<Begin Segment 17>

TI: I guess one last question I wanted to ask was, just in general, you have done a lot of work in researching the 442. And I just wanted to ask you a general question for people who wanted to learn more about the 442, your thoughts about the books and whether or not the story of the 442 has been told sufficiently in the books out there right now.

BT: What was that now?

TI: Alright. So the question is, what do you think about the books about the 442?

BT: Okay. Some of the books are real outstanding. Some are good for the fact that they do bring up details or events that the other books haven't covered. But I think like in assessing the book, the first book by John Tsukano, I think, that I would consider the bible for the 442 history. And then the other books by Thelma Chang, Chester Tanaka, that are also interesting.

TI: Okay. Good. Is there anything else that you'd like to say? We're, I'm through with my questions. And if there's anything else that you would like to say to finish off this interview?

BT: To the what?

TI: Anything to finish the interview with. Any thoughts, or...?

BT: No. Well, gee. Well, there's so much to say, you don't know what to say. Yeah. No, well, having been in the 442, that in itself is a lifetime experience itself. One-shot deal. There'll never be another thing like that. And I think it's something that all the veterans really treasure.

TI: We didn't really talk about your role in the 442 in Europe, and we talked about that during the pre-interview. Do you want to talk a little bit about what you did in the 442 in Europe? What your role was?

BT: Oh, we were with the Headquarters Company, Second Battalion. I was with the Anti-tank Platoon, and we had all kinds of assignments. Guard a certain area, serve as litter-bearers, carry supplies to the front-line troops. Lot of odds and end things.

TI: Was there anything, any memory from the war, either positive or negative, that really stands out when you think about the war that you can share with us?

BT: No. There's a lot of things that you can't forget. But, I don't know what you mean by...

TI: Well, let me ask you this one. What was your most, your fondest memory of Europe?

BT: Fondest memory? Well, that we survived the war. No, but the... I can say, stirring memory would be at our -- when we hold service for those that died during the action. And I can always remember Chaplain Yamada (meant to say, Chaplain Higuchi) reading the words, "In my Father's house, there are many mansions." Everybody's calm, very quiet. No, those are the things that I have to think about, the boys who never came home, never raised a family, never enjoyed the Veterans' Bill of Rights. No, I cannot forget those boys.

TI: Okay. Thank you very much.

<End Segment 17> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.