<Begin Segment 14>

BK: In the first campaign, in your journey to Washington you spoke of Captain Ensminger and that he was a special person. He was your first captain and he died in the first campaign.

DI: He was the first casualty. He was our company commander, but he was promoted to become the battalion company commander. He was in command of the Second Battalion Company and Headquarters Company, and he got shot. Artillery shell just landed on him so on day one he was killed.

BK: That must have been pretty demoralizing.

DI: He was a good man; he was a good friend of ours. Well, it was, we got a little shaken by that when the news reached us, but you learn to overcome that, most of us. There are some who -- not too many -- who to this day carry the scars. I know of one person in our battalion who had to undergo psychiatric treatment, which is astounding to think that just one. I would think it should be commonplace, but that's another thing about don't bring shame. Even if you have that feeling, you don't want to share it with others and suggest to others that something's wrong.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.