<Begin Segment 27>

MN: And I'm gonna ask you a question that everybody asks you. The Marine is the toughest branch. They have the reputation as being the toughest branch in the military. Why did you pick the, pick to join the Marines?

RW: Well, I regret it now because I got my friend killed, but from when we were kids he and I used to talk about wanting to be Marines, and we'd get brochures from the recruiting office and it always said "first to fight." Okay, that's one of their selling, first to fight. And I guess that's what intrigued me. I know it sounds corny, it sounds kind of braggish now that I'm home safe, but I wanted to experience a war. My brothers did. I didn't want to be the one to be here and not be able to say I experienced a war. So we were doing what Bat's brother said to me, "You don't have to feel so bad that, you guys did what you wanted to do since you were kids." And he said, "Heck, he would've died in a car accident if he was home." That's consoling, but I still put him in harm's way. I'm the one that asked him to go.

MN: Well, Bob, Madrid could've said no. I mean, that was his choice too.

RW: He wouldn't have said no to me. I mean, he'd go where I went. And what was good, we went through boot camp together and we struggled together and got through it together. Only when we went to Korea I wasn't with him to help him, and that's the part that hurts, is that I wasn't there to help him this time. It's... well, I wanted to experience war, so here I am over there, and when I first got there I'm assigned to headquarters. That's why I was in a jeep with the captain. We had gone to the front line and were in the trenches. He was there for some reason with our tanks firing over there, so as we're coming back is when I saw Bat just before he was killed. Then when Madrid got killed, I went to the commanding officer and told him I want a transfer. I wanted to go to Madrid's unit, or my brother's unit in the infantry. And they said, "Well, we don't really want to transfer you out of the tanks, so what about if we put you in a tank?" "Yes, sir, fine." 'Cause that's what I was trained for, so then the second three-quarters of my time there they assigned me to a tank. I was with that until I came home. But then I didn't get my fill. I didn't get what I wanted, to really do my fighting. We did do some fighting. I did get shot at. I went through a lot, but, I mean, I didn't have enough.

So when we were supposed to come home, I asked this new lieutenant that had just come in, I said, "Lieutenant, could I extend over and stay longer?" And he said, "Sure. Go check with the CO, (Commanding Officer)." So I went and talked to him. I went into their tent and the CO says, "What is it, Wada?" I said, "Sir, I understand I'm supposed to go home." He says, "Yeah." And I say, "Well, we're over here in this new area. Can be some new fighting over here." He says yeah, and I said, "I want to extend over and stay another six months. Can I?" He answered, "What's the matter with you, Wada? You cracked up or something?" I said, "No, sir." Well he says, "You know, if we send the transfer orders back to Division and tell 'em you want to stay, you know what they're gonna do?" And I says, "No, sir." He says, "They're gonna take you back there and use you as an interpreter. You want that?" And I said, "No, sir. I just want to stay with my tank." "Well, I think you better just go home." So I came home, but in answer to your question, that's why I joined the Marines. I wanted to experience the war, and at times I feel I like didn't, I didn't get enough. And I'm not sayin' I didn't get any, but I got shot at and saw a lot of guys killed and stuff, but I wanted to stay, but not if they're gonna take me further back and be an interpreter.

<End Segment 27> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.