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TI: Bill, a question I wanted to ask 442 vets was that the 442 established an incredible record of honors and citations. And a question I wanted to ask the people who were there was, what was it that made the 442 a special unit?

BT: Doing my research for the VVV, I came across this story about one of the seven who died in the war. His name was Akio Nishikawa. Now in the 442, we have the motto that, "Go for Broke," you know, "Charge." But looking at this story on Akio Nishikawa, he got a, he received a Bronze Star for going to the aid of someone who had been hurt. Now his, the sergeant that was there told him, "Don't go with the shelling yet. Wait until it stops and then go." He says, "No." He went anyway. And he survived. And the guy is still alive today that he saved. A week later, same thing happened. Somebody got hurt, and again they told him, "Don't go, because wait until the firing stops." And he went again, and he got shot. Now in the citation that they developed for him for his Silver Star citation, his words came out, why did he go? His words came out, "Gotta go." And this, I think, is the spirit of the 442. You gotta go. You have to carry ammo up the hill, you gotta go. The boys are waiting. Somebody's hurt, you gotta go. And I think that's the spirit of the 442. You gotta do it. You have an obligation. Gotta go.

TI: Where did that spirit come from? What made them different to have this "gotta-go" spirit that was different from other army units?

BT: That I don't, probably it's the way we were brought up. I guess you look at Samurai pictures, when you have an assignment to do, you have to go, whether you gonna get killed or not. No, I think it was something that your honor is at stake, that if you pause, you're gonna lose something. No, I think Akio Nishikawa said it all when he said, "Gotta go," even though the enemy was still firing. It was somebody, his job was to tend to the wounded, so he gotta go. And I think same thing why we joined the army. We gotta go.

TI: In the same way, this spirit of the 442, it seems to keep going on. Here we are what, fifty-five years later and you're having another convention. And 442 vets from throughout the country are coming to Honolulu to get together. Can you talk a little bit about that special spirit, even fifty-five years later?

BT: It's why we get together. In Hawaii, everybody belongs to, well, they remember their high school class the most. They don't remember your university days. Some do, but your high school graduating class you stick together, you have your reunions. Now you can belong to other things in the community. Eventually you drop out. But the 442 and like your high school reunions are the two that keep remaining. And I think, speaking for our chapter, I think we don't belong to any social club outside of our regular chapter meeting, the 442. And I think we all belong to our high school year class, whatever it was.

<End Segment 16> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.