THIS IS UNFINISHED!

Observations

Quentin Aanenson

 

1. He was a fighter Pilot in world war two. He applied to become a pilot but was refused many times because he failed an eyesight test due to his color blindness. He eventually memorized the test and was accepted.
2. His first mission as a pilot was D-day, and his mission was to drop bombs on German positions before the advancement of troops on the beach.
3. During a later mission in France, he was shot down. His ****pit caught fire and he attempted to end his life by flying the plane straight into the ground. The change in cabin pressure during this dive extinguished the fire and he managed to fly back to base with his injuries.
4. Suffered many close calls in air combat. His ****pit frequented with fires.
5. He saw a total of 6 straight months of intensive fighting during his time as a fighter pilot at the end of WWII

 

 

Daniel Inouye

 

1. Was born in Hawaii, and was raised as an American. He was educated in American schools.
2. He witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor, and as a Red Cross volunteer, he helped deal with all of the wounded after the attack.
3. Signed up to become part of the entirely volunteer, and entirely Japanese 442nd infantry.
4. He was eventually promoted to sergeant in his battalion, and after the death of the leader of his battalion, he served as the leader for three months in which a confrontation with German soldiers north of Rome occurred.
5. In a valiant effort in a battle against German soldiers in Colle Musatello, he took a shot to the abdomen from a machine gun but continued to lead an assault against the Germans uphill. He got off a few grenades and with the time allotted he helped take out many of the soldiers with his Tommy gun. He was in recent years awarded the Medal of Honor.

 

Joseph Vaghi

 

1. Commissioned as a naval officer in April of 1943.
2. He was a member of the Naval Beach Battalion. This battalion was part of the invasion of France to try and take it from the Germans.
3. During this invasion a battery of German artillery knocked him unconscious as he tried to make his way up the beach past many wounded men. When he finally came to, his clothes were set afire and his knee was badly wounded.
4. Later, he was sent across the Pacific for the invasion of Okinawa. Where luckily there was little opposition from the Japanese.
5. He then returned home at the end of the war in 1945 and settled in Washington D.C.

 

John Gray

 

1. Drafted into the Marines in May of 1943. Many of the soldiers drafted were minorities.
2. He was place to the 51st Defense Battalion, which was the only all black battallion being trained to serve in the marines.
3. The leader of his batallion who was a veteran of the Pearl Harbor attack, was respected greatly by his batallion as he preached that there was nothing a white soldier could do that a black couldnt.
4. The battallion he trained with never got to see combat, and they gained the name of The Lost Battallion.
   5. After he left the war he became a school teacher, and after the desegregation of schools by the Federal government, he eventually became a school principal.

Robert Kashiwagi

 

1. Drafted into the War in 1941, but could not serve because of a  contracted lung illness.
2. His family was eventually sent to a Japanese containment camp in California.
3. After being bed-ridden at the camp for months, the 442nd infantry came to him with an offer for him to join. He at first refused, and then joined along with his brother later.
4. Was sent in on a misson in France to rescue The Lost Battallion from behind enemy lines. 186 men went in on foot and only 17 came back out.
5. Returned home after sustaining injuries just to find his parents had no where to live. After their release from the camp in California.

 

-- Edited by Tyler Allain on Thursday 16th of April 2009 02:59:46 PM

-- Edited by Tyler Allain on Thursday 16th of April 2009 03:14:36 PM

-- Edited by Tyler Allain on Thursday 16th of April 2009 04:20:48 PM

Moussa wrote:

---

Still unfinished

Daniel Inouye:

1. Saw the Japanese Attacks at Pearl Harbor first hand and helped with the wounded.

2. He was called (with all other Japanese Americans) an enemy alien and couldnt serve in the military.

3. He was hit in the abdomen by machine gun nets, shrapnel nearly cut off his right arm. And still led his men up a slope against German forces.

4. Doctors gave him so much morphine, that when they had to amputate his arm they couldnt use anesthetic.

5. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery 55 years later.

Susumu Satow:

 

1. Lived in Hawaii during the Pearl Harbor Attacks.

2. Father was taken away by military because he was suspected of being an enemy alien.

3. His home, along with many other Japanese Americans was searched and was given notice that they were to go to be sent to relocation camps in the U.S.

4. He lived a year in the camp until he registered to join the army.

5. Even after returning from the war, he still had to deal with prejudices, but they were far less severe.

Robert Kashiwagi:

1. He was drafted into the army then rejected for having an infection.
2. His family was moved to a camp in California.
    In the camp, he received almost no medical attention.
3. Upon recovering, he volunteered for the military and took a loyalty questionnaire.
4. Took part in the mission to find the Lost Battalion.
   
   
   
   Ernie Pyle:   

    

   1. Developed a career in news and reporting early on.
   2. Covered London Bombings, fighting in North Africa, Italy, Sicily and France.
   3. Began to tell the stories of American soldiers, and what they had to deal with.
   4. Won Pulitzer Prize for distinguished correspondence.
   5. Was shot by a sniper in Japan covering the aftermath of war.

   
   

Moussa
-- Edited by Moussa on Thursday 16th of April 2009 04:05:17 PM

-- Edited by Moussa on Thursday 16th of April 2009 04:19:28 PM

-- Edited by Moussa on Thursday 16th of April 2009 04:20:14 PM

---

Moussa !!!!! define alien
and how would this alien be a threat
explain in detail the possible threats we face !

 

Tyler Allain wrote:

---

THIS IS UNFINISHED!

Observations

Quentin Aanenson

 

1. He was a fighter Pilot in world war two. He applied to become a pilot but was refused many times because he failed an eyesight test due to his color blindness. He eventually memorized the test and was accepted.
2. His first mission as a pilot was D-day, and his mission was to drop bombs on German positions before the advancement of troops on the beach.
3. During a later mission in France, he was shot down. His ****pit caught fire and he attempted to end his life by flying the plane straight into the ground. The change in cabin pressure during this dive extinguished the fire and he managed to fly back to base with his injuries.
4. Suffered many close calls in air combat. His ****pit frequented with fires.
5. He saw a total of 6 straight months of intensive fighting during his time as a fighter pilot at the end of WWII

 

 

Daniel Inouye

 

1. Was born in Hawaii, and was raised as an American. He was educated in American schools.
2. He witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor, and as a Red Cross volunteer, he helped deal with all of the wounded after the attack.
3. Signed up to become part of the entirely volunteer, and entirely Japanese 442nd infantry.
4. He was eventually promoted to sergeant in his battalion, and after the death of the leader of his battalion, he served as the leader for three months in which a confrontation with German soldiers north of Rome occurred.
5. In a valiant effort in a battle against German soldiers in Colle Musatello, he took a shot to the abdomen from a machine gun but continued to lead an assault against the Germans uphill. He got off a few grenades and with the time allotted he helped take out many of the soldiers with his Tommy gun. He was in recent years awarded the Medal of Honor.

 

Joseph Vaghi

 

1. Commissioned as a naval officer in April of 1943.
2. He was a member of the Naval Beach Battalion. This battalion was part of the invasion of France to try and take it from the Germans.
3. During this invasion a battery of German artillery knocked him unconscious as he tried to make his way up the beach past many wounded men. When he finally came to, his clothes were set afire and his knee was badly wounded.
4. Later, he was sent across the Pacific for the invasion of Okinawa. Where luckily there was little opposition from the Japanese.
5. He then returned home at the end of the war in 1945 and settled in Washington D.C.

 

John Gray

 

1. Drafted into the Marines in May of 1943. Many of the soldiers drafted were minorities.
2. He was place to the 51st Defense Battalion, which was the only all black battallion being trained to serve in the marines.
3. The leader of his batallion who was a veteran of the Pearl Harbor attack, was respected greatly by his batallion as he preached that there was nothing a white soldier could do that a black couldnt.
4. The battallion he trained with never got to see combat, and they gained the name of The Lost Battallion.
   5. After he left the war he became a school teacher, and after the desegregation of schools by the Federal government, he eventually became a school principal.

