Bill Thompson Segment 16

Becoming involved in the effort to overturn Shiro's Kashino's court-martial (ddr-densho-1000-90-1) - 00:02:18
Searching the 442nd Regimental Combat Team archive (ddr-densho-1000-90-2) - 00:03:31
Helping a fellow veteran despite concerns expressed by Shiro Kashino (ddr-densho-1000-90-3) - 00:02:30
Gathering facts about the incident that triggered Shiro Kashino's wartime court-martial (ddr-densho-1000-90-4) - 00:05:18
First step in clearing Shiro Kashino's name: obtaining a statement from the actual offender (ddr-densho-1000-90-5) - 00:02:53
Finding a very serious breach of military regulations in the case of Shiro Kashino's wartime court-martial (ddr-densho-1000-90-6) - 00:03:50
The first appeal, only a partial victory in trying to overturn Shiro Kashino's wartime court-martial (ddr-densho-1000-90-7) - 00:03:08
Obtaining the last piece of the puzzle, the MP officer's statement (ddr-densho-1000-90-8) - 00:07:50
Hearing that Shiro Kashino's court-martial had been overturned (ddr-densho-1000-90-9) - 00:02:48
Reuniting with Shiro Kashino's family (ddr-densho-1000-90-10) - 00:02:00
Family background, growing up in Hilo, Hawaii: "Heaven on earth" (ddr-densho-1000-90-11) - 00:02:31
Hawaiian Japanese Americans rush to volunteer for service after the bombing of Pearl Harbor (ddr-densho-1000-90-12) - 00:02:35
Relations between the Hawaiian and mainland Nisei soldiers at Camp Shelby, Mississippi (ddr-densho-1000-90-13) - 00:05:52
Honoring the Varsity Victory Volunteers, Japanese American ROTC students in Hawaii (ddr-densho-1000-90-14) - 00:05:18
Looking back on the Shiro Kashino court-martial case (ddr-densho-1000-90-15) - 00:01:34
The spirit of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (ddr-densho-1000-90-16) - 00:04:07
Reflections (ddr-densho-1000-90-17) - 00:03:56
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ddr-densho-1000-90-16 (Legacy UID: denshovh-tbill-01-0016)

The spirit of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team

This interview was conducted at the 1998 Americans of Japanese Ancestry Veterans National Convention, held in Honolulu, Hawaii. Given the full conference schedule, interviews conducted at the reunion were shorter in length than typical Densho interviews and concentrated on a single topic, namely, the individual's military service during World War II.

00:04:07 — Segment 16 of 17

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June 30, 1998

Densho Visual History Collection

Densho

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ddr-densho-1000-90

Bill Thompson

Bill Thompson Interview

01:01:59 — 17 segments

June 30, 1998

Honolulu, Hawaii

Nisei male of Japanese and Scottish descent. Born in Hilo, Hawaii, 1924. Volunteered and served in the all Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Headquarter's Company, Second Battalion's Anti-tank Platoon. Returned to Hawaii following the war where he attended the University of Hawaii, and later worked for the municipal government. Active in the 442nd Veterans Club in Hawaii.

This interview provides an account of the narrator's role in the effort to overturn the WWII military court-martial of Shiro Kashino, a serviceman falsely charged with the assault of an MP officer. Despite the fact that he had never met Mr. Kashino, Bill Thompson joined in the effort to reverse Mr. Kashino's court-martial, performing valuable research in the military archives. Later, Thompson was instrumental in the construction of a memorial to the Varsity Victory Volunteers -- Japanese American ROTC students who were among the first to volunteer for the draft during WWII -- on the campus of the University of Hawaii. Also of note in this interview is Mr. Thompson's unique experience as a biracial soldier serving in the 442nd.

(This interview was conducted at the 1998 Americans of Japanese Ancestry Veterans National Convention, held in Honolulu, Hawaii. Given the full conference schedule, interviews conducted at the reunion were shorter in length than typical Densho interviews and concentrated on a single topic, namely, the individual's military service during World War II.)

Tom Ikeda, interviewer; Matt Emery, videographer

Densho

Courtesy of Densho

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