Densho Digital Repository - Katsugo Miho Interview V (Densho ID: ddr-densho-1022-5-1)

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MN: Okay. This is an interview with Mr. Katsugo Miho on March 9, 2006. The interviewers are Michiko Kodama Nishimoto and Warren Nishimoto. And the interview is being held in Honolulu, Hawaii, at the UH Manoa campus. Okay? So Kats, to continue the interview, let's continue with our discussion of Belvedere.

KM: Belvedere was the first day of combat for the new combat team which included the 442 Regimental Combat Team which the 100th merged with us. And General Mark Clark, in deference to the record of the 100th, allowed the 100th to retain its own individual identity by naming, becoming the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, 100th separate, 100th Battalion separate. And so even 'til today we have a distinct separation between the 100th and the 442. But the 100th became the 1st Battalion of the 442 Regiment. As I said previously, we had three regiments of infantry, and basically the 1st Battalion of the 442, most of them became replacements to the 100th. And the leftover was, remained in Camp Shelby to be the training cadre for replacements to the 442. And so, I think the Camp Shelby was designated 171, so they have a different designation.

But we got together and Belvedere was the first day of combat for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. And a historical note is that the first day of combat, the 2nd Battalion who was leading the attack got into some difficulties, primarily because they did not have the support of the artillery when the 2nd Battalion went into combat and committed themselves and needed some fire support. Unfortunately, the field artillery was on the road. We were also getting to places to position our guns. And according to my understanding, Colonel Harrison, our commander, went according to what we call the SRP, Standard Operational Procedure, which said that when the infantry is out, and your artillery is not available, you depend on the divisional artillery for support. And so he had banked on the fact that when the artillery, all three batteries of us were on the road, the infantry would call on the divisional artillery for fire support, but that never happened. And because of that, the second battalion got pinned down. And he said at that point, the 100th Infantry, which was on a standby reserve basis, Captain Sakae Takahashi was given the task of, so-called... we 442 to hate to say it, but "rescuing the 2nd Battalion infantry," which was, so to speak, in a predicament, and for that action which ended in the routing of the German forces, the 100th infantry got their first unit citation. But the lesson learned by our Colonel Harrison was that thereon, thereafter, at no time did the artillery battalion move all three gun battery at the same time. One gun battery was always left in position to support the infantry, and until the other two batteries got their placements. And so thereafter, we did not depend on division artillery at all. Of course, for supplemental fire, there have been occasions when the division artillery came in to support the 442. But we worked as a combat team, fully as a combat team thereon.