Military service

The story of Japanese Americans in the military during World War II is complex and in many ways ironic. It is a story of mistrust by the very country for which these soldiers placed themselves in harms' way. Many were drafted directly out of the camps and fought for democracy abroad while their parents and families were incarcerated by their own government.

World War II (283)
Military service (4309)

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4309 items

img MacArthur at Atsugi (ddr-densho-1007-25)

Caption on back

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-25/

img Draftees at Reception Center in Hawaii (ddr-densho-1007-161)

Caption on back.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-161/

doc Hayato Kihara interviewee form (ddr-densho-1007-1135)

Used for the film Color of Honor.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1135/

img Army Day parade (ddr-densho-1007-345)

Caption on back.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-345/

av Pre-war house footage, part 6 of 8 (ddr-densho-1007-1738)

B-roll: books, letters, photographs, exterior. At 10:45, footage of Rudy Tokiwa showing a grain of rice he's kept for luck since the start of the war. After interview, b-roll of a US military service banner. Original title: 81B, II TB-6, Reel #6, 6/27/87. Footage continues at ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1739/

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1738/

img Four soldiers in forest (ddr-densho-1007-1338)

Slide. Likely in China, Burma or India.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1338/

img Nisei soldier with a British Intelligence Officer (ddr-densho-1007-286)

Includes a letter from David Quaid describing the photo.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-286/

img Man at table in tent (ddr-densho-1007-855)

Slide.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-855/

img Portrait of soldier (ddr-densho-1007-387)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-387/

img Three figures outside car (ddr-densho-1007-31)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-31/

img Two soldiers (ddr-densho-1007-691)

Slide, created in September 1984. Image date unknown.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-691/

av Interview with Jimmie Matsumura, part 3 of 4 (ddr-densho-1007-1607)

Matsumura discusses the time he spent in Japan as a child, the difficulty of Japanese high school, his work on the Far East military tribunal post-war. Video starts at 0:24. Loni Ding can be heard asking questions behind the camera. Audio cuts out at 20:36. Original title: II LA #34, 7-24-85, J. Matsumura Interview III. Interview …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1607/

av Interview with Gary and Grace Itano, part 2 of 6 (ddr-densho-1007-1806)

Grace discusses working with her husband-to-be before the war, her husband asking for a divorce (knowing that he would be imprisoned for refusing to serve), her husband Henry's reasons for refusing to serve, her husband's family preventing him from going to college, trying and failing to live outside of camp in Arizona, evacuation and closing her …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1806/

av Interview with Yosh Nakayama, part 4 of 4 (ddr-densho-1007-1588)

Nakayama discusses his experiences with Japanese locals, his worst memories of camp, his difficulty finding a job after the war, his work translating letters in Japan, his time learning judo in camp and in Japan, and his thoughts on why judo is important for Japanese-American youth. Video starts at 0:29. Loni Ding can be heard asking …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1588/

img Douglas SPD Dauntless naval scout plane (ddr-densho-1007-121)

Caption on back.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-121/

av Interview with Nobuo Yamashita, part 3 of 5 (ddr-densho-1007-1778)

Yamashita discusses why his parents didn't want him to go to college, joining his family's produce business, meeting his wife in Manzanar, his service in the Philippines, interrogating prisoners of war, seeing American prisoners who came out of Santo Tomas, the selfishness of weathy Japanese people in Korea, and not getting any promotions or furlough in …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1007-1778/