<Begin Segment 29>

SK: Later I learned, because Kashino wrote a story what happened in France. Kashino was sent to the battalion headquarters for water ration. When he was there he was with a group of other third battalion people, you see. They were told that ration truck is coming up so go and pick (the supplies) up. This is nighttime now, so Kashino told the battalion commander -- this is (...) Kashino's (story) now. I'm reading his story -- so the battalion commander told them to go. Kashino told the battalion commander, "You know, the Germans were here before us. They know every route there is. When they hear a truck, they know the sound of a truck, they know that something's happening. When the sound stops, they are going to throw heavy stuff. So we should wait a while." And Kashino said, "The battalion commander said, 'Go.'" Kashino told his guys, "We should wait a little while because this is going to happen." So others said, "(We must go) because it's the orders of the battalion commander, we should go," so they did, and lo and behold...

TI: A barrage came.

SK: A barrage came and Kashino is saying that (they had) to evacuate those killed and wounded, and when he went back to the battalion headquarters, he told the commander in no uncertain terms that we would rather have starved than getting our boys killed. So I think that was the point that irritated the battalion commander, and I think that was the reason Kashino and other three were kept in the stockade. I feel vengeance (was the cause). A lowly (foot soldier), Kashino, talking to the battalion commander (in this manner). This is the first time I've learned what had happened before, and now I'm thinking, through process of elimination, I guess, that because the battalion commander was angry at Kashino, these four were kept in the stockade.

TI: So that's why it makes more sense why that same battalion commander came down with the MPs and picked up those four.

SK: That's right. Why should he come? This is a company matter or the MP matter. And a few days later, Chaplain Yamada, he was our 3rd Battalion, 3rd Battalion chaplain, you see, he came to see me. He said Matsuda did the dirty work and he kept quiet as to who was to blame, who was the instigator, but he won't own up. He won't admit to the fact that he was the guy and so naturally the others (were) kept in the stockade. If he had (admitted to the blame), I think the other three would have been released, you see, so because he kept quiet all the other three were kept. But I'm glad that he owned up, though. He confessed in his affidavit.

<End Segment 29> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.