Robert Kashiwagi

 

1. Drafted into the War in 1941, but could not serve because of a  contracted lung illness.
2. His family was eventually sent to a Japanese containment camp in California.
3. After being bed-ridden at the camp for months, the 442nd infantry came to him with an offer for him to join. He at first refused, and then joined along with his brother later.
4. Was sent in on a misson in France to rescue The Lost Battallion from behind enemy lines. 186 men went in on foot and only 17 came back out.
5. Returned home after sustaining injuries just to find his parents had no where to live. After their release from the camp in California.

 

-- Edited by Tyler Allain on Thursday 16th of April 2009 02:59:46 PM

-- Edited by Tyler Allain on Thursday 16th of April 2009 03:14:36 PM

-- Edited by Tyler Allain on Thursday 16th of April 2009 04:20:48 PM

---

 explain number 4 on your first observation explain how it happened

teresa wrote:

---

 

Tyler Allain wrote:

---

THIS IS UNFINISHED!

Observations

Quentin Aanenson

1. He was a fighter Pilot in world war two. He applied to become a pilot but was refused many times because he failed an eyesight test due to his color blindness. He eventually memorized the test and was accepted.
2. His first mission as a pilot was D-day, and his mission was to drop bombs on German positions before the advancement of troops on the beach.
3. During a later mission in France, he was shot down. His ****pit caught fire and he attempted to end his life by flying the plane straight into the ground. The change in cabin pressure during this dive extinguished the fire and he managed to fly back to base with his injuries.
4. Suffered many close calls in air combat. His ****pit frequented with fires.
5. He saw a total of 6 straight months of intensive fighting during his time as a fighter pilot at the end of WWII

Daniel Inouye

1. Was born in Hawaii, and was raised as an American. He was educated in American schools.
2. He witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor, and as a Red Cross volunteer, he helped deal with all of the wounded after the attack.
3. Signed up to become part of the entirely volunteer, and entirely Japanese 442nd infantry.
4. He was eventually promoted to sergeant in his battalion, and after the death of the leader of his battalion, he served as the leader for three months in which a confrontation with German soldiers north of Rome occurred.
5. In a valiant effort in a battle against German soldiers in Colle Musatello, he took a shot to the abdomen from a machine gun but continued to lead an assault against the Germans uphill. He got off a few grenades and with the time allotted he helped take out many of the soldiers with his Tommy gun. He was in recent years awarded the Medal of Honor.

Joseph Vaghi

1. Commissioned as a naval officer in April of 1943.
2. He was a member of the Naval Beach Battalion. This battalion was part of the invasion of France to try and take it from the Germans.
3. During this invasion a battery of German artillery knocked him unconscious as he tried to make his way up the beach past many wounded men. When he finally came to, his clothes were set afire and his knee was badly wounded.
4. Later, he was sent across the Pacific for the invasion of Okinawa. Where luckily there was little opposition from the Japanese.
5. He then returned home at the end of the war in 1945 and settled in Washington D.C.

John Gray

1. Drafted into the Marines in May of 1943. Many of the soldiers drafted were minorities.
2. He was place to the 51st Defense Battalion, which was the only all black battallion being trained to serve in the marines.
3. The leader of his batallion who was a veteran of the Pearl Harbor attack, was respected greatly by his batallion as he preached that there was nothing a white soldier could do that a black couldnt.
4. The battallion he trained with never got to see combat, and they gained the name of The Lost Battallion.
   5. After he left the war he became a school teacher, and after the desegregation of schools by the Federal government, he eventually became a school principal.

Robert Kashiwagi

1. Drafted into the War in 1941, but could not serve because of a contracted lung illness.
2. His family was eventually sent to a Japanese containment camp in California.
3. After being bed-ridden at the camp for months, the 442nd infantry came to him with an offer for him to join. He at first refused, and then joined along with his brother later.
4. Was sent in on a misson in France to rescue The Lost Battallion from behind enemy lines. 186 men went in on foot and only 17 came back out.
5. Returned home after sustaining injuries just to find his parents had no where to live. After their release from the camp in California.

-- Edited by Tyler Allain on Thursday 16th of April 2009 02:59:46 PM

-- Edited by Tyler Allain on Thursday 16th of April 2009 03:14:36 PM

-- Edited by Tyler Allain on Thursday 16th of April 2009 04:20:48 PM

---

explain number 4 on your first observation explain how it happened

 

---

Which number four? I'd be happy to explain, but i was trying to keep my observations down in terms of information so i could open it up and tie the information together with my interviews which should be posted within the next hour or so.

NOT FINISHED

MAX MONTILLE

4/19/09

C PERIOD

 

 

                                Assignment #9 World War II (Wednesday)

 

 

  Daniel Inouye

 

1.)    He was a son of a Japanese immigrant

2.)     HE Witnessed first hand the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor

3.)     He helped tend to the many civilian casualties in his neighborhood

4.)    HE WAS DECLARED AN ENEMY ALIEN, unfit for military service

5.)       HE WAS PROMOTED TO SERGEANT IN 1944.

 

 

 

 

TOM Ciarlo

 

1.) His parents had immigrated to America from Italy

2.) Work at a Machine Company

3.) Ran a successful grocery store and butchers shop.

4.) He was drafted into the Army in 1943

5.) Fought in Italy in 1943 and 1944

 

 

 

 Katharine Phillips

 

1.) HER FATHER WAS WOUNDED IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR

2.) SHE WAS A SOPHOMORE AT HIGH SCHOOL WHEN PEARL HARBOR WAS ATTACK.

3.) She learned to cook without sugar, butter, and other essential ingredients

4.) EVERY DAY SHE Scan the daily casualty lists for familiar names.

5.) HER HUSBAND WAS  a naval pilot during the war

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emma  Belle Petcher

 

1.) SHE WAS IN A  nine month training program for maintaining and repairing airplane accessories

2.) HER JOB WAS TO examining every inch of the bombers that came in to the field

3.) Petcher made $90 a month, and lived at the YWCA in Mobile.

4.) she attend the University of Alabama

5.) shes married to a air force captain

 

 

 

 

 Burnett Miller

 

 

1.)  He was a sophomore in college when the war begin

2.)  He was called active duty after for basic training  

3.)  In September of 1944 he was ship overseas

4.)  His unit had to rushed 350 miles across France

5.)  He returns to the U.S. for college

 

 

 

 

 Sam Hynes

 

1.)  sign up for a navy flight program

2.) He began pilot training in Texas 

3.) He spent the fall in California training for tbms

4.) In January of 1945 he was shipped out to the pacific

5.) He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Leo Goldberg

 

1.) He tried to enlist in the army but he was rejected because of poor eye sight

2.) Spring of 1942 he received a draft notice

3.) He was inducted into the army as  a private in October of 1942

4.)  He was promoted to Sergeant in 1943

5.) he shattered his kneecaps, because of that he was sent back to the united states

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Fussell

 

1.) He was a son of a successful corporate lawyer

2.) In 1943 he was called for active duty

3.) Fussell survived a major German attack all along American lines in Alsace

4.) He was seriously wounded during war

5.) He spent three mouths recovering in a hospital in Epinal  

 

 

 

nadia33 wrote:

---

  Daniel Inouye

 
He was the son of a Japanese immigrant. He experienced the Pearl Harbor attack when he was a seventeen-year-old senior in high school. He volunteered at the Red Cross and helped many civilians.

 

 He was declaredenemy alien and was not fight for the military. He went to pre-med school. Sonly after the government changed its policy on Japanese American serving and he volunteered for the Japanese American 442^nd regimental combat team. He was sent to Mississippi for training.

 In the late spring of 1944 he was promoted to Sergeant. Along with the rest of his unit, he arrived in Italy just before the liberation of Rome. In October of 1944, Inouye was taken off the line to receive a battlefield commission, becoming the youngest officer in his regiment.

