February 1945: Nisei casualties, the Korematsu ruling and return to the West Coast

Vol. 20, No. 7, February 17, 1945. 8 pages. View this issue

Japanese American soldiers and the question of returning to the West Coast ran through this 8-page issue. The front page carried the War Department’s lists of 24 Japanese Americans killed and nine wounded on the Western Front, and the story of Pfc. Frank T. Hachiya, who died on Leyte after one of the Hood River names struck from the American Legion roll. The Supreme Court declined to rehear Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu’s case, leaving its ruling on the 1942 evacuation in place. Bill Hosokawa wrote on political consciousness among Nisei, and Jobo Nakamura looked back on growing up in Sacramento’s Japanese town.

Elsewhere are Combat Infantryman’s Badge lists for soldiers from the Poston, Topaz, Heart Mountain, Minidoka, Gila River and Manzanar camps, and a Tule Lake story on fifty segregees ordered moved. Local news covered both hostility and welcome toward returning families, from Gresham and Yakima to Sacramento and Tacoma.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• War Department Announces 24 Japanese Americans Dead, Nine Hurt on Western Front, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The War Department identified 24 Americans of Japanese ancestry killed and nine wounded in action on the Western Front. The casualty lists include next of kin information for each soldier.
• Hood River Nisei Reported Killed in Action in Pacific, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pfc. Frank T. Hachiya, one of 16 Japanese Americans whose names were stricken from the Hood River American Legion memorial roll, died on Leyte after volunteering for a dangerous scouting mission. Fellow soldiers gave him blood transfusions, but he died on January 3.
• War Correspondent Says Nisei ‘Best Damned Fighters’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sgt. James P. O’Neil, writing for Yank Magazine, praised Japanese American soldiers in Italy as the best fighting men in the world. He noted the 100th Battalion’s extraordinarily high Purple Heart count.
• 188 Soldiers From WRA Camps Receive Combat Award, by P.C. Staff, page 2. One hundred eighty-eight Nisei soldiers from War Relocation Centers received Combat Infantryman’s Badges for their conduct in the Vosges Mountains fighting. The list names men from Poston, Topaz, Granada, Heart Mountain, Minidoka, Gila River, and Manzanar.
• 36th Division Initiates New Rhine Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The 36th Division launched attacks across the Rhine southeast of Haguenau, as Germans fortified Drusenheim. The 442nd Combat Team, attached to the Seventh Army, was also engaged in the southern sector.
• Lieutenant Kitagawa Wins Promotion on Western Front, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Second Lieutenant Kitagawa, a platoon leader in the 442nd Combat Team, was promoted to first lieutenant. He had previously served in the 100th Battalion and entered active service in 1943.
• War Department Announces Names of Nisei Wounded, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The War Department released a list of Japanese American soldiers wounded in action on the Western Front. Next of kin and relocation center information accompanies each name.
• Nicol Soldiers Attend Church Service, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Japanese American soldiers of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team attended church services outside their huts, conducted by Chaplain Hiro Higuchi. The photo was taken by Army Signal Corps.
• Sgt. Norihiko Sekino Recovering at British Hospital, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Tech Sgt. Norihiko Sekino, whose parents live at Gila River, is recovering in a British hospital from wounds suffered in France in November 1944. He entered the Army from Los Angeles in 1941.
• 140 California Nisei Awarded Combat Infantryman’s Badge, by P.C. Staff, page 3. One hundred forty soldiers of Japanese ancestry from California received Combat Infantryman’s Badges for action in the Vosges Mountains. They took part in the rescue of the Lost Battalion near Bruyeres, and the article lists each recipient by hometown.
• Nisei Soldier Dies at Fort Snelling, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Tech. 5th Gr. Tsukasa Saito died on February 8 while on duty at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. His parents in Hunt, Idaho were notified.
• Forty Utah Soldiers Win Combat Badge, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Forty Utah soldiers of Japanese ancestry who joined the 442nd as replacements received Combat Infantryman’s Badges for action on the Western Front. The article lists recipients by Utah hometown.
• His Name Was Thompson… And Men of the Fighting 100th Will Never Forget Him, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A young paratrooper named Thompson guided the 100th Infantry Battalion through a mined area during the Volturno crossing in November 1943 and was killed by a booby trap. The article, drawn from an Infantry Journal account by Col. Gillespie and Capt. McBride, honors his sacrifice.
• Private Ozaki Saved Life of Wounded GI, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Private Henry Y. Ozaki of the 232nd Engineers was awarded the Bronze Star for crawling through enemy fire to rescue a wounded comrade in France. His citation credits his quick thinking and initiative.
• Three Nisei From Famed Burma Unit Back in United States, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Three Nisei veterans of Merrill’s Marauders returned from the China-Burma-India theater and are heading to officer candidate school at Fort Benning. The article describes their decorations and combat records.
• Nisei Soldiers Thank Hawaii Residents for Christmas Check, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Members of the 442nd Combat Team in France used a $5,000 Christmas gift from the Hawaii Service Committee to buy beer, cigarettes, and candy for their units. Col. C. W. Pence sent a letter thanking the people of Hawaii.

