Densho Digital Archive - Sadaichi Kubota Interview (denshovh-ksadaichi-01-0016)

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TI: But later on you were promoted to corporal and then later on to sergeant and then staff sergeant --

SK: Yes, yes.

TI: -- during, at Camp Shelby. Why were you selected to be promoted?

SK: I have been thinking about what the heck happened along the way, but my platoon leader, that officer, used to take me aside and says, "Kubota, if this kind of situation -- out in the field training" -- says, "what would you do?" I (...)... being a brand new soldier I didn't know what the heck (to say). I just gave any kind of answer. He (said), "Well, if I were in this kind of situation I would do this, this, this." So indirectly he was giving me personal training. This is what I felt afterwards.

Then, too, this is how I feel, I tried to think ahead in a kind of given situation what would I do. So even little things like folding your tent, shelter half we used to call it in those days. I carried one half and my partner carried the other half so we built, put the two together and made our shelter half, our shelter. We both slept in this (tent). Inside this shelter half we have (rolled) our blankets, then we put it on our back, strap it on our pack. To make it small I say, "Yeah, well, how can do I this?" So I was thinking of ways to make it smaller, tight. I think the lieutenant saw this so he (said), "Kubota, will you do (that) -- show the others what you were doing right now." So I (say), "Well, this is what I'm doing to keep the shelter half tight so it won't fly out." So that was one situation. Another situation I remember, we were (on) individual soldier's training. The normal thing (to do) is to run forward, drop on the ground, and shoulder the rifle, and fire. I'm thinking to myself if I drop over there then shoulder the rifle, the enemy will see where I dropped, and they will have plenty of time to shoot at me. So I thought well, I'll drop and I'll roll a few feet to the right or to the left. That will give, that will not give the enemy time to aim at me. And I guess the officer saw that, too. He (said), "Kubota, will you show what you did right now?" So maybe that's the reason I was promoted to corporal. [Laughs] Yeah, this is how I feel and from there it was buck sergeant and then I took over the squad as a staff sergeant.