<Begin Segment 9>

JD: Let's go to Nhpum Ga, another important event.

RM: Yeah, what happened was then we know where they're going, so we're gonna... their plan was they're gonna go down to Inkangahtawng, so we know exactly where they're going. But they had the road because they had the truck and tanks, but we don't have anything, heavy weapon, other than mortar and machine guns. So we have to go through the jungle, and we got to cut own trail and get to, well, through some village and some trail, and get to Inkangahtawng. Took several days, and almost to the year. We left the 5th of March from Walawbum, then we head to place, Inkangahtawng was 23rd of April, I mean, 23rd of March. March 5th, yeah, 23rd of March we got there. Then all of a sudden they were there already because they have a truck to go there. And so beat us. And they're the ones waiting and we didn't know that. Well, we know that we were supposed to go there and then make a roadblock, but we were late. Then already they opened up with artillery and we didn't have that. So three days fighting, we lost quite a few men. Then we got retreat order. Well, we don't say retreat, we say "strategic withdrawal." But anyway, we came through a place called Hsamshingyang and Nhpum Ga, Kauri, and so forth, [inaudible] backtrack. Then the 2nd Battalion and 3rd Battalion were supposed to go there, but the 3rd Battalion were told to go to Hsamshingyang, and the 2nd Battalion stopped at Nhpum Ga, so that stop their advance.

In the first three days, we were able to evacuate the sick and the wounded, then all of a sudden being surrounded, and couldn't take sick. And most of the guys get sick. And fortunately, we were able to evacuate Sergeant Nakata and Sergeant Sugeta, they were sick, so evacuated to 3rd Battalion place in Hsamshingyang. And they had a dry rice field paddy there, rice paddy there, so we could land L-5 and take out the sick and wounded. And the rest of them all kept, then surrounded for ten days, and then we have nowhere to go. And they're attacking us and suffering casualties. We have, we lost about a hundred horses, horses couldn't dig a foxhole, they're standing there, and a treeburst or artillery hit or mortar and get killed. And this hot weather, getting rotten, stink, and no water. We had a water hole on the side of the hill, but after a few days, they discovered that water hole we've been using, so they set out machine guns, so we couldn't go there anymore, we lost water. So no water, and so we have to drop water in a plastic bag to us, and also supply, too. But since right on a hilltop, and sometime parachutes used to drift away by wind, and enemy get our supply. We get, say, for instance, we got part of a machine gun and they got a part of ammunition, and they couldn't use the different caliber anyway. We lost ration, too, and some soldier, we found their backpack, they're carrying our k-rations and things like that. And we don't know what to do.

Lieutenant Ed McLogan of the rifle platoon, he was guarding by the trail, and he lost about, he had a fifty man crew, and he lost about twenty-two or three. Not all killed, just sick and wounded and some killed. But he had forty percent casualties. Some book mentioned that forty percent casualty means that your whole unit forty percent. We had about eight hundred men, so we didn't lose three hundred-some men. Just forty percent of... in McLogan's sector, just the platoon. Fifty men, so book was misquoting there. We didn't lose that many, forty percent. But forty percent... so he was all shook up, excited because any time enemy attacked his place. So he called the commanding officer, Colonel McGee, something making noise, so send someone to find out what's going on. But, see, there were four Nisei boys, but two are already evacuated. So only two left, but Sergeant Honda was sick in the foxhole, so he couldn't move. So I'm weak and tired, but I'm the only one available, but Colonel said, "Got to send Matsumoto up there." So sent me, I was ordered to go to McLogan's place, then I went there. And I couldn't make out either, they're talking about just harassing us, just like [inaudible] everybody talking, just making noise. We could hear, but we cannot see, because they're in a bush and we're in the top of the hill. We could hear, but they don't know what's going on. So I decided when it gets dark, go down there and find out exactly what they're talking about. So I normally come back about... well, before daybreak, but that particular night, I came back before midnight. According to McLogan -- I don't know how long I was there -- but he said I'd been gone down there twenty or thirty minutes, and 'til ten or twenty minutes, came back there, and he said.. that's his calling. In fact, you'd like to hear this, but mentioned that they're gonna attack your place. Actually what they said was they're going to make a dawn attack while we're asleep. So I reported that and so he called the colonel, "That's what Matsumoto heard." So they said they're gonna set up, they're gonna fool them.