National

• Supreme Court Denies Appeal of Korematsu, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Supreme Court declined to rehear Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu’s case, leaving intact its December 18 ruling that the 1942 evacuation was legal. Korematsu’s conviction and five-year probationary sentence stand.
• Anti-Evacuee Groups Plan to Join in State Organization, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Anti-Japanese League of Vacaville plans to join similar county groups to form a statewide organization. The league also intends to purchase a service flag for the Vacaville post office honoring local servicemen.
• VFW Official Protests Nisei Blood Donations, by P.C. Staff, page 1. After Massachusetts VFW commander Charles Franscotti protested Red Cross acceptance of Japanese American blood donors, the Boston blood center chairman defended the donations. He said the blood of patriotic Nisei was as good as that of any Mayflower descendant.
• California Board Will Accept Nisei State Service Applications, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The California State Personnel Board said Americans of Japanese ancestry applying for state jobs would be processed like other citizens. However, 87 Nisei discharged after Pearl Harbor still face pending charges.
• Sacramento Council Asks State to Assist Return of Workers, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Sacramento Council for Civic Unity urged the State Personnel Board to expedite the return of 87 dismissed Japanese American employees. Rabbi Norman Goldburg argued California faced a labor shortage.
• Nisei Placed in War Jobs in California, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Clayton von Dietz of the U.S. Employment Service in Los Angeles said several returning Japanese Americans had already been placed in war work. He reported no difficulty placing them despite a threatened walkout at Kinney Aluminum.
• Portugese Group Opposes Return, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Chico Branch 7 of the American Portugese Club of California opposed the return of persons of Japanese ancestry to California for the duration of the war. The group cited concerns about local employment and privileges.
• Native Sons Seek Bans on Evacuee Group, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Native Sons of the Golden West approved a resolution asking the California Legislature to bar Japanese Americans from coastal fishing, strengthen the Anti-Alien Land Act, and prohibit Japanese language schools. Grand president Raymond Williamson said the group opposed their return to the coast.