 
In Colle Musatello he and his crew had a battle against the Germans. As he led his men up the slope, three machine gun nests began firing at them and Inouye was hit in the abdomen. He continued to lead his men up the slope, threw a grenade to knock out the first machine gun nest, and then killed its crew with his Tommy gun.

 
Daniel Inouye received the Medal of Honor.

 

 

                                               

                                               

Interview

 

1. What happened during Pearl Harbor?

A. I heard the sounds of planes overhead and sirens and when I came outside to see what was going on I saw a big chaos. Then I saw the Japanese flag on the side of the planes.

 

 2. What was going through your head when you saw that happening?

A. I didnt even know what to do or say all I could think of was how could they do this to us and what was going to happen next.

 

 3. What was it like after the attack?

A. After the attack it was very difficult because I am Japanese I was considered a enemy alien even though I was raised as an American.

 
4. Why did you join the 442^nd combat team instead of being a doctor?

A. I joined because I felt it was my duty to serve my country and help them and as a Japanese man I had to show that I was not an enemy but true to my country.

 

 5. How did it feel to be the youngest officer in your regiment?

      A. It was an honor knowing that I had gained their trust and respect and I had worked had to get their and I deserved it

 

 6. Where you ever injured during the war?

      A. Yes, I was shot at in the abdominal when we battled the Germans in Colle Musatello. I was shot by a machine gun.

 

 7. Can you tell me what happened that day you led your men up that slope.

      A. I was leading my crew up a hill and all of a sudden three machine guns started shooting as us and I got hit by one. I continued to lead my men up the hill and I threw a grenade at them and I killed their crew with a Tommy gun.

 

 8. How did it feel when you received the Medal of Honor?

      A. It was one of the best days of my life and it was such an honor to have received that.

 

 9. Do you ever think what would have happened if you had never joined the infantry and continued in med school?

      A. sometimes I do but I am glad that I did join because it made me into a man and I had many experiences in life that not many people get to have.

 

 10. Do you regret joining the infantry?

      A. no, I think it was something that changed my life and If I had a chance to go back and change anything about it I wouldnt.

 

 Robert Kashiwagi

 After graduating high school in 1937 he went and worked on a farm. His draft number came up but he was rejected because he had a lung infection "San Joaquin Valley Fever."

 

 Kashiwagi went home but he was still bedridden. He was evacuated in May, along with his family. They were sent to CampAmache in Granada, California. Kashiwagi remained bedridden for a year in the camp, where he received minimal medical attention.

 When the recruiters for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team came through, and presented Kashiwagi and the other internees with a loyalty questionnaire. He did eventually decide to volunteer, as did his two brothers, George and Ichiro. Kashiwagi was sent to Mississippi for training.

 

 Early in November 1944, Kashiwagi was wounded again, in the hand and foot, and this time he was taken off the line and sent to a hospital in England. He eventually returned to the United States and was discharged in early 1946.

When he arrived in Sacramento he discovered his parents had been released from campAmache and were living at CampKohler, playing room and board to the United States government for the privilege.

 

 Interview

 1.      What was it like having to leave your home?

A.     It was very hard especially because I had a lung infection.

 

 2.      Where you mad when you were denied from the draft.

A, I was disappointed but I knew I could not do it due to my illness.

 

 3.      Can you explain how the camp was?

A.     It was always very cold there it would hit 25 below zero. There were many people and it was always crowded.

 

 4.      Where there guards there watching over the people?

A.     Yes, they would be in gun towers and watch the perimeter and shot anyone who tries to escape.

 

 5.      What made you want to go the infantry?

A.     We wanted to fight for our country because that was where we lived and grew up If we disowned the United States, we were men without a country.

 

 6.      Were you upset you didnt get to serve for a long time?

A.     Yes, but I did what I could and I served for my country.

 7.    Can you explain to me what happened when you went to the VosgesMountains in southern France?

A.     We went there to take the town of Bruyeres and to rescue the lost battalion. I was hit by shrapnel twice.

 

 8.      How many men were in that battle?

A.     We begun with 186 men but only 17 came back. The rest were dead wounded or missing.

 

 9.      Do you think the government mad the right decision in giving back all that money?

A.     yes I do but the money could not replace what we had lost and all the things we had to go through.

 

 10.  After the war was over do you still feel like you were not welcomed?

A. Yes some people still thought we were the enemy and they were very stereotypical.

 

 

 

Harry Schmid

 

 He was drafted in November of 1941, and went on active duty a few weeks after Pearl Harbor. He was trained as a medic, and then assigned to work in an army hospital in the United States, but he says, he didnt want to change bedpans for the whole war, and volunteered to become a pilot. He didnt have good eyesight so he trained to become a glider pilot.

 

He flew his first combat mission August 15, 1944, as part of the invasion of Southern France. Three days after the landings, he was evacuated and sent back to England for more training.

 

He remembered that the German anti-aircraft fire lit up the night sky like fireworks on the 4th of July.

 

On March 24, 1945, Schmid flew his last combat mission, as part of a massive airborne drop across the Rhine. It was his worst mission of the war.
His landing zone was under direct enemy fire, and many of the gliders in his unit were badly shot up coming in. Schmid lost four good friends that day and of his six roommates, only he and one other man survived.

 

 

During the Battle of the Bulge, Schmid was co-pilot in a C-47 and flew several missions dropping supplies into Bastogne.

 

Interview

 

 1.      How did it feel from going to a book keeper to having to fight in the war?

A.     It was very different but I knew it was something I wanted to do.

 

 2.      Why did you become a glider pilot and not a fighter pilot?

A.     I wanted to be a fighter pilot but because of my vision I was not able to.

 

 3.      Can you explain how the infantry training was?

A.     The training was very hard and you had to really push your self and be ready for whatever was coming.

 

 4.      Can you explain your first combat mission?

A.     My first combat mission was on August 15, 1944. It was part of the invasion of southern France. That was a day in my life I will never forget.

 

 5.      Can you explain the operation market garden in Holland?

A.     I flew into Holland in September of 1944. It was an allied mission fought in Holland and Germany. It was the largest airborne operation.

 

 6.      Tell me about the battle of the Bulge.

A.     It was when there was a major offense launched by Germany towards the end of the war. It took place at the ArdennesMountains.

 

 7.      What was it like flying your last combat mission?

A.     It was the worst mission I flew because my landing zone was directly under then enemy fire.

 

 8.      Was anyone killed during that mission?

A.     Yes, may of the glider planes were shot down. I lost four friends and six roommates. Only one other man and I survived.

 

 9.      Did you suffer any injuries that day?

A.     Yes, I was shot in the stomach but the bullet hit my cartridge belt and it was not a severe injury.

 

 10.  Did the war change your life?
               
                        A. Yes the war had a great impact on my life just like it did on everyone elses that was in the war. 

Ray Leopold



Ray Leopold was drafted in September 1943. He was sent to basic training. After that he was assigned to the 16^th armored and sent to Ft. SmithArkansas for training.

 

 

In late November he was shot in the thigh while on guard duty. He crawled back to his dugout and he used a German first aid kit and treated his wound.

 

 

In April, when Leopold and his unit passed through the town of Hadamar, Germany, he climbed a nearby hill to see for himself the local hospital, where Nazis doctors had taken the lives of more than 15,000 men, women, and children, and had conducted medical experiments on living human beings who had been deemed "unworthy of life" by Hitler.

 

 

On December 16, 1944 in Luxembourg, Leopold's Division, was among the first American units to be caught up in the massive German counter-attack that became known as the Battle of the Bulge

 

 

Leopold went home on leave in July 1945, expecting to be sent to the invasion of Honshu. He was discharged on Thanksgiving Day 1945, and for a time returned to Waterbury to live.

 

 

Interview

 

 

1. How did it feel to be shipped to Europe as a replacement infantryman?

    

A. I was excited because I got to go and fight in Europe.

    2. Where you excited when your commanding officer made you a medic?

A. For me it was just another job and service to my country.

   3. Where you scared when you were in the Battle of the Bulge?

A. I was scared because we were one of the first American units to be caught on Germans massive attack.

   4. How did it feel when you climbed over that hill and saw the local hospital where all those people where being killed.

A. It broke my heart to see all those people like that.

   5. Was it difficult adjusting to civilian life after the war?

A. Yes, it was because you think about everything that happened and you went through so much and now your back to a normal life.

