Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Roy H. Matsumoto Interview
Narrator: Roy H. Matsumoto
Interviewers: Alice Ito (primary), Tom Ikeda (secondary)
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: December 17 & 18, 2003
Densho ID: denshovh-mroy-01-0063

<Begin Segment 63>

TI: So, let's talk about going into Burma. Why don't you describe how you got into Burma and what that was like?

RM: Well, after I finished that, since we're goin' to Burma, in order to do that, well, that's across the continent there, so we use a train. But unfortunately they have different gauge of places, see, some narrow gauge, some wide, standard gauge. So each time it come to a terminal, you have to unload and change over. So it took time.

TI: So, we're talking about the railroad tracks.

RM: Railroad tracks is how different size, it's narrow gauge and standard gauge. So then come to Calcutta then finally got on a ferry and go up Brahmaputra River, go up that big wide river to near Margherita and detrain and also narrow gauge again and place called Ledo, it's, made a base there. From there General Pick, combat engineer is opening, making a road, then they just open about a hundred miles, maybe a hundred twenty miles to Shingbwiyang and we thought we were gonna ride the truck because they opened the road. But instead of riding, we walked hundred twenty-five miles in ten days, took ten days. But they called it a training exercise. And we should have got in a truck and get there in a day, but instead of doin' it, took us ten days and got there.

TI: And what did you have to carry?

RM: Yeah, carry, well, everything else, then they issue two pair of boots and two sheet of blanket and two pair of jacket and so lotta people just lost -- [laughs] -- half of the things on the way and you know, threw away, in other words, too heavy and they don't need it. Of course, sometimes you feel like you should have kept it because the cold nighttime and it's hot during the, because of the high altitude. And finally get there and this happened to be about the 20th of February, and reach Shingbwiyang.

AI: So that was --

RM: Shingbwiyang.

AI: So that was February 1944?

RM: '44.

AI: And at that time, I was just wondering, you were just talking about how heavy the equipment was.

RM: About sixty pounds, probably.

AI: And about how much did you weigh at that time?

RM: I weighed 125 pounds.

AI: And with about sixty, carrying about sixty pounds.

RM: Then on top of it, rifle, see, that's heavy, fifteen pounds or something.

TI: So was that a pretty hard march for you?

RM: That was a hard march. Well, of course, take a break, too, but we're not used to hiking with the packs on and canteen, too, and I encountered, well, discrimination. We passed by the combat engineer construction group there, then there was lister bag. You know what lister bag is? That's a water, that's rubberized bag, water in, cool water and had a spigot there and so got thirsty. We had our own canteen, too, but is in the walking and the warm so I wanted cold water, you know. "Could I have water?" said. "Hell no, you Jap," that's what the black guys told me. So even though they hate their, look like Japanese face so they told me, "Hell no, Jap."

TI: What was your response, and the response of people --

RM: Well, I thought I gonna, you know, but can't do it because, well other people there, too, so...

TI: At this point, did any of your fellow soldiers say anything to the other soldier that...

RM: No, some of 'em were drinking and they, you know, they're thirsty, too. See, but I just didn't get it, so... but, of course, I had my warm canteen water, but...

TI: Now how did that make you feel? Here you were just about ready to go into combat --

RM: Boy I was, and they tried to do, so now it made me more, determination to show that I'm not second-class citizen, you know. And tried to do... that's end up in risking my life to speak of. But, well, kinda sad at the time. I was mad more but as I'd stated before, I tried to hold my temper, so I didn't do any foolish thing. I had a weapon; I could have shot him.

<End Segment 63> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.