Tadashi Ishida Collection

PARTNER

Densho
Visit partner

COLLECTION ID

ddr-densho-535

DESCRIPTION

The bulk of the collections consists of letters written by Tadashi Ishida to his parents from his time in the military during WWII. Includes descriptions of his training, posting overseas to Italy during the final year of the war, and his post-war service in Italy. Several letters are from friends or family of the Ishida's written to Fuku and Yoshio Ishida, Tadashi's parents. Tadashi Ishida's honorable discharge certificate is also included.

INCLUSIVE UNIT DATE

1944-1947

BULK UNIT DATE

1544-1946

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

419 letters and postcards, 1 copy of honorable discharge papers.

CONTRIBUTOR

Densho

CREATORS

PREFERRED CITATION

Courtesy of Tadashi Ishida Family, Densho

RIGHTS

420 Objects

Letter from Tadashi Ishida to Mrs. Y Ishida (ddr-densho-535-1)
doc Letter from Tadashi Ishida to Mrs. Y Ishida (ddr-densho-535-1)
First check-in letter, written in Pueblo, CO. Includes a drawing of the Grand Canyon. Written only for Fuku, Tad's mother; it seems his father may have been sick. Tad mentions "Mr. Frank" and friends at the end. Parents' note on envelope back: No. 1 9/6 A.M. 1944 Wednesday Sept 6, 1944.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-535-1/
Letter from Tadashi Ishida to Mr. & Mrs. Y Ishida (ddr-densho-535-2)
doc Letter from Tadashi Ishida to Mr. & Mrs. Y Ishida (ddr-densho-535-2)
Check-in letter from Memphis, mid-trip to Florida. Parents' note on envelope back: (3) Friday Sept 8, 1944
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-535-2/
Letter from Tadashi Ishida to Mr. & Mrs. Y Ishida (ddr-densho-535-3)
doc Letter from Tadashi Ishida to Mr. & Mrs. Y Ishida (ddr-densho-535-3)
Another check-in from Memphis en route to Florida. Mentions that local Black populations were treated poorly and forced to sit in separate train cars. Parents' note on envelope back: (4) Saturday Sept 9, 1944
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-535-3/
Letter from Tadashi Ishida to Mr. & Mrs. Y Ishida (ddr-densho-535-4)
doc Letter from Tadashi Ishida to Mr. & Mrs. Y Ishida (ddr-densho-535-4)
First letter from Camp Blanding, FL. Mentions Tad's bunkmates: John Miyasaki and Ted Matsushima. Includes a request for a pair of slippers. Parents' note on envelope back: (5) Monday Sept 11, 1944 First letter from Florida.
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-535-4/
Letter from Tadashi Ishida to Mr. & Mrs. Y Ishida (ddr-densho-535-5)
doc Letter from Tadashi Ishida to Mr. & Mrs. Y Ishida (ddr-densho-535-5)
Second Camp Blanding check-in. General overview of camp and Tad's experience with kitchen duty. Mentions Katsumi Kawaguchi, another private who knows the Ishida family. Tad says he isn't homesick yet. Also includes a story of Ted Matsushima smoking a cigarette while dead asleep. Ends with regards to Mr. and Mrs. Frank, "the BRATS" and Mr. and …
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-535-5/
Letter from Tadashi Ishida to Mr. & Mrs. Y Ishida (ddr-densho-535-6)
doc Letter from Tadashi Ishida to Mr. & Mrs. Y Ishida (ddr-densho-535-6)
Parents' note on envelope back: (7) Wednesday Sept 13, 1944
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-535-6/
Letter from Tadashi Ishida to Mr. & Mrs. Y Ishida (ddr-densho-535-7)
doc Letter from Tadashi Ishida to Mr. & Mrs. Y Ishida (ddr-densho-535-7)
Includes a request for clothes hangers. Mentions that camp is large enough that it'd take a day to walk from one end to the other. Tad calls himself a "busy little man." Parents' note on envelope back: (8) Thursday Sept 14, 1944
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-535-7/
Letter from Tadashi Ishida to Mr. & Mrs. Y Ishida (ddr-densho-535-8)
doc Letter from Tadashi Ishida to Mr. & Mrs. Y Ishida (ddr-densho-535-8)
Tad and Ted Matsushima are squad leaders for drills. Tad mentions that the drills make him hungry; says he "felt like a horse during supper. Parents' note on envelope back: (9) Sept 15, 1944
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-535-8/
Letter from Tadashi Ishida to Mr. & Mrs. Y Ishida (ddr-densho-535-9)
doc Letter from Tadashi Ishida to Mr. & Mrs. Y Ishida (ddr-densho-535-9)
Mentions that there's a hurricane headed for Florida, but since camp is 300 miles away from the tip of FL, Tad isn't worried. Lessons are pretty easy for Tad since he learned a lot of the same stuff in ROTC. In camp, Tad says that "we have our serious moments and our funny ones" and that …
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-535-9/
Letter from Tadashi Ishida to Mr. & Mrs. Y Ishida (ddr-densho-535-10)
doc Letter from Tadashi Ishida to Mr. & Mrs. Y Ishida (ddr-densho-535-10)
Asks that his parents tell To-chan to send him a letter, but not to use difficult words, since Tad's Japanese is rusty. Tad says he wrote to Frank, Bill and Paul. Describes the first hike of training and says there are plans to swim Saturday; the lake at camp is "a little bigger than Lake Merced." …
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-535-10/

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