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National Japanese American Historical Society lines, leaving thousands of enemy troops to starve. As I reported alone to the 1st Cavalry Reconnaissance task force, I wondered what reaction I would face. This Texas unit knew little about Japanese or Niseis. Their spirits were high-eager to KILL A JAP. On Feb. 29, 1944, we landed at Los Negros island, 300 miles north of Rabaul, in the Admiralty Islands. Soon after landing, soldiers began to bring me captured enemy documents and a captured prisoner of war, who was gangrened and dying. When I confronted him, the POW suddenly came alive, and shouted at me "You bastard, are you Japanese? Are you a traitor?" The interrogation was not successful. However, among the documents was the enemy's operations order. It said, in part: "Tonight the battalion... will attack the enemy... Be resolute to sacrifice your life to the emperor and commit suicide in case of capture." The ensuing firefight lasted for 3 sleepless days and nights. In our coral foxholes, we were in danger of being killed, not only by the enemy, but by our own trigger-happy troops. The commanding general, William C. Chase, was concerned that our own men would mistake me for the enemy and shoot me. Immediately after the landing, he had assigned me a personal bodyguard, who stayed with me day and night, even following me to the can, and sleeping in the same foxhole. On the fourth day, a scout spotted enemy movement just 30 yards away. A Major and I moved forward, and I shouted for them to surrender. Just then, we heard a click, followed by a hand-grenade explosion, whereupon our soldiers opened fire. Later, we found that 3 of the enemy had committed suicide, out of a total of 15 enemy officers and men killed. In the anxiety of battle, I had forgotten it was my birthday. These 7 days, I wrote to my wife, "were the toughest I ever experienced in my life... I know I can stand up to anything - at least I have that confidence, after my experience here." Gen. Chase recommended me for a Bronze Star, and kept in touch with me for many years thereafter. I finally received my 2nd lieutenant's commission in August 1945. Soon it was my fate to be involved in some fast-moving events. With unconditional surrender imminent, I was among the first U.S. contingent to land in Japan, at Atsugi, on Aug. 28, 1945. On Sept. 2, 1945, I was one of the three Niseis to witness Japans formal surrender aboard the USS Missouri. Then, on Sept. 9, just a month after the A- Bomb had been dropped on Hiroshima, I was one of the first Americans to witness the resulting devastation. As a career officer, I fought in the "forgotten war" of Korea, seeing action against the Communist Chinese at Sakamoto {cont'd on p. 14) "Enemy Aliens"1 to Chiefs of Security By Barry M. Saiki, Lt. Colonel, U.S. Army (retired) On Dec. 7, 1941, Pvt. Tom Sakamoto and I were on opposite sides of San Francisco Bay: Tom at MISLS, and I at the University of California, Berkeley2, a senior studying for finals. Little did we know that the future would radically change for each of us. The bombing of Pearl Harbor was a rude awakening for all Americans, but particularly for those of Japanese ancestry. In the days that followed, public outcries against us became increasingly vocal. Bank accounts held under Japanese names were frozen, and there were widespread arrests of prominent businessmen and leaders on mere suspicion. By late December, curfews and travel restrictions, were instituted. These official actions were followed by unprovoked attacks on Asians throughout California. The crushing blow came with the signing of Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, authorizing the ultimate removal of 112,000 persons of Japanese of ancestry from the West Coast. E.O. 9066 had been masterminded by Maj. Karl R. Bendetsen, Provost Marshal officer, supported by Gen. Allen W. Gulliam, Provost Marshal General, despite opposition by Justice Department officials. Public feeling grew increasingly hostile. I went to the Tolan committee hearings in San Francisco on Feb. 21. SaiKi (cont'd on p. 14) 1. "The Japanese race is an enemy race, and while many second and third generation Japanese horn in U.S. soil, possessed of U.S. citizenship, have become "Americanized', the racial strains are undiluted'' (Bendetsen, 2/14/42) 2. Barry Saiki was one of the Nikkei seniors were forced into temporary detention centers, in early 1942. They were unable to participate in graduation ceremonies, receiving their diplomas by mail. U.C. Berkeley finally honored them at a special convocation on Sept. 16, 1992. Nikkei Heritage •Spring 1998 9
Object Description
Title | A Little Known Case For Redress Railroad and Mine Workers |
Description | The Seasonal Magazine, Nikkei Heritage, publishes another volume of their magazine. |
Subjects | Industry and employment--Railroad |
Type | image |
Genre | Periodicals |
Language | eng |
Collection | Hirasuna Family Papers |
Collection Description | 20 items |
Project Name | California State University Japanese American Digitization Project |