   6. Where you ever wounded and how did you react?

               A. Yes I was shot in the thigh while on guard duty. I treated myself and thats who I became a medic.

-- Edited by nadia33 on Saturday 18th of April 2009 07:02:27 PM

---

those are some good interview questions.

 

(continued)

Interviews:


Daniel Inouye:

1. What was your first reaction at the attacks on Pearl Harbor?

A: I didn't expect it, no one did. Everyone was just doing what they do normally, going about their lives. So when I started hearing explosions I ducked down but soon saw bodies coming in and tried to help as best I could.

2. Did you know the Japanese attacked?

A: No, not at first. It didn't really matter, we were so busy we didn't have time until we started hearing people talking about the Japanese attacking.

3. What was your reaction as a Japanese American?

A: A little shocked, but at the same time, I didn't have time to think. We were so busy. Later, when I had time to rest, I directly started thinking about enlisting but soon the draft would come.

4. Did you enlist?

A: No, I couldn't. We were labeled 'Enemy Aliens', so until they reversed their decision I couldn't enlist.

5. There are stories of a battle you fought in. Where you were hit several times severely but continued to fight as best you could. Thinking back what are your thoughts.

A: I think I just did what I thought was right. I wasn't going to just sit after being hit though the pain was horrible. If I could fight and continue, why not?

6. This is a sensitive issue, and you don't have to answer if your uncomfortable, but your arm. Can you explain the surgery?

A: Excruciating. There is no word in English or Japanese to describe the pain. it was more painful than all the wounds I got in the battle before. I basically had to deal with what soldiers in the Civil war dealt with.

7. Coming home, what were things like?

A: The same as when I left. Even in uniform with no arm, to show I sacrificed it didn't help people warm up to me or any 'enemy aliens'.

8. How do you feel being awarded the Medal of Honor around half a century later?

A: It would have been nice to get it at the time. It would have made things a little difference. Make me feel prouder of my country and my sacrifice, but all is well. I did what I did, and if i get awarded than so be it.

9. Do you still talk to any of the men in the 442 Infantry?

A: Occasionally but not regularly. We're average people. After the war, everyone went their own path with their own people. We're no different from anyone else. We've spoken some times remembering what happened, sometimes laughing and at other crying, but generally, no. Staying in touch is easier said than done.

10. What are your thoughts on the military's use of Japanese Americans in battles that weren't fought against the Empire of Japan in fear of desertion?

A: I think it was ludicrous. Not one Japanese American I know has betrayed this country. Not one has deserted. Many died, while few are still alive today. But none would even consider desertion. Especially to Japan. I pledge my loyalty to this country and not Japan.


Susumu Satow:

1. Did you ever think the U.S. and Japan would go to war together?

A: No, but there were hints. The pacts made between the Axis. We could only assume they would attack the U.S. at some point. I just didn't expect them to attack so unexpectedly or so aggressively.

2. How did people react to you after the attacks?

A: I didn't have to deal with much prejudice by people on a daily basis. Most of the people I knew were Japanese American or some kind of Asian descent. We were stared at by non Asians but nothing major. Hawaii had a huge Japanese population so we were pretty well compared to other parts of the country.

3. Can you describe what happened when your father was taken away as an 'enemy alien'?

A: When my father was taken away, it wasn't harshly or inhumanely. There were a lot of troops to ensure he wouldn't try to escape. He said goodbye to us with my mother crying. He told me to be strong, and as he was guided to the truck, he was constantly asking why and where they were taking him. But to no avail.

4. What happened afterwards?

A: Not that long after he was taken away, our home was searched extensively for anything that may seem suspicious. We were then told that we would soon be 'relocated' to a relocation camp. By that they meant a Japanese/foreigner's camp. A place to put all 'suspicious' peoples.

5. Describe life in the camps.

A: It wasn't horrible. Nowhere near those in Europe. The food was adequate but not great. Most of those serving us and guarding us looked down at us like we were lower people. They saw the camps as necessary to 'control' us. I lived there for one year then when allowed, signed up for the army.

6. Having your father taken away, and forced to live in the camps, why did you decide to serve the country that did that to you?

A: Before joining, that's what everyone around us was talking about. Some didn't join for that reason. But I saw it as (1) a way to prove myself to others that I was just like them. and (2) to get out of the camps. Life wasn't very exciting there. We had little to do. The Army would be different. It was a change.

7. How did you react when you realized all Japanese American recruits would be put into the 442nd Infantry?

A: I couldn't react. I signed up and was in. No turning back. I thought it was wrong,but i couldn't do anything about it. So I did what I was told.

8. How was the chemistry between the soldiers in your Infantry?

A: Since we were all put together for being the same, we got along very easily. We discussed prejudices we dealt with, the horrible laws the government passed, and why we each joined to fight. Each had their own reason. We got along even more because we were forced together in one infantry.

9. Returning home, what was the general attitude?

A: Still the same. I mean, before the war it was a lot worse. But after service I didn't get starred at as much. People weren't being constantly rude to me. It was better, but not over.

10. Do you ever talk about those days anymore?

A: Yes, especially the prejudice in military and society. I do so because I want people to know what they have. To know what we went through for them. The sacrifices, the work and all else. I have to talk about it, or it will be forgotten.


Robert Kashiwagi:

1. What did you think when you were drafted?

A: To tell you the truth, I wasn't glad. No one who was drafted was 'glad'. I was a bit scared, but I couldn't do anything.

2. You were rejected because of an infection. Were you relieved?

A: I can't say I was relieved, especially because I knew where Japanese Americans were being sent in the U.S. At the same time I didn't want to serve in the military because they would be sending me to war. Who wouldn't be afraid?

3. After your rejection, what happened?

A: Soon afterwards I was turned away because of my infection I got severely sick. At the same time I was sent to a 'relocation camp' which complicated things greatly.

4. How did you coop with that? Being sick in a camp?

A: It was horrible. The infection got worse. Soon I was restricted to a bed and couldn't move much. I got minimal medical attention that helped magnify the problem.

5. You recovered. Then you volunteered for the army. Why did you volunteer after being turned away and especially after you knew the treatment in the camps toward Japanese Americans?

A: I volunteered because I actually strongly believed in our cause. I know that the laws were just, but what country is perfect? Time was our ally. So i signed up for the larger cause to help out.

6. What about the loyalty test you had to take? What do you think about that?

A: That was irritating to say the least. The fact that I had to take one and others didn't annoyed me, but I did it anyway just to prove them wrong. If I turned away they would have won. Instead I decided to push forward and take the test.

7. During your military service you volunteered to go and save the "Lost Battalion". Why did you volunteer especially since 2 other rescue missions had failed?

A: I felt like it was the right thing to do at the time. Others had failed, and that's why they wanted us to do the job. They came to the 442nd to get volunteers because we had done some really good stuff battle-wise before. They knew they could rely on anyone coming from our Infantry. I certainly wouldn't have wanted to be in their position. So the best thing I could do was try to help out.

8. How was the fight and the rescue?

A: Bloody. To say the least. We had so many go in and so few come out in comparison it was a little heart breaking. Having your friends die around you and not being able to do anything about it is a bad feeling. All we could do was continue the mission. In 5 days entire companies were reduced. We lost almost half of our men there. 400 men died to save around 200. But we got the job done. That's what matters.

9. Are you glad you went?

A: No and yes. No because it led to so many deaths. Yes because, we broke through German defense in the mountains. Yes because freeing our fellow soldiers whether they think ill of me or not because of my Japanese background was what really mattered. We all sacrificed in the battle.

