<Begin Segment 23>

[Ed. note: This transcript has been edited by the narrator]

TI: And then what happened after you finished your basic?

FT: And then we came back and were -- we stayed at what (was) called (the) Turkey Farm (at) Fort Snelling and waited for assignment. And one day, they (told us), "(...) You're going to CBS," and so we got on a train (and went) from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, (and boarded) a liberty ship (...). It was a long, long trip because we left L.A. and we were north of Hawaii (when) we got (...) changed (orders). We were supposed to land on the China coast and set up a radio station. We had a whole company of rangers on board the ship and boy, they were all master sergeants. And every day they were on (...) deck exercising. And we were down in the hold, KP, you know. But anyway, they said, they changed (...) signals, and now (we would go) to India. So then (we turned) south (...) to Melbourne, and then (...) Freemantle and (...) to Calcutta. (...) It was a long voyage (...). And then when we got to Calcutta, (we were) put (...) in a camp and they (for) some jungle training for (...) a week. [Laughs]

TI: And at that point, did you know what kind of, what you were going to be doing?

FT: No.

TI: And how many other MIS?

FT: There was about fifteen of us (...). And (...) when we got (there), and (after jungle) training in Calcutta, Tosh Taniguchi and Hiro Nishimura, who were already (in the theater), came down (...) New Delhi to welcome me.

TI: They heard that you were with this group.

FT: Yeah, so they came down.

TI: So these are other Seattle...

FT: They came (...) to see me. Tosh is my brother-in-law (...). So then we went to New Delhi and (...) we were (made into) two-man teams, one (good in) English and (then one in) Japanese. (...) So I got a guy named George Kako, who was good in Japanese. So he'd read (the captured documents and translate them), and I'd (do the) English (draft). (...) And then we got orders to go to Kunming, we flew the hump to Kunming. (There, George and I were) assigned to Peiping (...). But all the other (teams) were assigned to (other) Chinese cities, metropolitan areas and so on. (And soon, we were the only team there). (We) got word from the Chinese combat command that the Communists had taken (...) Peiping and they didn't want any Americans there. So (we were told to go) to Nanking. (...) Then we were in Nanking for about a month (...).

TI: So when you were in Nanking, did you see--

FT: Matsumoto?

TI: Well, not so much that, but in terms of, so this was after the Japanese had been there.

FT: Yeah, we went (...) into Nanking to help with the surrender, the Japanese surrender to Chiang Kai-shek.

TI: So what, what, because you hear about the "Rape of Nanking," how horrendous it was. Did you see any examples of that, or not examples, or remnants of that?

FT: Yeah. When we got to Nanking, (at) all the major street corners (and) intersections, were Japanese soldiers directing traffic, Japanese soldiers with (...) rifles and their grenades (...). (And all the buildings were riddled with bullet holes).

TI: So this is after the surrender.

FT: This is during the surrender.

TI: During the surrender.

FT: During and after the surrender.

TI: So you had armed Japanese soldiers at every --

FT: Yeah, and our barracks was (in) one of the (former) Japanese language schools, (...) -- Japanese primary school was our barracks. And right over the fence (...) was a Japanese garrison. And whenever we went to (go into downtown we went in) groups and (carried) our carbines (...). We'd go to a Japanese restaurant and the next table (...) would be a bunch of Japanese drinkin' away, yelling and (singing). (We heard them wondering about our) American uniforms. (...) We could understand them talking. (But we went) into shops that are held by Japanese still there, and (one photography shop they wanted held because they wanted back rent) for all the years they'd been in there. And then another family, (claimed that), when (then) heard that the Japanese army had lost the war," they threw their treasure, katana, household treasures in the river (and asked us to) help (...) find it. [Laughs]

TI: So who, were these the Chinese?

FT: (No), Japanese.

TI: Japanese that were asking.

FT: They were still there. And so (...) our job was easy. We'd go up on (...) the Japanese Embassy roof, George and I, and (...) count the number of trucks going out (...) loaded with soldiers and their equipment and (...) all the empty trucks coming back (...).

TI: Do you have a sense, what was the mood of the Japanese soldiers during this time?

FT: Oh, they were pretty nice. And then they rounded up all the Japanese civilians, and put them in (a) camp. And so, we'd go (...) there (and) talk to them (...). And they'd tell us about, like "I threw my sword (into that river), can you go and find it for me?" "Oh, (the) former owner of the place wants money." I talked to them, yeah.

TI: How about the Chinese? Did you see any reaction of the Chinese towards the Japanese, now that the Japanese had lost?

FT: (We) didn't notice anything, except (some) Chinese would talk about the "Rape of Nanking." And you could see bullet holes in the walls and (buildings).

TI: So you didn't see any anger towards the Japanese?

FT: Well, yeah. When you talked to them, (you sensed) they were angry. Especially, the "Rape of Nanking" was really terrible (...). And one restaurant we went to was a Chinese restaurant. They told us that, when the Japanese come in, (they) serve them cat and dog (meat). They don't know what they're eating. [Laughs]

TI: Wow, so that was quite an experience.

<End Segment 23> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.