Community

• Fresno Sheriff Investigates Three Shotgun Blasts Fired Into Home of Nisei Evacuee, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Three shotgun blasts were fired into the Fowler-area home of Frank Osaki, who had recently returned from an Arizona relocation center. No one was hurt, and officials said the attack did not reflect neighborhood hostility.
• California Students Would Welcome Returning Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Daily Californian poll found 65.7 percent of surveyed university students would welcome evacuees as living-group members or support their return to campus. The Welfare Council poll interviewed 523 people.
• Chinese Americans Denounce Misguided, Misinformed Persons Spreading Untruth and Sowing Seeds of Racial Hatred, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Delegates to the Chinese Christian Youth Conference in San Anselmo adopted a resolution welcoming Americans of Japanese ancestry back to the West Coast. The resolution condemned race baiters and pledged to combat false information.
• Nisei Student Elected to Connell Student Council, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Arthur Sasahara was elected to the student council at Connell high school in Salt Lake City, winning by the largest majority among successful candidates. He is the only Nisei in the school.
• Fire Destroys Building at Auburn, Wash., by P.C. Staff, page 2. A fire of unknown origin destroyed a building believed to have been used by Japanese Americans before evacuation. The structure had been occupied for the past month by a Negro American who claimed losses.
• Problems of Reopening West Coast Discussed at Evacuee Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Delegates at the evacuee conference in Salt Lake City opened sessions on February 16 to discuss reopening the West Coast and closing WRA camps. Dillon Myer was scheduled to speak and representatives from several civil liberties groups were invited.
• Nisei May Obtain Contraband and Articles Held by U.S. Marshal, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Salt Lake City Nisei may recover cameras and radios turned in to the U.S. Marshal’s office shortly after the start of the war. Pickups are available on Fridays at the federal building.
• Movie City Legion Post Approves Admission of Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Don E. Brown post of the American Legion in Hollywood backed Hollywood Post 591’s admission of Harley M. Oka, a Japanese American veteran. The vote was two to one in favor.
• 100 Evacuees Return to Fresno Region, by P.C. Staff, page 3. More than 100 evacuees have returned to the Fresno area, according to the WRA. Two Nisei farmers have also applied for federal farm loans, one of which was approved by the county group.
• Yakima Group Organizes to Bar Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A movement is underway in Yakima Valley to prevent evacuees from returning to the Wapato area, with anti-Japanese stickers appearing on farms. WRA representative Murray Stebbins told the Wapato Chamber of Commerce that Japanese Americans are free to settle where they please.
• Sacramentans Seek Housing for Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Sacramento Council of Churches began compiling housing and employment options for returning evacuees, with Rabbi Norman Goldburg forming a committee to find temporary housing. Goldburg also planned to establish a Placer County council for civic unity.
• Chicago JACL Will Meet on Feb. 22, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Chicago JACL chapter will host a talk on February 22 at Hull House by A. G. Falls on the topic of how to avoid dodging the draft. Chicago area Nisei are invited.
• Hold Buddhist Rites at Seabrook Farms, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Seabrook Farms in New Jersey held its first Young Buddhist service, with the Rev. Newton Ishiura of Yale speaking. Regular Japanese-language Sunday services are now conducted by Rev. Shosetsu Tsufura, and Christian services are also held in the dormitories.
• Issei With Seven Army Sons Returns to West Coast Farm, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Ginzo Nakada, an Issei farmer whose seven sons served in the U.S. Army, returned from Heart Mountain to resume truck farming in Azusa. The family had been evacuated to Pomona and then Heart Mountain.
• Gresham Farm Group Asks for Deportation of Nisei Citizens, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A mass meeting of 1,000 persons in the Gresham, Oregon area demanded deportation of all persons of Japanese ancestry and enforcement of the anti-alien land law. Former governor Walter Pierce supported the resolutions.
• Tacoma Council Raps Activities of Western Washington Group, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Tacoma Inter-racial Council disapproved of the Remember Pearl Harbor League and pledged to help former Japanese American neighbors who wish to return. The council called such groups a cancer of racism.
• Wyoming Co-ed Quits Post in Protest on Anti-Nisei Prejudice, by United Press, page 7. Margaret Eaton resigned as president of the Varsity Villagers at the University of Wyoming in protest of anti-Japanese American votes by the group. Dean Galliver said the girls might reconsider their decision.
• Yuba-Sutter Post Deadlocked On Nisei Evacuee Question, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Members of Yuba-Sutter American Legion Post 42 split evenly 40 to 40 on a resolution supporting protection of returning Japanese Americans’ civil rights. The resolution was tabled until the next meeting.
• Ogden Officials Deny Business License Plea, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Ogden city commission refused Mrs. Tom Kinomoto’s application for a restaurant license, maintaining its policy against licenses for Japanese Americans. Separately, George Sugihara and Verda Hulse filed a federal suit challenging the policy.
• Masako Takayoshi Resigns After Protest, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Nisei nurse Masako Takayoshi announced she would take a job in Denver after some Harborview Hospital nurses opposed her return to supervisory work. She said patients and servicemen had been supportive.
• Tule Lake Co-op Calls in Certificates, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Tule Lake Cooperative Enterprises issued a public notice that certificates of indebtedness issued from May 1942 to December 1943 must be claimed within 90 days of February 1, 1945, or they will be invalidated. Over $5,000 in certificates remained outstanding.

