Densho Digital Archive
National Japanese American Historical Society Collection
Title: George S. Matsui Interview
Narrator: George S. Matsui
Interviewer: Marvin Uratsu
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: December 11, 1997
Densho ID: denshovh-mgeorge-01-0014

<Begin Segment 14>

MU: Well, I want to go back a little bit. You know when you got your Bronze Star, where was that award made?

GM: That was made on island of Saipan by General Jarman. Honda, me, and several other -- I don't know who the others were but the two Niseis were Sargent Honda and me.

MU: Did you ever get a chance to talk to some of the people that came out of the caves afterwards?

GM: No, no, no. After the island was secured, oh, I think couple of weeks later, we were sent back to rest and recuperation.

MU: Okay.

GM: But I -- then I said I was sent back the next year for training of these recruits from Honolulu, Hawaii (...).

MU: You had to go back to Saipan...

GM: I had to go back to Saipan.

MU: ...and train these new language recruits?

GM: (Yes.)

MU: And how long did you stay for that?

GM: Gosh, how long did I -- two or three months?

MU: Oh, right.

GM: Yeah. Maybe it was three months. Then I was sent back to Hawaii.

MU: To Hawaii.

GM: Then from there I went to Philippines.

MU: Okay. Now, what was that assignment about?

GM: I think they were getting ready to invade Japan.

MU: Oh yeah. Regrouping?

GM: Yeah.

MU: Okay. And that would be what, in 1945 now?

GM: Yeah. 1945.

MU: And were you...

GM: Summer of '45.

MU: Were you sent to ATIS or were you with some other unit already?

GM: I don't know what, where, we were in Manila, but I don't know what group.

MU: Okay. I know there were a lot of people at ATIS awaiting...

GM: Yeah, they're from...

MU: ...assignment.

GM: ...southeast. From Brisbane or Australia, all those ATIS people.

MU: And we were there straight from the States.

GM: Oh, I see.

MU: Okay. So you were sent to...?

GM: Our guys were from Central Pacific.

MU: Yeah.

GM: So, I think this was sort of a consolidation of all the language specialists.

MU: Yeah. Probably Santa Ana race tracks where ATIS was.

GM: Um, uh-huh.

MU: So how long did you stay there?

GM: Well, I don't know, I stayed there... I can't remember. And I don't know if we flew in or took a boat into Haw-, Tokyo.

MU: All right. Now...

GM: I don't remember that.

MU: Okay. Now when...

GM: 'Cause, uh -- oh, I was on Saipan going back after the island was secured. I drank coconut milk and I got sick and rash all over. So they sent me to a (field) hospital right there.

MU: In Saipan?

GM: Uh-huh. Field hospital.

MU: Okay.

GM: And I was in there for a week. I forgot to tell you that.

MU: Okay. Well, that's okay. Yeah. Then...

GM: That was important to me 'cause I got sick. [Laughs]

MU: Yeah, yeah, that's right.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.