<Begin Segment 30>

TI: So after the Gothic line battle, the war was winding down pretty fast. So what happened next to you and Kash?

FM: We were still leading our squads. Quite often, the different squads don't have a leader, 'cause they got (wounded), whatever, so they put me in the second squad, for instance, to lead the second squad until their sergeant come back. So we go ahead and lead the respective squads into battle, and come back. And soon thereafter, the war ended, so we thought everything was fine, settled. Then they, one day they call us in, they says, "Okay, we going to have a court-martial now." And went to a hearing, and...

TI: Did it surprise you that they said that they're going to court-martial you at that point?

FM: Yeah. We was, yeah.

TI: Because you thought it was just going to be over.

FM: I thought that everything was dropped.

TI: Now at that point, did you and Kash talk about maybe saying that it was Matsuda who did it?

FM: Oh, we all knew Matsuda did it, yeah.

TI: But then, again, you still didn't say he did it?

FM: No. In fact, at that trial, they didn't ask us anything. They just, that was said, sit here. They call you in one at a time they say, "Sergeant Matsumura," do this and that. "How do you plead?" "Not guilty." And we didn't have any counseling. They just Shanghaied us, I guess. And a couple of days later, we were busted.

TI: And then what happened after you were, I guess convicted, then what happened?

FM: After that, well, we had enough points -- every time you get wounded, you get so many points -- Kash got hit six times, so he got a lot of points. So they sent him home. And one week later, they sent me home, because I got wounded two times. Longevity, you know, original, plus all the points that we have, so, they sent us home -- as a private, you know. That hurt, really hurt, because... throughout the war, we were leading our troops. And when everything's done, they sent us home as privates. Yeah. I think if they kept us there for another four or five weeks, they could have given us our stripes back, see.

TI: Why was that? Why do you think if you were there for another four or five weeks, they would have...

FM: No, because people are being sent home all the time, you see, 'cause the war was ended now. So they start sending the sergeants home. They send sergeants home, then we get promoted, you see. I think they could have held us back. If the first sergeant was good, they could have held us back, and wait until there's opening for staff sergeant or sergeant, then give us our stripe and send us home.

TI: But even if they did that, you still would have the special court-martial on your record?

FM: Yeah, uh-huh.

TI: When you got back, did people ask you what happened with it? Because on your record you had a court-martial, a special court-martial. How did you tell people about this?

FM: Oh, I Company people knew what was going on. They didn't ask us any questions. They knew that we were leaders throughout the war, and due to unforeseen, bad luck or whatever you call it, we were busted. And I say to Kash, Kash at least would have been a lieutenant. Yeah. He should have had DSC also, I think.

TI: And both of you came back as privates.

FM: Um hm.

TI: That must have been very hard.

FM: Yeah.

BK: And what would you have come back as?

FM: Me, at least a staff sergeant, anyway.

<End Segment 30> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.