Incarceration & Redress

• Missing Nisei GI Reported War Prisoner, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pfc. Horace Kango Sagara, previously missing in action in France in October 1944, has been officially listed as a German prisoner of war. His brother Wallace received word at the Granada relocation center.
• Aged Evacuee Believed Suicide, by P.C. Staff, page 2. An aged evacuee was found dead near the Tule Lake camp dump grounds, apparently a suicide. Authorities were investigating the death.
• 50 Segregees Ordered Moved From Tule Lake Camp, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Fifty segregees, persons who renounced citizenship at Tule Lake, were ordered moved to an internment center. The move was announced by the WRA as part of segregation procedures.

Commentary

• West Coast Minorities, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial praises most Pacific coast racial minorities for supporting Japanese Americans’ return, while condemning Korean agitator Kilsoo Haan for collaborating with anti-evacuee racists. It also commends the Chinese and Negro communities for rejecting efforts to organize against the evacuees.
• Death of a Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial mourns Frank T. Hachiya, one of 16 Japanese American soldiers erased from the Hood River honor roll, who died on Leyte after a volunteer mission. It contrasts his sacrifice with the conduct of the Hood River Legion post members.
• Hood River Prejudice, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Louisville Courier-Journal condemned the Hood River American Legion for striking Japanese American names from the honor roll. The paper said such conduct would be an insult to the veterans of World War II.
• The California I Remember… Won’t Go Home Again, by Jobo Nakamura, page 5. Nakamura recalls growing up in Sacramento’s Japanese town, describing the community’s vibrancy and his family’s hardships as migratory farm laborers. He reflects on how evacuation ended the ghetto life he had known.
• From the Frying Pan: Nisei Must Attain Political Consciousness, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa argues that Nisei integration into American life requires political consciousness and maturity. He urges Nisei to study issues and vote intelligently, especially as postwar policy debates unfold in Congress.
• Editorial Digest, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The digest summarizes outside editorials supporting Japanese American rights, including the Salt Lake Tribune’s condemnation of Ogden’s license denials and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s criticism of a Chicago hospital’s refusal of treatment. It also notes the Palo Alto Times’ rebuke of a letter proposing servicemen vote on returns.
• Tribute to Tsukasa Saito, by Sgt. George Sugiyama, page 7. A GI buddy pays tribute to Tech. 5th Gr. Tsukasa Saito, who died at Fort Snelling in February 1945. He describes Saito as a model soldier and dedicated athlete who will be deeply missed.
• Pen-Pal Request, by Lucille Kumoi, page 7. Lucille Kumoi, an 18-year-old evacuee in Tashme, British Columbia, requests a pen pal in the United States. The note includes an editor’s note on Canada’s parallel evacuation of Japanese Canadians.

In-Depth

• They May Be Remembered, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The article recalls notable Japanese Americans of the prewar era, including Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, dancer Michio Ito, actor Sessue Hayakawa, and poet Sadakichi Hartmann. It describes their contributions to medicine, dance, film, and art.

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