George Koshi Segment 4

Description of siblings (ddr-densho-1008-1-1) - 00:01:56
Father's early life in the United States (ddr-densho-1008-1-2) - 00:02:52
Spending ten years in Japan (ddr-densho-1008-1-3) - 00:02:45
Deciding to study law (ddr-densho-1008-1-4) - 00:03:53
Drafted into the army (ddr-densho-1008-1-5) - 00:03:09
The bombing of Pearl Harbor: "What a stupid act on the part of Japan"to Denver (ddr-densho-1008-1-6) - 00:03:24
Attitude of father regarding military service: "You're an American citizen" (ddr-densho-1008-1-7) - 00:02:11
Turmoil of Japanese American servicemen: fighting while their families are behind barbed wire (ddr-densho-1008-1-8) - 00:05:22
Being recruited to join the Military Intelligence Service (ddr-densho-1008-1-9) - 00:02:33
Being a language instructor for the Military Intelligence Service Language School (ddr-densho-1008-1-10) - 00:03:22
Transferred to the Pentagon but barred from promotion (ddr-densho-1008-1-11) - 00:02:16
Service in Washington, D.C. as a language specialist (ddr-densho-1008-1-12) - 00:02:03
Service in the Pacific Military Intelligence Research Section (PACMIRS) (ddr-densho-1008-1-13) - 00:01:49
Writing to father while in the service (ddr-densho-1008-1-14) - 00:01:15
Returning to Japan at the end of the war: a firsthand look at the destruction (ddr-densho-1008-1-15) - 00:04:29
Reflecting on the atomic bombings (ddr-densho-1008-1-16) - 00:05:07
Visiting relatives in Japan postwar: meeting a cousin who had fought for Japan (ddr-densho-1008-1-17) - 00:03:31
Assigned to the Pacific Military Intelligence Research Section (PACMIRS) Washington Document Center (ddr-densho-1008-1-18) - 00:01:43
Working as a civilian attorney for the U.S. government (ddr-densho-1008-1-19) - 00:03:05
Description of war crimes trial work (ddr-densho-1008-1-20) - 00:02:50
Working as a defense attorney in Japan's war crimes trials: memorable cases (ddr-densho-1008-1-21) - 00:07:43
Emotional toll of the war crimes trials (ddr-densho-1008-1-22) - 00:03:18
Japan's war crimes trials: higher-ranked officers held responsible (ddr-densho-1008-1-23) - 00:05:23
Working on the case of the Tachibana, a hospital ship (ddr-densho-1008-1-24) - 00:04:10
Receiving the "Zuihosho," medal from the Japanese government (ddr-densho-1008-1-25) - 00:02:30
Helping develop Japan's new constitution (ddr-densho-1008-1-26) - 00:04:33
Description of judicial reform work in Japan (ddr-densho-1008-1-27) - 00:02:41
Serving as legal advisor to U.S. forces in Japan (ddr-densho-1008-1-28) - 00:01:54
Getting married and raising a family (ddr-densho-1008-1-29) - 00:03:01
Thoughts on the draft resisters (ddr-densho-1008-1-30) - 00:02:55
Looking back on life's work (ddr-densho-1008-1-31) - 00:02:54
Reflections (ddr-densho-1008-1-32) - 00:04:50
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ddr-densho-1008-1-4 (Legacy UID: denshovh-kgeorge-01-0004)

Deciding to study law

Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.

00:03:53 — Segment 4 of 32

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December 10, 1997

National Japanese American Historical Society Collection

National Japanese American Historical Society Collection

Courtesy of the National Japanese American Historical Society

ddr-densho-1008-1

George Koshi

George Koshi Interview

01:45:27 — 32 segments

December 10, 1997

Seattle, Washington

Kibei male. Born June 16, 1911, in Greeley, Colorado. Raised in Denver, Colorado, until the age of five. Sent to Japan for schooling in 1917 and returned to the U.S. at the age of seventeen. Continued his education to eventually become the first Nikkei attorney in the state of Colorado. Drafted into the U.S. Army in March, 1942, and became a member of the Military Intelligence Service (MIS); served as an instructor of Japanese language in the MIS Language School and then as a language specialist in Washington, D.C., and the Pacific Military Intelligence Research Section (PACMIRS) in Maryland. Was hired as a civilian by the U.S. government postwar to provide legal counsel to defendants in the war crimes trials in Japan, and later, supervise Japanese legal and judicial reform. Received a medal commendation from the Japanese government for work in connection with the reformation of Japan's judicial system.

(Members of the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) arranged for and conducted this interview in conjunction with Densho.)

Marvin Uratsu, interviewer; Matt Emery, videographer

National Japanese American Historical Society Collection

Courtesy of the National Japanese American Historical Society

API