Gender

Male

Birth date

1912-1-1

Place of birth

CA, U.S.A.

Inducted

1943-6-1, Poston AZ

Enlistment type

Volunteer

Service branch

Army

Service type

War

Unit type

Combat

Units served

Co. K, 442nd Regimental Combat Team

Military specialty

Rifleman

Stationed

USA - Camp Shelby, MS; Italy

Unit responsibility

Dangerous night mission, undertaken entirely by volunteers.

Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)

Distinguished Service Cross (posthumous)

Living conditions

Tired of eating out of cans. Every chance we got, we picked up fresh vegetables, fruits. eg., onions, black figs. Enjoyed visits to Rome and Naples. In camp shot dice, enjoyed other soldier's ration of cigars and cigarettes. I preferred a pipe.

Most vivid memory of military experience

1). Being a heathen, an atheist, and not knowing how to pray, I had to depend on the family to do a lot of praying that all this strife would end soon so that we may all go home and enjoy the simple things of life. Hard headed, tho I may have been, I am a humble man, having learned to appreciate all the simple things of life. Believe me, War is Hell. It's not a very pretty picture to see young kids who have not seen or begun to live life all shot up or torn up by shrapnel, laying there never to speak or laugh again. 2). I only wish I could get those bigots, those hate mongers, those super patriots here to see them. Here in the front we're respected as fellow AMERICANS fighting for the same cause. We're proud as hell to be in there pitching, doing our share of the work.

Missed most whilst in the military

Dancing, movies, my motorcycle, popular music, home cooking i.e. waffles and biscuits.

Most important thing, personally, to come from military experience?

'See Vivid Memory'

Additional information

1). Of ten members comprising the Block 213, Poston II 'Terrors' AA Basketball Team, Fumio Harry Madokoro, Shiz Toyota, Tad Hayashi, and Lloyd Onoye were killed in action and Duke Tokiwa and Geichi Soda were wounded in action. 2). Above information supplied by Bessie Shiyomura nee Matsuda.