<Begin Segment 6>

ME: Well, Shiro keeps coming up. So I think it's time to talk about Shiro. What will you remember most about Shiro Kashino?

FM: Bruno, why don't you take over?

HY: Well, what I remember most was on, I think I mentioned to you earlier that several days before the "Lost Battalion," he was a sergeant in charge, (when) we were counterattacked. And, seems like everyone felt like (wanting) to withdraw from the area that we were in. But he told us not to (withdraw, but) keep on going, not to, not to withdraw and (hold the ground). And I think he did a hell of a thing because he saved lotta lives by doing so. If we did withdraw, we'd leave the front line wide open for (a) counter-attack. And I think, I think Fred knows more about it than I do. But that's one of the things that I remember most about Shiro.

ME: Fred, any other Shiro stories?

KO: No. They were in the same platoon, by the way.

FM: Yeah. Kash and I, we were in the first squad of 2nd Platoon. And we, we more or less helped each other out. He was a squad leader, I was his assistant. And whenever we have any kind of command to, to attack or whatever, we get together, talk it over, and then we give the assignment to our troops. And then we would attack in that, in that fashion. Well, Kash, that guy, yeah, he's, he's a born leader, I think. And he's so brave, gutsy. So lotta time I had to, to sort of pull him back because he wants to go.

ME: What was it that made him so special and unique?

FM: We were good friends to begin with. And like I say, he's, he's a good leader. Gutsy guy. Look after the boys all the time. And all around fantastic, terrific guy.

KO: There was a certain charisma about him. He's not, he's not a forward person, trying to get attention. But by his actions and otherwise, people, especially the men, respected him for his, for his qualities.

TA: Being in the first squad, 1st Platoon, I, I, we knew Kash in Company I because you can't miss him because he was so big and tough-looking. And, but the thing that I knew when he was, at that time, I didn't, I really didn't get to know Kash until after the war. But when I was with Company I, he was always there to help people out. And after the war, when I really got to know him, I knew that he really cared for people. And he really go all out to help people, to take care of things. And the thing that really I admired is that being from Seattle area, but right out of the bat, he was a local boy, he was from Hawaii like, so he was always there trying, trying to help, help anybody out. And I think that's the thing that I admired about him, that he's sort, he's a toughy-looking, but he's really soft-hearted.

ME: It sounds like he will be greatly missed from this reunion.

KO: Oh, yeah.

TA: We always miss, yeah.

HY: Definitely. (He was such a fun person. Although we will miss him we're fortunate to have the rest of his family here.)

KO: More so that he's just recently died.

<End Segment 6> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.