10. Do you think the U.S. was right in it's reaction to Japan with the atomic attack?

A: It ended the war. That's all that matters. The loss of life is horrible of course, but if it meant I and all my friends in the 442nd could go back to our families in the camps and see them again and maybe prejudices would move on, then I'd want the war to end too. Who knows how many years longer we would have fought Japan had we not done so?

Ernie Pyle:

1. You joined the army hoping to fight in World War I but didn't have a chance. How much did that affect you when you were reporting on World War II?

A: I joined the army to fight in the First World War hoping to see some action. It didn't really affect my reporting in the Second World War, but I sometimes felt that I was a fighter even while reporting. There was so much destruction and death around me, the material to report was limitless.

2. How does that sound? Being able to say you tried to join World War I and reported on World War II? What are your thoughts seeing that two World Wars came and went in one lifetime?

A: In a way, it's horrible. To think that the world can be consumed by war not once but twice in my lifetime is depressing to say the least. The bad thing about it is that each one was more destructive than the other but generally lasted the same amount of time. Which means we, as humans, can cause more death and destruction in less time. That isn't a good sign.

3. You requested to go to cover the European war at the beginning of World War II, what were you expecting?

A: Certainly not what I found. I knew wars caused destruction, but that's just a word. There is no word to describe it when you're there in pictures reporting all that is happening. You have a much different feeling than someone else does reading the news paper or watching a news reel. You get a deeper sense of what is happening.

4. When reporting in London while Germans bombed the city, describe the general scenario.

A: Chaos. On every street you would see at least one building that was bombed. Some didn't go down as quickly, but with enough firepower they fell. There was also constant fires, whether from the bombs or other more advanced bombs they developed that helped spread fires in highly populated areas. They used those kinds of bombs extensively. The ground would shake, families didn't know where to go. You couldn't stay in the streets, but your homes were no safer than outside. The bombing seemed almost random at times and it could have been. It certainly changed the morale of the country if that was it's purpose.

5. You followed American soldiers all over the world. What were the things that stuck out most to you?

A: They grew incredible close. But that was the trick. They grew so close from warfare, they would share everything together. They were brothers. But when one died, they never had time to morn until after battle. Even then, because of the losses, it became routine for them to give time of silence, then move on to the next mission, or initiative. They didn't have time to think. They had to follow orders from above for the cause they signed up for, and each signed up for a different reason. That is what struck me the most about the soldiers.

6. What was going through your head when you won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished correspondence?

A: I was extremely grateful. Not to those that gave me the award, but to those who gave me the stories to tell. To the soldiers who showed me what brotherhood was about. To the women that showed me what independence was about. They taught me and my readers so much more about the war and life in general I am indebted to them.

7. Where are you going to report from next? and why?

A: I plan on traveling to Japan tomorrow to report on the aftermath of the war. U.S. troops are moving after Japan's surrender. I'll be following them. Why? After the attacks I feel I should take a look what happened and what's left of the cities bombed. It will also give us an understanding of what our soldiers are like at the end of a already too long war.

8. What are your personal thoughts about the Iwo Jima and Nagasaki bombings?

A: I personally think they are horrible. I reported on bombings in London and saw countless deaths especially the civilians. So to see us using a force 100 times greater on not one but TWO large cities is horrible in my view. We reacted to Japanese aggression and didn't respond. I think we should have considered the total cost of the attacks before attacking.

9. Why did you choose to cover soldiers and not other topics reporters chose like the Nazi's or the larger war? why concentrate on the soldiers?

A: Because no one sees the war like the soldier does. Others may watch it, read it, or direct it, but it's the soldier that is the most significant. He's the most important part of the war. Why would I cover something that ISN'T the most important part of the war?

10. Why do you think you're reporting has become so famous?

A: I feel like I'm not like others. I feel I don't have to ever be professional. I report on what I think is important in the manner I think is right. I don't stick big words and sentences in my writing and try to stay laid back in my writing to relate to many readers. That's why I think I've had my success.

montille25 wrote:

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MAX MONTILLE

4/19/09

C PERIOD

 

 

                                Assignment #9 World War II (Wednesday)

 

 

  Daniel Inouye

 

1.)    He was a son of a Japanese immigrant

2.)     HE Witnessed first hand the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor

3.)     He helped tend to the many civilian casualties in his neighborhood

4.)    HE WAS DECLARED AN ENEMY ALIEN, unfit for military service

5.)       HE WAS PROMOTED TO SERGEANT IN 1944.

 

 

 

 

TOM Ciarlo

 

1.) His parents had immigrated to America from Italy

2.) Work at a Machine Company

3.) Ran a successful grocery store and butchers shop.

4.) He was drafted into the Army in 1943

5.) Fought in Italy in 1943 and 1944

 

 

 

 Katharine Phillips

 

1.) HER FATHER WAS WOUNDED IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR

2.) SHE WAS A SOPHOMORE AT HIGH SCHOOL WHEN PEARL HARBOR WAS ATTACK.

3.) She learned to cook without sugar, butter, and other essential ingredients

4.) EVERY DAY SHE Scan the daily casualty lists for familiar names.

5.) HER HUSBAND WAS  a naval pilot during the war

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emma  Belle Petcher

 

1.) SHE WAS IN A  nine month training program for maintaining and repairing airplane accessories

2.) HER JOB WAS TO examining every inch of the bombers that came in to the field

3.) Petcher made $90 a month, and lived at the YWCA in Mobile.

4.) she attend the University of Alabama

5.) shes married to a air force captain

 

 

 

 

 Burnett Miller

 

 

1.)  He was a sophomore in college when the war begin

2.)  He was called active duty after for basic training  

3.)  In September of 1944 he was ship overseas

4.)  His unit had to rushed 350 miles across France

5.)  He returns to the U.S. for college

 

 

 

 

 Sam Hynes

 

1.)  sign up for a navy flight program

2.) He began pilot training in Texas 

3.) He spent the fall in California training for tbms

4.) In January of 1945 he was shipped out to the pacific

5.) He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Leo Goldberg

 

1.) He tried to enlist in the army but he was rejected because of poor eye sight

2.) Spring of 1942 he received a draft notice

3.) He was inducted into the army as  a private in October of 1942

4.)  He was promoted to Sergeant in 1943

5.) he shattered his kneecaps, because of that he was sent back to the united states

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Fussell

 

1.) He was a son of a successful corporate lawyer

2.) In 1943 he was called for active duty

3.) Fussell survived a major German attack all along American lines in Alsace

4.) He was seriously wounded during war

5.) He spent three mouths recovering in a hospital in Epinal  

 

 

 

 

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I'm pretty sure you misunderstood the lesson. You have 8 (assuming you wanted 10) people with facts listed about them. You had to choose 4, with 5 facts about them and 10 questions and answers for each. 

5 Observations from Four Individuals 1.      The information that I looked at from the individuals was very interesting. It gave accounts of how some people had to face in the war, and how one way or another their family was affected or in fact they themselves were affected. 2.      One person that I looked at was a man named Ward Chamberlain. He wanted to take part in the war. In the war he was ambulance driver and traveled to different places like Italy where American soldiers were hurt of injured. I thought this was interesting because it showed that he really wanted to support the US and help the American soldiers. 3.      The next person that I looked at was a man named Ray Leopold who was Jewish. He was an infantryman and was in one of the first American units who were first involved in a famous German counter-attack. He was mainly worried that he would be held prisoner and taken by the Germans. Another person that I looked at was an African American man named Walter Thompson he was in the aviation base unit. 4. I looked at other people but they were not in the war but they were at home. One person I looked at was a woman named Katharine Phillips. She was basically a college student when this war was going on. She talked about how they had to ration alot of things because of the war going on. Also that alot of her friends would only have one pair of shoes to wear because people weren't really buying things for themselves. It was all about helping the war effort. She talked about how it was common that women who worked men's jobs in factories were known as Rosie the Riveter. Which was an icon symbol that resembled women who were left at home doing the mens' jobs. 5. The last person I looked at was a woman named Asako Tokuno. She was Japanese and ran a flower nusery with her sisters when her parents were forced to evacuate to a internment camp. She talked about how when she was at college because she was Japanese American and after the Pearl Harbor incident people whould look at her strange and different from before and that greatly affected her. Also how when she had to live in the internment camps how people just like her had to live with it.

