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KM: So when my brother came back to Maui early in 1943, to tell me that he's going to volunteer for 442, this is before anybody else knew, before even public information. Because my brother Katsuo was very close to the FBI people, and so Katsuaki was already informed that they decided they're going to form an all-Nisei outfit. In those days, they say all-Nisei outfit. So he came back to pay a final goodbye to my mother, and that's how the picture that we have, the three of us, when we decided that we would volunteer. And I spent a couple of days, in fact, one whole night with him as to whether he and I both volunteer, whether only he'd volunteer and I'd volunteer. One of the Japanese customs is that, take time as a family. A lot of times a member of the family can represent the whole family. And so my argument with him was that, a, he is... well, number one, let's go with Katsuo. Katsuo has glaucoma, so even though he volunteered, he's not going to be taken into the army. Paul can volunteer but he's not going be taken. Even if he did, he's a divinity student, so he's going to be exempt one way or the other. And so it was only between Katsuaki and I. And I pointed out to him that he had already worked several years, one year longer than what he expected to go to medical school, and that he could have gone anytime at that point in 1942. But I told him, "You're already accepted to medical school, your future is to become a doctor, be a professional," which was, at that time, for the Nisei community, kind of unheard of, the professions that were, being a doctor. And there was just a handful of doctors. In Maui you had only one or two doctors, and even in Honolulu, the Kuakini Hospital was the only medical facility available for the Nisei population. And so we argued, argued, argued all night long. But he said, his argument was that volunteering for the U.S. Army at that point, we had no discussion whatsoever about my having been dishonorably, not honorably discharged from the HTG and that the Niseis were being mistreated. There was very little discussion about those aspects. What we were involved was our family, our individual choice, his choice was "my individual choice." He put it on the basis that it was not a family matter. "I represent the family, so our family will be represented in this volunteer stuff." You have every reason to continue, go to school and become a doctor. But to no avail, we akiramete at that point, he was a volunteer, I was a volunteer. Because, look, it's an individual matter. He's... and this is, refer this phrase of modern ones, his answer was, "Look, if both of you and I, we survive this war," and then this business of what the Niseis do during World War II. So what is he going to tell his kids? That, "I didn't volunteer because I went to medical school?" As compared to, he had a choice as an individual, as an individual member of society. Did he fight for his country or not for his country? That was his argument. That's was the choice made.

MN: You know, when that decision was made, what was the reaction of your family?

KM: Well, nobody else was involved in the discussion, this was strictly between he and I, because nobody else was around. Fumiye wasn't around, Paul wasn't around, my dad didn't get involved with our discussion. Katsuro was on Oahu, but he was kind of aloof, you know, full-time working.

WN: Did Katsuaki try to dissuade you from volunteering?

KM: Oh, no, no. There was very little discussion on my part. It was his, whether would have... the discussion basically was between he and I as to whether he would or not. It was a given as far as my volunteering.

WN: Why was it a given?

KM: We never even thought about if I would not volunteer. Because I'd already served a month and a half after December 7th.

MN: And then who among your acquaintances or friends volunteered?

KM: You know, funny thing, I don't recall much discussion... well number one, I was too busy, right? I was working ten hours a day. Ten hours a day, seven days a week, and so there was very little interchange other than during the working hours. So during working hours there was little discussion for something like this because most of the workers were elderly boys, elderly men.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright © 2021 Densho. All Rights Reserved.