So dawn, quietly move out the fox holes, don't make noise. They're fifteen, about fifteen yards away, so if you make a noise, they could hear. So quietly move out, then quietly dug a hole about fifty feet above. We could not go any higher than that. But anyway, and quietly dig a foxhole. Then he said he's gonna send a, reinforce the firing part, so get automatic weapons, machine guns and bazooka and things like that, BAR, Browning Automatic Weapon, and automatic weapon there. Plus M-1 and carbine, and waited. Sure enough, they start to make noise and come up there, and stick a bayonet in the foxhole, but nobody there. So they got fooled. They said they're gonna go up there, up more. Then we waited, they're making noise so we know. All of a sudden opened up. They're in the open, we're in the foxhole, so, then mowed it down. Then they gave 'em... "Well, let's get out of here." So I just got up there... well, in the foxhole, you give 'em something, you don't hear. So I have to get up there, stand, then tell 'em to advance. Then moved out. Then the second group, reinforcements come up there, and people dead, they don't know what to do. And so that same thing, come up there, then started open up again. So they're gonna get out, hide, so they jump into our foxhole, then all the booby trap, so that thing went up, too. Then they're confusion, see. So they tell 'em, "Let's get out of here." I don't know who's saying, sergeant or not. So I gave 'em a regiment order. "Prepare to charge," then, "Charge." The book says just, "Charge," they don't... you have to give 'em preparatory order. For instance, like, "To the rear, march." Or on the track and field, "On your mark," you have to say preparatory order such as, "About face," or, "rear march," or whatever. "To the rear," you have to say that. So you have to say [inaudible] orders.

As I mentioned before, I went to high school there. In Japan, all the high school people have to take a junior ROTC course, military training. So they issued a field manual, and I still have the field manual. It happened to mention what order to give to make 'em advance. Just, "Charge, charge," they won't do it. You have to give. So I happened to know that, so I used that. I still got this field manual at home. But anyway, I may donate this to a museum, but that saved our lives, to give 'em order. And they didn't know. Not total dark, but still dark. So somebody gave 'em an order, standing there, they thought the sergeant ordered, lieutenant, or team leader, because about the two platoon size. And I estimated maybe close to one company gonna come and charge up. But it so happened that as I expected came. And when war ended, I mean, the shooting ended, see, we found fifty-four dead one, and among them, two officers. I happened to know one of the officer, I never mentioned that. But anyway, two officers, so one of them give orders. And they didn't know I was the one giving orders. But anyway...

JD: You gave orders in Japanese, right?

RM: Yeah, of course, Japanese soldier, have to give 'em. So happened that I learned what to order in Japanese. So they hear that, they didn't know I did it because they thought one of the officers did it because darkness, and they don't know. They were regimental orders, so anybody could, higher ranking people, give 'em orders.

JD: What was the order?

RM: Order was to advance, charge. And charging, too, then we opened up, then all wipe out. And I don't know how many were retreated, but anyway, we didn't find any wounded ones.

JD: What was the order in Japanese?

RM: Yeah, Japanese.

JD: What was the order in Japanese that you gave them, the preparatory order?

RM: Yeah, I said -- I don't want to shout it, but I said, "Totsugeki ni! Susume! Tokkan!" Tokkan means to charge. Susume means "advance." But this order is, the main thing is, totsugeki ni is the important one. Then they anticipate they have to charge. Then go, whatever the order is. But this is what exactly said in Japanese: totsugeki ni. Anyway, so I was lucky. And good thing, bullet didn't hit me, either side, the bullet. But if you stay in foxhole, they wouldn't hear, see, 'cause they got to stand in the open like the enemy is. But I was lucky. Well, lucky thing was, about three or four years ago, three years ago, the guy came to me, "Do you remember me?" Well, I didn't know who it could be. But the guy says, "Remember me," means I happened to know him, supposed to. But anyway, so I said, since this is a reunion, so must be a member of the Marauders, so I know it's the Marauders. Says, who could know me, because I'm 2nd Battalion? So I asked him, "Were you in 2nd Battalion?" Said, "Yeah." So still, I couldn't place him. So, well, I didn't know what, where, so I says, "Nhpum Ga?" He said, "Yeah." Then what happened at Nhpum Ga, I didn't know a particular person. But then, "Green combat team?" He said, "Yeah. How'd you know?" I didn't know, I'm just guessing. "Don't you know? I was your foxhole buddy." [Laughs] And he happened to be, his name happened to be Ed Kohler, and so he asked me, and when I said I got to go down there, said, "Sarge," I was a sergeant, see buck sergeant. "Why do you do crazy things like that? You might get killed." He doesn't want me to go up because get killed. But I told him, "If I don't go down there, all going to be killed." Because they're waiting, surround us, ten days shooting, and eventually everybody going to be wiped out. We'd be starving there, and so that's what happened, Ed Kohler. I didn't know the name at the time, because I'd get in somebody else's foxhole, I didn't even have time to... of course, I had a foxhole there, but every time artillery shell burst, got, dug couple inches deeper. But anyway, always sergeant order me, "Go there, go there."

<End Segment 9> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.