Grades Updated 4-26-09

Moussa wrote:

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nadia33 wrote:

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Daniel Inouye

He was the son of a Japanese immigrant. He experienced the Pearl Harbor attack when he was a seventeen-year-old senior in high school. He volunteered at the Red Cross and helped many civilians.

 

He was declaredenemy alien and was not fight for the military. He went to pre-med school. Sonly after the government changed its policy on Japanese American serving and he volunteered for the Japanese American 442^nd regimental combat team. He was sent to Mississippi for training.

In the late spring of 1944 he was promoted to Sergeant. Along with the rest of his unit, he arrived in Italy just before the liberation of Rome. In October of 1944, Inouye was taken off the line to receive a battlefield commission, becoming the youngest officer in his regiment.

In Colle Musatello he and his crew had a battle against the Germans. As he led his men up the slope, three machine gun nests began firing at them and Inouye was hit in the abdomen. He continued to lead his men up the slope, threw a grenade to knock out the first machine gun nest, and then killed its crew with his Tommy gun.

Daniel Inouye received the Medal of Honor.

 

Interview

1. What happened during Pearl Harbor?

A. I heard the sounds of planes overhead and sirens and when I came outside to see what was going on I saw a big chaos. Then I saw the Japanese flag on the side of the planes.

 

2. What was going through your head when you saw that happening?

A. I didnt even know what to do or say all I could think of was how could they do this to us and what was going to happen next.

 

3. What was it like after the attack?

A. After the attack it was very difficult because I am Japanese I was considered a enemy alien even though I was raised as an American.

4. Why did you join the 442^nd combat team instead of being a doctor?

A. I joined because I felt it was my duty to serve my country and help them and as a Japanese man I had to show that I was not an enemy but true to my country.

 

5. How did it feel to be the youngest officer in your regiment?

A. It was an honor knowing that I had gained their trust and respect and I had worked had to get their and I deserved it

 

6. Where you ever injured during the war?

A. Yes, I was shot at in the abdominal when we battled the Germans in Colle Musatello. I was shot by a machine gun.

 

7. Can you tell me what happened that day you led your men up that slope.

A. I was leading my crew up a hill and all of a sudden three machine guns started shooting as us and I got hit by one. I continued to lead my men up the hill and I threw a grenade at them and I killed their crew with a Tommy gun.

 

8. How did it feel when you received the Medal of Honor?

A. It was one of the best days of my life and it was such an honor to have received that.

 

9. Do you ever think what would have happened if you had never joined the infantry and continued in med school?

A. sometimes I do but I am glad that I did join because it made me into a man and I had many experiences in life that not many people get to have.

 

10. Do you regret joining the infantry?

A. no, I think it was something that changed my life and If I had a chance to go back and change anything about it I wouldnt.

 

Robert Kashiwagi

After graduating high school in 1937 he went and worked on a farm. His draft number came up but he was rejected because he had a lung infection "San Joaquin Valley Fever."

 

Kashiwagi went home but he was still bedridden. He was evacuated in May, along with his family. They were sent to CampAmache in Granada, California. Kashiwagi remained bedridden for a year in the camp, where he received minimal medical attention.

When the recruiters for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team came through, and presented Kashiwagi and the other internees with a loyalty questionnaire. He did eventually decide to volunteer, as did his two brothers, George and Ichiro. Kashiwagi was sent to Mississippi for training.

 

Early in November 1944, Kashiwagi was wounded again, in the hand and foot, and this time he was taken off the line and sent to a hospital in England. He eventually returned to the United States and was discharged in early 1946.

When he arrived in Sacramento he discovered his parents had been released from campAmache and were living at CampKohler, playing room and board to the United States government for the privilege.

 

Interview

1.What was it like having to leave your home?

A.It was very hard especially because I had a lung infection.

 

2.Where you mad when you were denied from the draft.

A, I was disappointed but I knew I could not do it due to my illness.

 

3.Can you explain how the camp was?

A.It was always very cold there it would hit 25 below zero. There were many people and it was always crowded.

 

4.Where there guards there watching over the people?

A.Yes, they would be in gun towers and watch the perimeter and shot anyone who tries to escape.

 

5.What made you want to go the infantry?

A.We wanted to fight for our country because that was where we lived and grew up If we disowned the United States, we were men without a country.

 

6.Were you upset you didnt get to serve for a long time?

A.Yes, but I did what I could and I served for my country.

7. Can you explain to me what happened when you went to the VosgesMountains in southern France?

A.We went there to take the town of Bruyeres and to rescue the lost battalion. I was hit by shrapnel twice.

 

8.How many men were in that battle?

A.We begun with 186 men but only 17 came back. The rest were dead wounded or missing.

 

9.Do you think the government mad the right decision in giving back all that money?

A.yes I do but the money could not replace what we had lost and all the things we had to go through.

 

10.After the war was over do you still feel like you were not welcomed?

A. Yes some people still thought we were the enemy and they were very stereotypical.

Harry Schmid

 

He was drafted in November of 1941, and went on active duty a few weeks after Pearl Harbor. He was trained as a medic, and then assigned to work in an army hospital in the United States, but he says, he didnt want to change bedpans for the whole war, and volunteered to become a pilot. He didnt have good eyesight so he trained to become a glider pilot.

He flew his first combat mission August 15, 1944, as part of the invasion of Southern France. Three days after the landings, he was evacuated and sent back to England for more training.

He remembered that the German anti-aircraft fire lit up the night sky like fireworks on the 4th of July.

On March 24, 1945, Schmid flew his last combat mission, as part of a massive airborne drop across the Rhine. It was his worst mission of the war.
His landing zone was under direct enemy fire, and many of the gliders in his unit were badly shot up coming in. Schmid lost four good friends that day and of his six roommates, only he and one other man survived.

During the Battle of the Bulge, Schmid was co-pilot in a C-47 and flew several missions dropping supplies into Bastogne.

Interview

 

1.How did it feel from going to a book keeper to having to fight in the war?

A.It was very different but I knew it was something I wanted to do.

 

2.Why did you become a glider pilot and not a fighter pilot?

A.I wanted to be a fighter pilot but because of my vision I was not able to.

 

3.Can you explain how the infantry training was?

A.The training was very hard and you had to really push your self and be ready for whatever was coming.

 

4.Can you explain your first combat mission?

A.My first combat mission was on August 15, 1944. It was part of the invasion of southern France. That was a day in my life I will never forget.

 

5.Can you explain the operation market garden in Holland?

A.I flew into Holland in September of 1944. It was an allied mission fought in Holland and Germany. It was the largest airborne operation.

 

6.Tell me about the battle of the Bulge.

A.It was when there was a major offense launched by Germany towards the end of the war. It took place at the ArdennesMountains.

 

7.What was it like flying your last combat mission?

A.It was the worst mission I flew because my landing zone was directly under then enemy fire.

 

8.Was anyone killed during that mission?

A.Yes, may of the glider planes were shot down. I lost four friends and six roommates. Only one other man and I survived.

 

9.Did you suffer any injuries that day?

A.Yes, I was shot in the stomach but the bullet hit my cartridge belt and it was not a severe injury.

 

10.Did the war change your life?

A. Yes the war had a great impact on my life just like it did on everyone elses that was in the war.

Ray Leopold



Ray Leopold was drafted in September 1943. He was sent to basic training. After that he was assigned to the 16^th armored and sent to Ft. SmithArkansas for training.

 

 

In late November he was shot in the thigh while on guard duty. He crawled back to his dugout and he used a German first aid kit and treated his wound.

 

 

In April, when Leopold and his unit passed through the town of Hadamar, Germany, he climbed a nearby hill to see for himself the local hospital, where Nazis doctors had taken the lives of more than 15,000 men, women, and children, and had conducted medical experiments on living human beings who had been deemed "unworthy of life" by Hitler.

