{"id":"ddr-janm-17","model":"collection","collection_id":"ddr-janm-17","links":{"html":"https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-17/","json":"https://ddr.densho.org/api/0.2/ddr-janm-17/","img":"https://ddr.densho.org/media/ddr-janm-17/ddr-janm-17-29-mezzanine-bcb0685398-a.jpg","thumb":"http://ddrmedia.local/media/ddr-janm-17/ddr-janm-17-29-mezzanine-bcb0685398-a.jpg","parent":"https://ddr.densho.org/api/0.2/ddr-janm/","children":"https://ddr.densho.org/api/0.2/ddr-janm-17/children/"},"parent_id":"ddr-janm","organization_id":"ddr-janm","signature_id":"ddr-janm-17-29-mezzanine-bcb0685398","title":"George Nakamura Collection","description":"This collection chronicles the experience of George Nakamura (1918-1949), a Hawaiian-Japanese American who enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1940. The photographs and letters capture Nakamura’s military service in the 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team, and references the mental health of veterans.","breadcrumbs":[{"id":"ddr-janm-17","model":"collection","idpart":"cid","label":"17","api_url":"https://ddr.densho.org/api/0.2/ddr-janm-17/","url":"https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-17/"}],"_fields":["id","record_created","record_lastmod","status","public","title","unitdateinclusive","unitdatebulk","creators","extent","language","contributor","description","physloc","rights","accessrestrict","userrestrict","prefercite","bioghist","scopecontent","relatedmaterial","separatedmaterial","signature_id"],"record_created":"2025-04-17T10:56:06","record_lastmod":"2025-04-28T12:32:01","status":"completed","public":"1","unitdateinclusive":"1938-1949","unitdatebulk":"1940-1945","creators":[{"namepart":"Nakamura, George","role":"author"}],"extent":"Approximately 65 photographs and 3 letters.","language":["eng"],"contributor":"Japanese American National Museum","physloc":"Japanese American National Museum","acqinfo":"Donated to JANM in 2018.","custodhist":"Donated to JANM in 2018.","processinfo":"The collection was processed and initially described by JANM staff.","rights":"nocc","userrestrict":"Contact collections@janm.org for licensing and reuse.","prefercite":"Courtesy of Japanese American National Museum (Gift of the Nakamura Family, 2018.22)","bioghist":"George Nakamura (1918-1949) was born and raised in Hawaii, one of nine children. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in December 1940 (and may have been with the United States National Guard in 1941), and was later sent to La Crosse, Wisconsin for training. While there, he met the Fitting family, who took care of him and included him in family gatherings. He went overseas as a member of the 100th Battalion. While fighting in Europe, he suffered from shell shock and was returned to South Carolina to convalesce. A nurse sent a few pictures and letters covertly to another Nakamura sibling, Gladys. George eventually returned to Hawaii, but was sent to the Territorial Hospital in Kaneohe, Hawaii (a mental institution) where he stayed until his death after a bout of pneumonia in 1949.","scopecontent":"The collection contains photographs and three letters. Photographs include 65 prints and 1 panorama photograph, primarily of George Nakamura's service in the army from approximately 1940 to 1945. A number of the photos depict George's time visiting the Fitting family in Wisconsin, where he became a friend of the family during his military training. Two photos depict George at Kaneohe Territorial Hospital. The letters include one v-mail from George sent from Europe, one letter from a nurse to George's sister, and one letter from Beverly Fitting to George's sister.","search_hidden":"Nakamura, George author","download_large":"ddr-janm-17-29-mezzanine-bcb0685398-a.jpg"}