific War Hailed by War Correspondent, by Fred Hampson, page 2. AP correspondent Fred Hampson returned from 22 months in the Pacific and praised Nisei soldiers as very courageous. He said Japanese Americans were treated as traitors by the emperor’s soldiers and were valuable for interrogating prisoners.
• Nazis Puzzled by First Nisei Officer Captured in Italy War, by Harlan Miller, page 2. Columnist Harlan Miller recounted how German captors were puzzled by captured Nisei officer Capt. Clyde Herring, who was taken to see the Japanese ambassador in Berlin. The ambassador understood once the officer explained he was an American citizen fighting for his country.
• Nisei War Veterans Recover From Wounds at Army Hospital, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Eight members of the 442nd Combat Infantry Team are recovering at Madigan Hospital at Fort Lewis from wounds received in Europe. The report profiles each soldier’s background and combat injuries.
• Nisei Gl Awarded Silver Star Medal, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Cpl. Richard Fukano of the 442nd received the Silver Star for aiding wounded men under fire in eastern France. He continually exposed himself to enemy fire to administer first aid.
• Sgt. Sumida Given Bronze Star Medal, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sergeant Hiroshi Sumida of the 442nd received the Bronze Star for meritorious service in combat in Italy. He laid communication wire under heavy fire to keep an observation post supplied during a key assault.
• Cozzens Asks FBI to Investigate Attack on Edmiston, by P.C. Staff, page 3. WRA assistant director Ralph B. Cozzens asked the FBI to investigate a rifle bullet fired into the San Jose home of WRA officer James Edmiston. Cozzens called it an attempt to intimidate a federal agent.
• Nisei Commissioned in South Pacific, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Nisei from the Pacific was commissioned a second lieutenant, according to reports received in San Francisco. The notice notes his service with the 442nd.
• Hawaii Private Wins Promotion to Lieutenant in Seven Weeks, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Alvin Planas of Honolulu rose from private first class to second lieutenant within seven weeks, receiving a battlefield commission in the 442nd. He earlier earned the Silver Star for rescuing wounded comrades in the Vosges Mountains.
• San Francisco Chronicle Hails Japanese American Heroism, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The San Francisco Chronicle editorialized that Japanese American casualty figures show heroism as well as heavy losses. It cited the 100th Battalion’s Purple Heart record as evidence of intelligent courage.
• Marauder Veterans Win Commissions at Fort Benning, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Three Japanese American veterans of Merrill’s Marauders were commissioned second lieutenants at Fort Benning’s Officer Candidate School. The three are Herbert Miyazaki, Robert Honda, and Russell Kono.
• Six Officers, 23 Enlisted Men Leave 442nd Regiment for Redeployment, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Six officers and 23 enlisted men of the 442nd left for a redeployment depot in Italy before transshipment to the States. All had seen combat in Italy and France and earned battle participation stars.
• Soldiers in Group Have Between 111 and 120 Points, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The article lists the officers and enlisted men returning to the States from the 442nd and their service backgrounds. It notes their adjusted service ratings range from 111 to 120 points.
• Silver Star Awarded to Hanford Nisei George Tominaga, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Sergeant George Tominaga of Hanford received the Silver Star for leading a platoon’s attack near Bruyeres, France. He captured enemy soldiers and aided his unit’s advance.
• Field Promotion Given Sergeant From San Francisco, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Samuel T. Katsumoto of San Francisco received a field promotion to second lieutenant in the 442nd after leading units in the Po Valley offensive. He had previously served as a master sergeant.
• Soldier Declares GIs Demand Working Rights for Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Pfc. Philip Lerman, who fought alongside the Nisei in Italy, wrote to the San Francisco Chronicle demanding that longshoremen work alongside Japanese Americans. He called the 442nd’s Mount Belvedere assault a decisive contribution to Nazism’s defeat.
• Nisei Student Wins $200 Prize for Thesis on Rumors, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Tamotsu Shibutani, a University of Chicago student, received a $200 prize for his thesis on rumor in crisis situations. The announcement came from Dean Lawrence A. Kimpton.
• Nisei Trooper Tells Story of Shortest Soldier in Army, by Lyn Grost, page 8. Pvt. First Class Kazumura, the 4-foot-9 Hawaiian Nisei known as Pint Size, served in the 442nd and was wounded near Cecina, Italy. The army has had to specially tailor boots for him.

