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

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ME: Let's talk a little bit about the 442nd in general. Now, the 442 had an amazing record of honors and awards. How were they able to do as well as they did? Fred, why don't you start for us?

FM. Well, I guess, we were there to prove a point, that we can be as good a soldier as anyone else in the army. So we tried our best, and accomplish quite a bit, I think.

ME: Terry, any thoughts?

TA: Well, I think it's just matter of we getting together and being Japanese American. And we had -- well, like Fred said, that we had something to prove, that we were loyal American. And because that, we were kind of thought of in Hawaii, I think, we weren't as bad as the mainland. We weren't sent to relocation camp, but at least we were -- there was some discrimination, like were restricted from entering in certain areas, with a black identification badge, which restricted from going to Pearl Harbor or to go to waterfront area. So I guess the thought was that -- and we were young. We were nineteen, twenty years old. And at that age you just, at that, when you go out there, because your buddy's gonna do a good job, you want to do a good job, too. And so you just went and did your job.

ME: Bruno?

HY: Yeah, well, I know I think, as, to go to, to the army and go to Shelby, it was a big thrill -- well, for me anyway. Like I told you, it was very thrilling because I never did much traveling or meet lotta other people before. But when I joined the 442, I really got to know a lot of people from different areas, different part of the mainland, even from Hawaii. And I would never give up this experience. I wouldn't mind going through it again.

ME: Kenneth, tell me, how was the 442 able to accomplish all that they have?

KO: May I say something more personal?

ME: Please.

KO: I'm, I'm the elder of these three because when the call came, I was already teaching for year and a half. So I'm the senior citizen of this group. I think, especially after the war, they had this GI Bill of Rights. And oh, quite a few from our -- they were about the right age because most of them were inducted right after high school, or seniors in high school. So they took advantage of the GI Bill of Rights. And the fact that we got organized after we discharged and got our clubhouse, I think that has brought us together all these years, it's been fifty-five years now, since we were inducted. So it's been a unique experience. And as Bruno said, why, you don't trade that kind of experience for anything else.