 

 

On December 16, 1944 in Luxembourg, Leopold's Division, was among the first American units to be caught up in the massive German counter-attack that became known as the Battle of the Bulge

 

 

Leopold went home on leave in July 1945, expecting to be sent to the invasion of Honshu. He was discharged on Thanksgiving Day 1945, and for a time returned to Waterbury to live.

 

 

Interview

 

 

1. How did it feel to be shipped to Europe as a replacement infantryman?

    

A. I was excited because I got to go and fight in Europe.

2. Where you excited when your commanding officer made you a medic?

A. For me it was just another job and service to my country.

3. Where you scared when you were in the Battle of the Bulge?

A. I was scared because we were one of the first American units to be caught on Germans massive attack.

4. How did it feel when you climbed over that hill and saw the local hospital where all those people where being killed.

A. It broke my heart to see all those people like that.

5. Was it difficult adjusting to civilian life after the war?

A. Yes, it was because you think about everything that happened and you went through so much and now your back to a normal life.

6. Where you ever wounded and how did you react?

A. Yes I was shot in the thigh while on guard duty. I treated myself and thats who I became a medic.

-- Edited by nadia33 on Saturday 18th of April 2009 07:02:27 PM

 

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not to sound too critical, but i'm sure the people you had interviews with, having gone through what they went through, would come up with longer replies than 1 or 2 abrupt sentences. It seems too dry.

Don't get me wrong, I think some of your questions are great and insightful, but since they're so good, they deserve longer answers.

 

 

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I agree here. It seems as if though your representing the person being interviewed as being annoyed by the interview and as if they are trying to get it over with quickly. However, not every question needs an extremely lengthy answer to get the point across, sometimes just a short phrase can be all a listener needs to really feel what is being conveyed

Anne DeVico

Resided in Waterbury, a patriotic community in Connecticut.  This town was also home to the Ciarlo family who was very much involved in WWII.  DeVico was a close friend of Babe Ciarlo, a WWII veteran.

Anne DeVico got involved in the war as her friends began to be drafted.  Her brother Domenic served as an army MP in Europe.

The men fighting in the war enjoyed getting letters, so DeVico helped the cause by writing letters to her friends overseas and sending them packages. 

At home, she contributed to the war effort by attending USO dances in order to cheer up and entertain the servicemen.

While she was on a trip to New York City with her friends on New Years Eve in 1943, DeVico met her future husband.  He was a sailor and just a few days after meeting her, he was shipped overseas.

Q:  What was your hometown like?

A:  Well, my hometown of Waterbury in Connecticut was an extremely patriotic community.  It was extremely tight-knit, and everyone knew everyone and was friends with everyone.  We had fun back in those days at dances and such, maybe going to see a drive-in movie.  Great memories.

Q:  I see, so how did you Waterbury react to the war?

A:  Like I just said before, Waterbury was an extremely patriotic community, so when news of Pearl Harbor hit a group of my friends that were boys were talking about enlisting.  Of course, we were nervous about going to war.  Who wouldnt be?  But instead of hiding from the conflict, the people in Waterbury decided to take action and fully participate in the war effort.  Men, women, children, old, young, everyone helped out.

Q:  How did you and the other women and children participate in the war effort?

A:  We did everything we could whether it was writing letters to our friends overseas or making up packages to send our men for the holidays.  I remember entertaining the servicemen at home with USO dances and parties.  We helped any way we could.

Q:  This was a significant period for womens rights.  Did you notice this at the time?

A:  Yes!  More and more women unions were forming for women working in the factories and such.  I remember it took a while to get used to the idea of women working with these big power tools to make products for the war, but it was happening a lot.

Q:  Do you remember any of your friends in particular that went to war?

A:  There are so many, but one of my good friends was Babe Ciarlo.  He was a great guy, and he proved that in the war.  My brother also served as an army MP during the war in Europe.

Q:  That mustve been hard to have your brother over there in the middle of all the action.  Were you ever nervous that he wouldnt come home?

A:  Of course!  Everyone was worried that they would never see their son, father, brother, boyfriend, whoever after they left for Europe.  It was hard to think about that, but you had to shake it off and do your part to help the effort.  I was proud of my brother more than anything though.  Thats brave.

Q:  Did the war change you in any way?

A:  Yeah, you could say that.  I started living my life a little less selfishly, and I realized that you should cherish you friends and family a little more.  I noticed how boring my life would be without some of my friends that were drafted or enlisted.  I began rationing food and had to be much more frugal with my money if I had any. Hahahahaaa!

Q:  So rationing.  What was the idea about rationing?

A: Well, I believe it was the spring of 42 when the Food Rationing Program was implemented.  Everyone began conserving gas, food, and sometimes clothing.  Each family was given a War Ration Book which had stamps in it for buying certain foods.  It was tough sometimes, but we managed with what we had.  We had no other choice.

Q:  Did you ever doubt our intentions overseas?

A:  To be honest, there was very little negativity around me about the war.  We knew we were there because of the Pearl Harbor attack and to regain stability in that chaotic region.  No questions were asked, we just helped out as much as we could.

Q:  Do you ever wish that people were as patriotic about the Iraq War as they were for WWII?

A:  Yes, I think that we need to be more supportive and maybe our troops will come home sooner than later.

 

 

Asako Tokuno

Her parents were Japanese immigrants.

Tokuno was a college student studying at Berkeley when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941.

Her parents were evacuated to the west, and she and her sister were evacuated a few months later.

She worked at the camp that she was relocated to in Topaz, Utah as a nurses assistant and then in the personnel office where she met her future husband, Shiro Tokuno.

Shiro was involved with the War Relief Association and later joined the Army in May of 1944.  Asako joined him while he was serving in Japan and stayed with him for five years before the two returned to America.

Q:  What was your family life like?

A:  We lived normal lives like any other family.  The only difference was that my parents were Japanese immigrants.  We ate American food, went to American schools, owned an American flower nursery, and had great pride for America.

Q:  Do you remember where you were when you first heard the news about Pearl Harbor?

A:  Yes I do.  I was in class at Berkeley College.

Q:  Were you ever nervous that because of your ethnicity you would be a target for acts of prejudice?

A:  Surprisingly, no, I wasnt.  I was naïve.  I thought that because I was born in America, I was an American.  I later found out that the government thought otherwise.

Q:  Was your family ever split up during the Japanese evacuation period?

A:  Yes, my parents were evacuated from Richmond, California.  My sister and I cared for the nursery until we were evacuated and the whole family was taken to a relocation camp in Topaz, Utah.

Q:  This mustve interrupted your educational career at Berkeley.  Do you know of any other students that were displaced by the evacuation?

A:  Yes, everyone was.  My parents nursery was left uncared for along with thousands of other Japanese businesses.  My career at Berkeley was interrupted and thousands of other students were forced to leave their schools to be locked up in these camps.

Q:  Describe what life was like in these camps.

A:  I worked as a nurses assistant and then in the camp office.  I didnt mind it much, but it wasnt pleasant to be crammed in with thousands of other people.  Other camps were much worse than the one I lived in.  But I felt like a criminal and I had done nothing wrong.

Q:  I hear that you met your future husband while working at the camp office?

A:  Yes, he asked for an application for the War Relief Association, and then asked me to go to the New Years Eve Ball.  Haha, it was a picture perfect situation.

Q:  In what other ways did living in this camp affect you?

A:  Most of the other effects were negative.  I felt that I wasnt an American citizen anymore and that I didnt belong in this country just because I look Japanese.  I felt like showing everyone my birth certificate and saying, IM NOT A SPY!  IM AN AMERICAN CITIZEN!  TREAT ME LIKE ONE!

Q:  It must have been difficult to want to leave the camp but feared that you would become a victim to prejudice.

A:  Yes, but I still dont understand it to this day.

Q:  Did the war have any positive effects on you?

A:  Well, besides allowing me to meet my husband, I feel that it highlighted the imperfections of our country.  No matter how perfect we may seem, we still have problems to fix.