Rights | Rights not yet transferred |
Description
Local ID | csufr_hfp_0692 |
Project ID | csufr_hfp_0692 |
Title | Page 9 |
Creator | National Japanese American Historical Society |
Date Created | 1998 - 00 - 00 |
Subjects | Industry and employment--Railroad |
Type | image |
Genre | Periodicals |
Language | eng |
Collection | Hirasuna Family Papers |
Collection Description | 8.48 x 10.90in |
Rights | Rights not yet transferred |
Transcript | National Japanese American Historical Society lines, leaving thousands of enemy troops to starve. As I reported alone to the 1st Cavalry Reconnaissance task force, I wondered what reaction I would face. This Texas unit knew little about Japanese or Niseis. Their spirits were high-eager to KILL A JAP. On Feb. 29, 1944, we landed at Los Negros island, 300 miles north of Rabaul, in the Admiralty Islands. Soon after landing, soldiers began to bring me captured enemy documents and a captured prisoner of war, who was gangrened and dying. When I confronted him, the POW suddenly came alive, and shouted at me "You bastard, are you Japanese? Are you a traitor?" The interrogation was not successful. However, among the documents was the enemy's operations order. It said, in part: "Tonight the battalion... will attack the enemy... Be resolute to sacrifice your life to the emperor and commit suicide in case of capture." The ensuing firefight lasted for 3 sleepless days and nights. In our coral foxholes, we were in danger of being killed, not only by the enemy, but by our own trigger-happy troops. The commanding general, William C. Chase, was concerned that our own men would mistake me for the enemy and shoot me. Immediately after the landing, he had assigned me a personal bodyguard, who stayed with me day and night, even following me to the can, and sleeping in the same foxhole. On the fourth day, a scout spotted enemy movement just 30 yards away. A Major and I moved forward, and I shouted for them to surrender. Just then, we heard a click, followed by a hand-grenade explosion, whereupon our soldiers opened fire. Later, we found that 3 of the enemy had committed suicide, out of a total of 15 enemy officers and men killed. In the anxiety of battle, I had forgotten it was my birthday. These 7 days, I wrote to my wife, "were the toughest I ever experienced in my life... I know I can stand up to anything - at least I have that confidence, after my experience here." Gen. Chase recommended me for a Bronze Star, and kept in touch with me for many years thereafter. I finally received my 2nd lieutenant's commission in August 1945. Soon it was my fate to be involved in some fast-moving events. With unconditional surrender imminent, I was among the first U.S. contingent to land in Japan, at Atsugi, on Aug. 28, 1945. On Sept. 2, 1945, I was one of the three Niseis to witness Japans formal surrender aboard the USS Missouri. Then, on Sept. 9, just a month after the A- Bomb had been dropped on Hiroshima, I was one of the first Americans to witness the resulting devastation. As a career officer, I fought in the "forgotten war" of Korea, seeing action against the Communist Chinese at Sakamoto {cont'd on p. 14) "Enemy Aliens"1 to Chiefs of Security By Barry M. Saiki, Lt. Colonel, U.S. Army (retired) On Dec. 7, 1941, Pvt. Tom Sakamoto and I were on opposite sides of San Francisco Bay: Tom at MISLS, and I at the University of California, Berkeley2, a senior studying for finals. Little did we know that the future would radically change for each of us. The bombing of Pearl Harbor was a rude awakening for all Americans, but particularly for those of Japanese ancestry. In the days that followed, public outcries against us became increasingly vocal. Bank accounts held under Japanese names were frozen, and there were widespread arrests of prominent businessmen and leaders on mere suspicion. By late December, curfews and travel restrictions, were instituted. These official actions were followed by unprovoked attacks on Asians throughout California. The crushing blow came with the signing of Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, authorizing the ultimate removal of 112,000 persons of Japanese of ancestry from the West Coast. E.O. 9066 had been masterminded by Maj. Karl R. Bendetsen, Provost Marshal officer, supported by Gen. Allen W. Gulliam, Provost Marshal General, despite opposition by Justice Department officials. Public feeling grew increasingly hostile. I went to the Tolan committee hearings in San Francisco on Feb. 21. SaiKi (cont'd on p. 14) 1. "The Japanese race is an enemy race, and while many second and third generation Japanese horn in U.S. soil, possessed of U.S. citizenship, have become "Americanized', the racial strains are undiluted'' (Bendetsen, 2/14/42) 2. Barry Saiki was one of the Nikkei seniors were forced into temporary detention centers, in early 1942. They were unable to participate in graduation ceremonies, receiving their diplomas by mail. U.C. Berkeley finally honored them at a special convocation on Sept. 16, 1992. Nikkei Heritage •Spring 1998 9 |