Densho Digital Archive - Roy Matsumoto Interview (denshovh-mroy

<Begin Segment 17>

JD: All right. So what year did that happen, that you were recommended for the MIS Hall of Fame?

RM: What happened was in 1992, we had a reunion in Richmond, Virginia. And, see, so I got Burma News, and I know exactly what's going on, so I mentioned that we got a reunion in Richmond to Fumi and my daughter Karen. And Fumi says, "Let's go, Daddy." But I was still working at that time because that's '92, and it was too hard to go, so I decided I'm not going to go there. But then Fumi says, "Let's go, Daddy. I'd like to see my friend." So I was retired already then. I retired in '63, so that's many years later, '92. And so we decided to go there, so took the whole family and went to Richmond. Well, what it did was flew to Washington, and then rent a car, and went down, drove the coast, then went to where I was stationed, Fort Storey, near Virginia Beach. So we went to Norfolk and then Virginia Beach, then we saw where I worked and still there. Then we stopped at Williamsburg and had a good time, then went to Richmond.

JD: Did you know that you were going to be honored at this reunion?

RM: No, no, that was '62. I mean, not '62, '92. Then this all started.

JD: Right. So you just, you just thought you were going with the family to this reunion.

RM: Yeah, family to reunion, but we're taking our sweet time because Fumi, my daughter, want to meet her friend. Of course, she met, but the first thing she did was when we hit Virginia Beach, she hit an elementary school where she went, then asked a schoolteacher what happened to her, then she said... see, we left there in '63, and this was '92. So she wants to know what the schoolteacher was... then the school told her that the teacher was promoted and became a principal of Cox High School there. So she went to high school and met her, and good shot, and came back, and, "Well, let's go to reunion." So we went to Richmond by way of Williamsburg, that's in Virginia, famous place, then we went to Richmond, and finally went to hotel. Then we were, get the room there, I met a few friends and they welcomed me. But anyway, the evening banquet, so look at time, "Oh, have to go to banquet now," so we, all we went down. Already, people in there, we're kind of late. So only open place was by the entrance, there's a table there and nobody's sitting there, so we sat there. And some people spotted me being there, because I never went there before. So long time no see, and saw me come, so came and talked to me, and chatting, then says, one of the veterans came to me. Then Fumi was there, just sitting there, and don't even met my family, this guy says Fumi is my wife. And Kimiko, she looked young, took, at the time. And the daughter, and another daughter, says. Then you know what? Fumi said, "What?" "Your daddy saved our asses." In front of the girls, he says, "asses." That's army talk. They saved life, but says, "asses." Then people heard that commotion, then here comes Phil Piazza, says, "Where were you? We're waiting for you. We had a reserved table for your family." But then, head table. Then, well, the reason we're late, so that's empty, so some other people sat there, so we don't want to let them move, so we sat there. "By the way, General Downing here want to meet you here." So then the head table, General Downing there, then came there and then Colonel Grange there, he was the commanding officer, 75th Ranger Battalion. So then the two come down there, so Piazza escorted me to the general, then both of 'em stood up, so I salute 'em. And he says, "Sergeant, it's our pleasure and honor to meet you, Sir." See, two star general, major general, "sir," to me, I'm the sergeant. [Laughs] So everybody laugh because, "sir," that's just for the kick, I think, he "sir" me. Then says, he thanked me what I've done. Then the next year, I think he told Phil, "Put him on."

So at the time, this so happened that that year, we had Ranger Hall of Fame started. Then the colonel and the general group, General Merrill, some colonels and some other outfit, too. Then the book says "first Ranger Hall of Fame," but not exactly first, we're the second. But the other one is inaugural hall of fame, then first, second, third. So that was the first group of the enlisted me to be inducted Hall of Fame. It was a great honor, but nobody told me, but I know general is the one, "Put him on." He knew all about it, he told me, "I know all about you." So naturally, we're rangers, and his command, and he was a commanding general of this special operation command, including rangers, special forces and everything. The navy seal and things like that, he was the head of it. Then he became a full general and retired now, and I understand that he passed a couple years ago. Then every time I go to Ranger Hall of Fame or Ranger Rendezvous, go out there, and people... see, I start in the hall, he's there, "I see Matsumoto every day." In other words, he took my picture, then here in the living room, he tells other people, general tell them, "I saw him every day." [Laughs] That's what I heard. Kind of embarrassing, but great honor, general mentioned that he sees me, he's telling other people he knows me. You saw the picture. He put an arm around me, and also I commandeer thirteen stars. Seven general there in the picture. That was just before I was inducted, let's take a picture. So put me in the center, there's a picture when you come to my house by the door you see the general all lined up, and General Sunafu in the middle in a white uniform, rest are all army. I'm very proud of that picture, I commandeered the general. But General Grange is the one that did it. That's why I was inducted.

First, they inducted me as an honorary member of the service Ranger, then I found out that I was a ranger myself already, so not an honorary member, I was a regular member. So they made me a distinguished member of the Ranger Regiment. That's a great honor. Then later on, they kept the fifty years quiet, and after sixty years, special forces inducted me as an honorary member because I didn't go into the special forces. But I'm qualified because I'm OSS member. So that's what happened two years ago, three years ago, and now. Yeah, two years ago at the Fort Lewis, remember, you know. Three hour ceremony, and they won't let the other people come in because too many soldier there in the chapel. But Kimiko and I were invited there, and General Dolan, I mean, Colonel Dolan was a Medal of Honor soldier, and he's the one recommended me. I mean, maybe did originally. But General Parker, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, special forces headquarters, the one appoint me as an honorary member, and I have a certificate and great honor, because he mentioned that I was in the OSS. But before that, I couldn't mention OSS, so nobody knew I was in OSS. But I was in a super secret, I did a little contribution so I'm very proud of it and honored. And so, well, I'm inducted, too. Then also, governor of Kentucky appoint me as a Kentucky Colonel. I'm only sergeant, but then mailing address says, "Colonel Matsumoto." Kind of embarrassing. Well, don't feel too bad about it, but kind of funny. He called me, mentioned colonel. Of course, Colonel Matsumoto, my brother was a full colonel, but he passed away twenty-seven years ago. But I'm still kicking.