 

 

Quentin Aanenson

Didnt let his colorblindness retard him from pursuing his dream of becoming a fighter pilot in the Army Air force.  He memorized the pilot test until he memorized it.

Quentins first mission was on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day.

While serving, he faced a number of close encounters including his plane being hit by flak on 20 missions, having three ****pit fires, and having to crash-land his plane twice.

At the beginning of the Battle of Bulge, Quentin faced another challenge when he and his men were stuck behind enemy lines in the Adrennes.

Married Jacqueline Greer when he returned home, a woman whom he promised he would marry before he was sent overseas.

Q:  Do you remember where you were when Pearl Harbor was attacked?

A:  As a matter of fact, I do.  I was attending the University of Washington, and was listening to the radio in my dorm room when my favorite song was interrupted by a news broadcast.

Q:  Did you know that this meant the beginning of the war?

A:  At the time I knew that this was something significant, but I had no idea just how significant it would be.  I didnt know that it would result in the US going to war.  I had no idea.

Q:  Did you feel that the US should get involved in WWII at the time?

A:  Well, I felt like there was a need for us to be in the war to regain some stability in Europe.  The Nazis were taking over and causing hundreds of thousands of innocent people to suffer.  I knew that we were strong enough to help, so I felt that we should.

Q:  So I understand that you had some trouble becoming a pilot?

A:  Ah, yes I did!  You see, I am colorblind, so I was unable to pass the eye test the first few times I took it.  So, I took it until I memorized it and passed!

Q:  Im guessing that you must have been in the air force then.  What group were you in?

A:  Yes, I was in the 366^th Fighter Group, 391^st Fighter Squadron.  We were a close group.

Q:  Can you remember your first mission.

A:  It was D-Day, June 6, 1944.  What a day to have your first mission.  I can still remember, I flew a P-47 Thunderbolt and dropped bombs over the English Channel.  What a day,

Q:  Where did you go from there?

A:  From there, my squadron and I relocated to Normandy and flew bombing and strafing missions aimed at enemy troops and strong points.

Q:  Do you recall any close encounters while serving?

A:  There are so many I dont even know where to begin.  One in particular occurred in August of 44.  MY plane was hit by flak over Vire, France, and it caught on fire.

Q:  Were you injured during the tragedy?

A:  Oh yes!  I spent a little while recovering from burns, a concussion, and a dislocated shoulder and was back in the air in no time.

Q:  Any more close encounters?

A:  During the Battle of Bulge my radioman and I were stuck behind enemy lines in the Ardennes for 36 hours.  I still dont know how we survived.

 

 

 

Sascha Weinzheimer

Sascha and her wealthy family grew up on a sugar plantation in Canlubang, Laguna Province, on the island of Luzon.

In December of 1941, the Japanese began dropping bombs near the plantation, and in 1942 they took over the city of Manila.  During this time, Saschas father was arrested and taken to an internment camp.

The Japanese brutality against the civilians got worse, so her mother turned she and her family in to the camp in which her father had been held captive in for over a year.

During her time in the camp, Sascha kept a dairy account of her experiences.  After the Japanese military took over the camp, she and her family faced starvation and very poor living conditions.

On February 3, 1945, the US liberated the camp, and freed she and her family.  When they went to live in California, she began attending school with recently freed Japanese-Americans who had gone through much of the same things that she did. 

Q:  Describe the environment in which you were brought up.

A:  Well I lived with my parents, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, and cousins on a sugar plantation in Canlubang, Laguna Province on the island of Luzon.  We were very well off because of the work of my grandfather who retired to California.

Q:  Were you ever warned before the war came?

A:  Yes, my mother wrote to my grandfather in California asking if she should send the family to America to be safe.  He later responded that the war rumors werent as serious as everyone was taking them to be and that we should stay where we are.

Q:  What were your first thoughts when you heard bombs being dropped near your plantation?

A:  I was flat out petrified.  I had never been close to any kind of war, never mind hacing bombs dropped on my home.  I thought that my life was coming to an end and that there was no escaping this.

Q:  How did you feel when your father was taken to an internment camp?

A:  At that point I thought that there was no hope for the rest of us.  The Japanese were taking over my island, and my whole life was going to change.  I was devastated when my father was taken away.  I couldnt bear it.

Q:  What did your mother do at this point?

A:  Well, she moved us from convent to convent, trying to hide from the Japanese until she finally gave in.  We moved in to the camp my father was living at a year after he was brought there.  She thought it would be safer in the camp than out of it.

Q:  What were the conditions like at the camp?

A:  It was horrible there.  There was little to no food, and people began starving to death.  It was a nightmare.

Q:  How did you feel when you saw the American troops liberating your camp?

A:  I was absolutely overjoyed because I felt free again.  I was able to be in the world again, and eat again!  You never know how lucky you are until everything is taken from you.

Q:  When you were brought to America, you attended school with Japanese children from American internment camps.  How could you relate with them?

A:  Well, we had just come from the same exact situation.  It was so comforting to have people around you who understood what you had gone through.

Q:  What is this I hear about a diary?

A:  Well, when I was in the camp I began a diary in which I documented what happened everyday and what I was going through.  It was a way to vent when there was no one to talk to.  I believe that excerpts from my diary are somewhere online.

Q:  How has this experience affected your life?

A:  Well, I certainly appreciate what I have much more now.  I never take anything for granted, and I appreciate every piece of food that goes in my mouth. 

Observations:

Susumu Satow:

1. Lived in Hawaii during the Pearl Harbor Attacks.

2. Father was taken away by military because he was suspected of being an enemy alien.

3. His home, along with many other Japanese Americans was searched and was given notice that they were to go to be sent to relocation camps in the U.S.

4. He lived a year in the camp until he registered to join the army.

5. Even after returning from the war, he still had to deal with prejudices, but they were far less severe.

John Gray

1.Drafted into the Marines in May of 1943. Many of the soldiers drafted were minorities.

2.He was place to the 51st Defense Battalion, which was the only all black battallion being trained to serve in the marines.

3.The leader of his batallion who was a veteran of the Pearl Harbor attack, was respected greatly by his batallion as he preached that there was nothing a white soldier could do that a black couldnt.

4.The battallion he trained with never got to see combat, and they gained the name of The Lost Battallion.

5. After he left the war he became a school teacher, and after the desegregation of schools by the Federal government, he eventually became a school principal.

Daniel Inouye:

1. Saw the Japanese Attacks at Pearl Harbor first hand and helped with the wounded.

2. He was called (with all other Japanese Americans) an enemy alien and couldnt serve in the military.

3. He was hit in the abdomen by machine gun nets, shrapnel nearly cut off his right arm. And still led his men up a slope against German forces.

4. Doctors gave him so much morphine, that when they had to amputate his arm they couldnt use anesthetic.

5. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery 55 years later.

Joseph Vaghi

1.Commissioned as a naval officer in April of 1943.

2.He was a member of the Naval Beach Battalion. This battalion was part of the invasion of France to try and take it from the Germans.

3.During this invasion a battery of German artillery knocked him unconscious as he tried to make his way up the beach past many wounded men. When he finally came to, his clothes were set afire and his knee was badly wounded.

4.Later, he was sent across the Pacific for the invasion of Okinawa. Where luckily there was little opposition from the Japanese.

5.He then returned home at the end of the war in 1945 and settled in Washington D.C.

Robert Kashiwagi

1.Drafted into the War in 1941, but could not serve because of a  contracted lung illness.

2.His family was eventually sent to a Japanese containment camp in California.

3.After being bed-ridden at the camp for months, the 442nd infantry came to him with an offer for him to join. He at first refused, and then joined along with his brother later.

4.Was sent in on a misson in France to rescue The Lost Battallion from behind enemy lines. 186 men went in on foot and only 17 came back out.

5.Returned home after sustaining injuries just to find his parents had no where to live. After their release from the camp in California.

-- Edited by Cameron on Friday 5th of June 2009 12:12:50 AM