Chapter V - A Day in the Field |
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ly be imagined. But they all
know that stranger and more
distant scenes await them.
The men walked in single file,
Indian fashion. Their khaki had
been replaced by olive-colored fatigue uniforms and canvas leggins.
They carried light packs, and had
their Garand rifles slung over
their shoulders. Under their leaf-
tufted battle helmets they looked
small, but tough.
tt tt tt
Ahead of them lay a nine mile
march to their bivouac areas.
The soldiers marched well off the
roads, under cover of pines and
huckleberry thickets. Soldiers don't
march down the middle of roads
in this war.
Ahead of each unit was its advance guard — a small number of
men, well spaced. Behind was its
support — a larger group. Next
came the main body, and after that
the rear guard. Off to either side
were flank patrols.
tt tt tt
Each unit was potentially deadly,
and hardly likely to be surprised
because of its cushion-like formation. Each was prepared to strike
hard and fast, or fall back in order.
"A regiment is all eyes and ears,"
an officer said.
Here and there along the line
of march were antitank guns and
antiaircraft weapons, manned by
boys who only a few months ago
were working on Maui and Kauai
plantations, were clerks in Honolulu business houses, were HRT
bus drivers, school teachers, policemen, or young AJA's from
Seattle or Sacramento or Salt
Lake City.
Second and third battalions of the
442nd moved into the field soon
after the first.
tt tt tt
Noontime chow was cooked in
camouflaged field kitchens under
elms and pines, and was eaten under the trees, out of sight from the
air. A plane droned around in the
blue, with an observer scanning
the ground for signs of the regiment.
Lt. Thomas E. West, one of the
regimental chaplains, was sitting on
the grass, eating and talking with
the men. Before he joined the army
he was head of the music department at Cumberland college, Williamsburg, Ky.
Nearby was Private Robert F.
Onzuka of Hanapepe, Kauai.
"When the war is over I'm going to travel," he said, skipping
over the fact that he has done a
good; deal already. "I want to
see this whole country. I'm going
to travel in Europe. After that
I'll go back home, to Hawaii."
Private First Class Masaru Shi-
mose of Wailuku, Maui, said he had
his postwar plans down to definite
schedule—nothing vague.
"I made a date with a girl in
Hawaii for Christmas Day, 1946,"
he said. "The war will be over
then."
He wouldn't say who she is.
Private Tom Sakamoto of 2221
Pacific Heights Rd., Honolulu, was
resting with his head on his pack
and his helmet beside him.
"Give my aloha to Hawaii," he
grinned cheerfully.
CHAPTER V
A Day in the Field
CAMP SHELBY, Miss., Aug. 12.—
How Private Bob T. Nakamura of
Waialua, Oahu, woke up we don't
know, but at 5 o'clock this morning
he clapped a bugle to his lips and
blasted headquarters company of
the 442nd infantry battalion into
consciousness out here in the field
in Mississippi.
Over miles of timbered country,
other young AJA soldiers from Hawaii and the mainland were bugling
first call, rousing the Go for Broke
regiment to another day of tactical
training.
[9]
Object Description
| Title | With Hawaii's Aja Boys at Camp Shelby Mississippi |
| Description | A descriptive piece is presented with information about the experience at Camp Shelby Mississippi. |
| Subjects | World War II--Military service--442nd Regimental Combat Team |
| Type | image |
| Genre | Booklet |
| Language | eng |
| Collection | Hirasuna Family Papers |
| Collection Description | 24 items |
| Project Name | California State University Japanese American Digitization Project |
| Rights | Rights not yet transferred |
Description
| Local ID | csufr_hfp_0522 |
| Project ID | csufr_hfp_0522 |
| Title | Chapter V - A Day in the Field |
| Creator | Terry, John:author |
| Date Created | Unknown |
| Subjects | World War II--Military service--442nd Regimental Combat Team |
| Type | image |
| Genre | Booklet |
| Language | eng |
| Collection | Hirasuna Family Papers |
| Collection Description | 5.41 x 8.53in |
| Rights | Rights not yet transferred |
| Transcript | ly be imagined. But they all know that stranger and more distant scenes await them. The men walked in single file, Indian fashion. Their khaki had been replaced by olive-colored fatigue uniforms and canvas leggins. They carried light packs, and had their Garand rifles slung over their shoulders. Under their leaf- tufted battle helmets they looked small, but tough. tt tt tt Ahead of them lay a nine mile march to their bivouac areas. The soldiers marched well off the roads, under cover of pines and huckleberry thickets. Soldiers don't march down the middle of roads in this war. Ahead of each unit was its advance guard — a small number of men, well spaced. Behind was its support — a larger group. Next came the main body, and after that the rear guard. Off to either side were flank patrols. tt tt tt Each unit was potentially deadly, and hardly likely to be surprised because of its cushion-like formation. Each was prepared to strike hard and fast, or fall back in order. "A regiment is all eyes and ears," an officer said. Here and there along the line of march were antitank guns and antiaircraft weapons, manned by boys who only a few months ago were working on Maui and Kauai plantations, were clerks in Honolulu business houses, were HRT bus drivers, school teachers, policemen, or young AJA's from Seattle or Sacramento or Salt Lake City. Second and third battalions of the 442nd moved into the field soon after the first. tt tt tt Noontime chow was cooked in camouflaged field kitchens under elms and pines, and was eaten under the trees, out of sight from the air. A plane droned around in the blue, with an observer scanning the ground for signs of the regiment. Lt. Thomas E. West, one of the regimental chaplains, was sitting on the grass, eating and talking with the men. Before he joined the army he was head of the music department at Cumberland college, Williamsburg, Ky. Nearby was Private Robert F. Onzuka of Hanapepe, Kauai. "When the war is over I'm going to travel," he said, skipping over the fact that he has done a good; deal already. "I want to see this whole country. I'm going to travel in Europe. After that I'll go back home, to Hawaii." Private First Class Masaru Shi- mose of Wailuku, Maui, said he had his postwar plans down to definite schedule—nothing vague. "I made a date with a girl in Hawaii for Christmas Day, 1946," he said. "The war will be over then." He wouldn't say who she is. Private Tom Sakamoto of 2221 Pacific Heights Rd., Honolulu, was resting with his head on his pack and his helmet beside him. "Give my aloha to Hawaii," he grinned cheerfully. CHAPTER V A Day in the Field CAMP SHELBY, Miss., Aug. 12.— How Private Bob T. Nakamura of Waialua, Oahu, woke up we don't know, but at 5 o'clock this morning he clapped a bugle to his lips and blasted headquarters company of the 442nd infantry battalion into consciousness out here in the field in Mississippi. Over miles of timbered country, other young AJA soldiers from Hawaii and the mainland were bugling first call, rousing the Go for Broke regiment to another day of tactical training. [9] |
