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TI: One of the things that you helped on was putting together this package. You filled in a lot of the details that was sent to the military to review the case. Can you describe some of the parts of this package? What was included in this package?

BT: Well, in preparing, in helping Louise and Kash prepare the report, they would have to feed me information. And based on that, I would do a little research and, then, I would feed it back to them. So, it's just like -- I would say -- something that they prepared with my assistance. They had to initiate it. They had to provide the background information. For example, one of the things that I corrected first, Kash mentioned that he got into this br -- scuffle at Sospel. Our unit had been at Sospel for, I think, well over a month, maybe month-and-a-half. And he said -- so I told him, "There was no bar at Sospel. We were at Sospel long time. If there was a bar, it was big secret. But there was no bar. You got it wrong." And then he kinda backed down, and said, "Yeah." Then I went back to the records again. And, "See on a certain date, you folks were in this area." And it just happened to be in southern France where I Company was guarding a large area near Menton, Beausoleil, down by the coast. Then Sadaichi and Kash started putting their heads together and they referred me to different people. And then we finally didn't nail it down, except that it was near Menton in southern France. Yeah. That I had to be very careful the information that I was going to give Kash would be accurate. We didn't want his application to... we didn't want him to be embarrassed that there was something erroneous in his application.

TI: So that was one of your key roles was almost to check all the facts that were, what was in this proposal, when they, names, dates, locations?

BT: Well, it was Sadaichi and I put our heads together and we would exchange letters, little phone calls off and on. In fact, we used to correspond so regularly, I used to tell Sadaichi, "The post office is making a profit on us. They made $1 million the other year." So Sadaichi and I said, "Maybe we helped. "

TI: Who were some of the other people who were involved putting together the package? It was Sadaichi, you, the Kashinos. Was there anyone else?

BT: Well, their names escape me, because I was given a lot of I Company names, especially in the Los Angeles area. They would refer me to someone else, who in turn would feed, refer me to someone else. Now Kash could have done this, but being in Seattle it would be difficult for him. Because Sadaichi and I were together, it would be easier for me to handle that part. And then my problem in contacting people was that I'd say, "This Kashino case, and I'm trying to get information." And they'd say, "Yes, what kind of information?" And I'd say, "Well, you know he was court-martialed. We're trying to find out something." Then they say, "Oh, by the way, who am I talking to?" And I would say, "Bill Thompson." Then there would be a big silence. Then I would have to explain, "I was with the 442. I'm not an outsider. I'm part-Japanese." And then we would continue the discussion. I'd say that was one of the, not an obstacle, but one of the things that I had to laugh about. Yeah, I thought of changing my name to "Thompsonokawa". [Laughs]

TI: That's funny. Was that a common thing during the war, too? That when they saw your name, Bill Thompson, the guys in the 442, if they didn't know you, would sort of stop and...?

BT: Oh, yeah. They'd say, "We got a haole over here. Oh, who's this officer?" Or something like that.

TI: And when people did that, how would you respond?

BT: Oh, I'd laugh.

TI: Because your mannerisms, I would think that once they started talking with you, they would...?

BT: Well, if, they would ask me, "Are you Japanese or haole?" And, I would say, "Who's winning?" [Laughs]

TI: That was -- they would laugh, and they'd be, okay?

BT: Yeah. I don't know. Some people, especially some on the mainland, were very hurt about being lumped with the Japanese, being considered Japanese even though they were raised more in an American home rather than in Japanese home.

TI: Were there times when the guys in the 442, because your last name was Thompson, that they could have you do certain things that they couldn't do? I'm not sure. I'm thinking that they might have you go ask for something because your name was Bill Thompson, and that it might go through rather than having a Japanese name?

BT: No, I don't recall anything like that.

TI: Okay. I was just curious.

<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.