<Begin Segment 27>

TI: And at any point, did you guys think about, just sort of telling the truth and saying it was Matsuda who did it?

FM: I wish I did. I wish I did. When I think back, I wish I told them that it was Matsuda that did it. Then we wouldn't have to go through all this. Kash probably would be a lieutenant, at least a lieutenant, when he come out.

TI: But this was part of this sort of code of silence that you had, that you didn't think it was right to turn him in?

FM: Yeah, um hm.

TI: Even though he was someone who wasn't close, he sounds like he had problems in some ways, or...

FM: Yeah, he wasn't even close to us. He was, he was in the second squad. In fact, one battle, we took this particular hill, and they told us that, "The Germans gonna counterattack, so dig in and be prepared." So we all dug in; we were prepared. And first squad lined up this way. And Kash was on this end, I'm on this end of the squad. And second squad, they ended from this side in. That Matsuda kid was right next, next to the foxhole with, to me. So the Germans counterattack, so we start firing, firing. And I don't hear any rifle shot coming from the man next to me, so I call out, "Matsuda, Matsuda! Are you okay?" No answer. So after things settle down little, I crawl over, see if he's okay. He's on the bottom of the hole. He's like this. [Puts hands over ears] So, "Hey, come on, get up and fire." But he didn't say anything, he's just like this. He was shaking a little.

TI: Was that common, or were there other men like that, too?

FM: No. Very few. That's not common at all. Most of the guys are out there fighting; they don't hear anything around they'll yell over and say, "How are you doing?" Whether you got hit, or what.

TI: I would imagine, that on some dangerous, like patrols, a recon, or something like that, that having a man who was like that could be very dangerous to the others?

FM: Oh, yeah. Yeah.

TI: I mean, how -- so again, I know you talked about earlier how the, the men in the 442 all helped each other. But when it came to these life and death situations, how would you, sort of, work around people like Matsuda, who really had a hard time?

FM: Well, if he was in our squad, I would let him stay in the background. I wouldn't want him out with us. But the first squad were really, really... they take orders, they listen. They bitch like anything, but we tell 'em to start digging. They say, "Why are we gonna to dig for? We're gonna be moving on in a little while" I say, "Okay, never mind, you start digging. You start digging." And quite often, Kash and I would dig a big one, and we'll sleep together in the same foxhole. So, I can say that I slept with Kash. [Laughs]

BK: Not with him, Matsuda.

FM: No, no. Yeah.

TI: So you and Kash were really, really close?

FM: Oh, yeah. We used to dig up -- I start, I dig half way, he dig the other half, "Hey, Kash, how come your side is so shallow? Dig some more!" Yeah. [Laughs]

TI: So...

FM: And well, it's cold at nights. So, I sleep on him. I cover him up. He'd say, "Hey, get your hands off of here!" [Laughs]

<End Segment 27> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.