Densho Digital Archive
Whitworth College - North by Northwest Collection
Title: George Morihiro - Jack Sameshima Interview
Narrators: George Morihiro - Jack Sameshima
Interviewer: Andrea Dilley
Location:
Date: 2003-2004
Densho ID: denshovh-mgeorge_2_g-01-0001

<Begin Segment 1>

JS: My name is Jack Sameshima, and I was in L Company with the 442nd, went over a replacement in November of '44.

GM: My name is George Morihiro. I served with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Company I. We fought right alongside of each other, more or less. And I also served in the Korean War.

[Interruption]

AD: How do you know each other?

JS: Well, we knew each other I think in camp, huh, George? I used to see George in camp because we lived in the same block in internment camp, next to each other.

GM: That was in Area B in Puyallup, "Camp Harmony," Puyallup, that we knew each other, and then we went to Minidoka, and we were one block away.

JS: We knew each other and had a lot of common friends.

GM: Yeah, we were about the same age. I think I'm one year older.

JS: A lot older.

GM: When you're in camp you kind of congregate with your area friends. Not your old friends, because sometimes they're too far away.

AD: And how, tell us about how you were each drafted and where you were.

JS: Well, I think I was in camp at that time. I was through with high school, and I think the draft started in... when did they start the draft again? '44?

GM: '43.

JS: '43, end of '43?

GM: I think it was '43.

JS: Must have been toward the end of '43 because we were inducted early in '44. So they sent out a lot of the notices to the boys in camp, and we were in the first group that was called. So that was... we were too young at the time, I think, when they originally asked for -- I was, anyway, for volunteers for the 442nd.

GM: I tried to volunteer, but my mother cried so much, she said, "One in the family is enough." I had a brother in the army from 1941. So after watching my mother cry all day, I just gave it up. And I was in the army a couple months later.

AD: What prompted you to enlist?

JS: Well, they, we were inducted or drafted, but then we didn't oppose going. There was no problem, I think, with me, and I'm sure George, too. We didn't have any qualms about not going.

AD: What motivated you to go, Jack?

JS: Well, I think it was just something you're born with, serving your country, and even though you were not being treated as you would have liked, we were still Americans and that's the way I felt. That's part of your duty.

GM: And you have to go back to those days. When Pearl Harbor started, all young kids wanted to be in the army. There was no question about that. Our high school friends, didn't matter what nationality you were, everybody wanted to go in the army. They didn't want to be left behind. Well, we got separated, but still, in camp, under my condition I had a brother that was already in the army and I was very proud of him, the family was proud of him. And I wanted to join the army, too.

<End Segment 1> - Copyright © 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.