National

• Nisei Girl Joins Staff of Paper in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Tribune, a Negro American weekly in Los Angeles, hired Hisaye Yamamoto, a 23-year-old Japanese American, for its rewrite desk and as a feature writer. Publisher Lucius W. Lomax Jr. said the hire was part of the paper’s goal of interracial staffing.
• Charge Ex-WRA Official Embezzled Evacuee’s Funds, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Alfred F. Chamberlain, former evacuee property officer at Gila River, was indicted for embezzling $2300 belonging to nurseryman Tsukie Yamane. Chamberlain claimed other parties took the funds.
• American Soldiers in Pacific Condemn Terrorism Against Nisei on Coast, Says Actor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Actor Joe E. Brown, returning from a tour of Pacific fronts, said American soldiers condemn the discriminatory treatment of Japanese Americans at home. He reported that soldiers see such persecution as terrible and that Nisei soldiers risk being killed by their own buddies.
• Coast Guard Official Says Ban on Port Entry Still in Effect, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Navy restrictions barring Japanese Americans from Pacific Coast waterfronts remain in effect while under reconsideration, Capt. Paul B. Conk told the Oakland Board of Port Commissioners. The port board pledged to enforce the orders more strictly.
• Two Terrorist Attempts Told in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Two returned evacuees reported terror attempts to Los Angeles police on June 24. George Akagi had a bottle thrown through his window with a threatening note, and N. Kanegai’s windows were smashed by rocks.
• 700 Evacuees Get State Aid in California, by P.C. Staff, page 1. About 700 evacuees have been placed on California state assistance rolls, according to state welfare director Charles M. Wollenberg. He also noted the state spent $600,000 in federal funds aiding returning American prisoners of war.
• Japanese Canadian Soldiers Vote in Federal Elections, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese Canadian soldiers at the No. 20 Canadian Infantry Basic Training Center in Brantford voted in provincial and federal elections on June 1. For most Nisei Canadians it was their first time at the polls.
• Incipient Boycotts on Coast Concern Relocation Officials, by P.C. Staff, page 3. WRA officials at a Fresno conference acknowledged concern over incipient boycotts against farm produce grown by Japanese American farmers. Officials said they found no evidence of boycotts in the Fresno area.
• WRA Director Lays Terrorism to Civilians, by P.C. Staff, page 3. WRA Director Dillon S. Myer said most terrorist attacks on returned Japanese Americans stem from economic motives and misinformation. He predicted soldiers will accept Japanese Americans.

Community

• Seventeen Evacuees Return to Palo Alto, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Seventeen Japanese Americans returned to the Palo Alto area on June 21 aboard a special car from the Heart Mountain center. The group rejoined their home community.
• Burma-India Paper Publishes Pinup Photo of Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Merle Akutagawa of Salt Lake City appeared in a pinup picture published in the Roundup, an Army newspaper for the Burma-India theater. A Nisei sergeant stationed there sent in the photo.
• Evacuee Girl Wins School Art Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Virginia Takahashi, a 17-year-old junior at a Baltimore high school who came from Heart Mountain, won the high school water-color contest. Her paintings were exhibited at the Baltimore Museum of Fine Arts.
• Terrorist Fires Into Home of WRA Official in San Jose, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A .22 caliber bullet was fired into the San Jose home of WRA officer James Edmiston on June 23. The incident was reported to the FBI.
• Manzanar Girls Club Gives to GI Fund, by Mary Nakahara, page 3. The Block 17 Girls Club of Manzanar sent a $15 contribution to the Aloha Service Center’s fund for Nisei servicemen. The gift was the first received toward the $5,000 goal.
• Exhibit of Nisei, Issei Art Opened at Library in Boston, by P.C. Staff, page 3. An exhibit of paintings by Issei and Nisei artists drew over 1,000 viewers in New Jersey and moved to the Boston Public Library. The JACL New York chapter sponsored the tour.
• Denver JACL Holds Inaugural Ball, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Nearly four hundred persons attended the Denver JACL inaugural ball on June 23 at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. The program featured musical performances and a banquet for the new cabinet officers.
• San Jose Nisei Reactivate JACL Unit, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The San Jose chapter of the JACL reactivated on June 8 at its first general meeting since evacuation in 1942. Joe Masaoka of the San Francisco office spoke and new officers were elected.

Incarceration & Redress

• WRA Announces Two Poston Units, Canal Camp at Gila Will Be Closed by October, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The WRA announced that Poston Units 2 and 3 and Canal Camp at Gila River will close by October 1, 1945. The closures follow from depopulation through continued resettlement.
• Heart Mountain Leaders Meet to Discuss Closing, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Heart Mountain evacuee leaders and project officials discussed a closing date for the center after receiving word that other centers would close. Officials said case studies had been made for nearly all remaining families.

Commentary

• The Navy’s Policy, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues the Navy’s ban on recruiting Japanese Americans is inconsistent with their combat use in Pacific intelligence roles. It calls the ban and the Coast Guard’s waterfront restrictions unjustified restrictions on citizenship.
• Inter-racial Activity, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial praises the San Francisco JACL chapter for reactivating on an inter-racial basis, in line with the Salt Lake conference recommendation. It argues Japanese American organizations must still exist to combat discrimination.
• Acceptance on the Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial reports that most returning evacuees have met fair community acceptance despite recent terrorist incidents. It quotes an American Friends Service Committee report describing friendly neighborhood reactions in Los Angeles.
• The Rosenberg Grant, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial welcomes a $6000 Rosenberg Foundation grant to the JACL for its San Francisco office and northern California work. It argues the grant recognizes the continuing need for a Japanese American organization to fight discrimination.
• The Makers of Prejudice, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Larry Tajiri exposes how Hearst reporters and anti-Japanese agitators such as Kilsoo Haan and Ray Richards distort Japanese American publications to stoke hysteria. He concludes that terrorist raids reflect the racist campaign’s failure to win public opinion.
• Fallen at Cassino, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A poem dedicated to Japanese Americans who fought in Italy and Europe responds to accusations of disloyalty. The speaker insists his heart is pledged to freedom’s debt despite his face.
• From the Frying Pan: The GIs Demand Fair Play for Evacuees, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa argues that servicemen have been among the most supportive of Japanese Americans and that persecution is opposed by many returning soldiers. He notes that the professional patriots leading West Coast persecution cannot match this record.
• Special Inducements Offered Evacuees in Canada, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Canadian authorities offered special concessions to Japanese Canadian evacuees who agreed to relocate east of the Rockies rather than repatriate to Japan. The Canadian newspaper editorial describes the choices offered.
• On Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A letter to the editor argues that the term Nisei should not be used to label Japanese Americans in a way that marks them as foreign. The writer says the third generation deserves to be treated as American citizens.

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