Densho Digital Archive - George Koshi Interview (denshovh-kgeorge-01-0019)

<Begin Segment 19>

MU: Okay, tell us about that. You took your discharge and you came on as a civilian for U.S. government?

GK: Yes. I was only a linguist when I went to Japan. Then I, it became possible to get discharged in Japan, so when I heard about it, I went to the replacement center and asked for a discharge. And at the same time I heard that the war crimes trial was about to begin. So I went to the war crimes section to see if they had any place for linguist or attorney. So when they saw my qualification, a linguist (with) a legal background -- just graduated, still no practical experience but still I had my license -- so they jumped for me. So immediately I took my discharge and went into war crimes section to take care of the defense -- I went to the defense section to take care of the B class, B and C class war criminals' trial. There were A class, B class, and C class. A class involved the twenty-eight -- class A people included Tojo. And B class and C class were those that were charged with inflicting mistreatment and atrocities against the American POWs. I went into to that section to defend those, Japanese defendants. So I took my discharge in March 1945 -- no '46. And then went into the defense section in April of '46.

MU: Did they give you a pretty good jump in pay?

GK: Oh, yes. From master sergeant to, at that time it was Professional II, which was changed to GS 13, later on. So it was quite big (jump). (...) I was a master sergeant when in service, but the minute I took my discharge I was classified (...) on the same level as a colonel.

MU: Oh, you were?

GK: So my civilians activation thirteen, fourteen, were given colonel treatment. So my barracks, too, immediately (changed) to officers quarters from enlisted men quarters.

MU: Oh yeah? Well, your hard work paid off.

GK: Oh, yes. Of course, all this happened before the war, before I was inducted. So then I came back to legal side upon my discharge. (...) Then I went to war crimes, and then upon (...) finishing the war crimes trials -- in 1948 I went to legal section GHQ SCAP. Which (took charge of) the judicial reform of Japanese government. I was in that section to supervise Japanese legal and judicial reform. So that was an interesting job.