Densho Digital Archive - Terry Aratani - Fred Matsumura - Kenneth Okuma - Henry Bruno Yamada Interview (denshovh-aterry

<Begin Segment 13>

ME. What about tree bursts? What do they sound like?

TA: Oh, that, that's terrible. Because right after Bruyeres they told us that, to go move up outside of town. And they told us that hillside was secured because that, we on a protective slope. Then what happened that, we're move up, up a half way up the slope, then we got caught from the 88 on the, this, open fire directly on us. But fortunately, the trees, there were quite a bit of trees, so we're half way up, the tree -- the bullet, the shells are coming in, hitting the tree burst, so we go okay, but the people below us, and the burst was coming down. So we lost several people right there, then because it was coming down right on the them, and we were half way up, but we were protected up there because of tree bursts.

KO: Speaking of tree bursts, so many of them were lying in the trenches, I mean, in the foxhole. And as a result of the tree bursts, and people wouldn't know until they get to that foxhole, see that person's no longer living. So there's no protection from tree bursts. That's, that was a devastating part.

TA: Yeah. That's the reason why at night, when we were, especially when in the Vosges Mountain area there, the forest there, at night, they tell you to keep quiet. No, no, don't make noise and that. But you can hear that hatchet or the bayonet, going and cutting the branches, pop-pop-pop, late at night. And then what we do is that, you'd dig a slit trench, you lay the logs or whatever logs you can cut, they put the twig on it, and you try to cover half of your body, at least. So in case there's a tree burst, your body -- your upper, your upper part body, only legs be exposed. So that we -- every night we used to dig a slit trench and cover because of the tree bursts. And they call it -- if you get hit, they call it million-dollar wound because you got hit in the leg, and a chance of going home. But I remember -- you remember we used to dig every night?

KO: Oh, yeah.

FM: Oh, yeah.

HY: And get something to protect your upper part body in the trench.

ME: Can you -- if you close your eyes today, can you still hear the sounds of war?

TA: Oh, yeah. I think I can.

ME: Yeah?

KO: I can.