Granada Pioneer, Vol. II, No. 35

              March 4,   1944__________________PIONEER_________________Page 3
	Just
Incidentally
	By Sueo Sako
  During his visit here
this week, Masao Satow of
the National YMCA Council
revelaed some interesting
facts concering publice
sentiment towards tke Japa-
nese Americans. He empha -
sized that Americans who
have not heard or are not
acquainted with nisei are
difficult "customers" t o
convince. During wartime,
people are hysterical,emo-
tional, and believe every-
one who wishes to carve a
place for himself in Ameri-
ca must carry and share
his   part of responsibility.
   Satow related that during
the course of many speeches
and lectures in behalf of
the nisei, he always found
that the real "clincher"
that opened the eyes of
Americans was facts--real
facts about nisei and their
activities on the outside
and within the confines of
relocation centers.
   It goes to show that
American public is divided
Into three categories over
the nisei problem. First,
the race-baiters, high
economic pressure groups
and political opportunists;
second, the staunch sup-
porters of nisei,who still
have faith In Japanese Ameri-
cans to come through and
deliver the goods; and last,
by far the largest group,
Americans who are still
"in the dark" and must be
shown with facts. Many will
unquestionably ask, "What
kind   of  facts ?"
   Perhaps,a true incident
that Satow revealed will
clearly answer that question.
It was during a luncheon
speech before a group of
distinguished business
executives who hardly ever
heard about nisei and their
problems. At first the
attitude towards Satow’s
message was very cool and
indifferent until he men-
tioned that in Poston relo-
cation center alone there
are 553 service stars hang-
ing in the small dusty one-
unit family apartments. And
in Gila center there is a
model ship factory making
models or the US Navy-one
of the two factories in
the entire United States.
   Those two facts jolted
the uninformed business
leaders, and one man was
reported to have declared,
"Golly, I didn’t  know about
It-I’m going to tell my
friends about it.”  Facts
real facts that Americans
cannot ignore or shove in-
to obscurity are needed to
strengthen our   position.
   As for the first group
who insist on jumping on
minority groups regardless
of multitude of facts,
there Is one thing for them
to learn. Columnist George
Sokolsky    wrote     recently
that "the boys who are
fighting on our many fronts,
when they return, will
laugh at the songs of hate
which the home-bodies sing
so lustily in these days
of distress.   In the fox-
holes they know that they
are brothers because their
blood and sweat mingle with
the earth of the battle-
field in defense of their
country. In the tanks and
planes and ships that fight
on the seas they cannot
hate the comrades who stand
beneath the same fire and
in the same danger for the
same   cause."
Nisei  Yank  Defies  Nazis
To  Rescue  Wounded  Officer
   CASSINO, Feb. 29--The
major was lying in the rain
on a rocky hillside between
Cassino and the Abbey of
Monte  Cassino.
   Everyone knew he was
badly hurt,but the nearest
man to him had to cross 18
yards of open ground in
the face of German snipers
and  a German tank.
   The nearest man happened
to be  Sgt. Gary Hisaoka,
an American of Japanese-
descent  from Hilo,  Hawaii.
Hisaoka was almost be-
side himself with rage at
the Germans. Every time
he would raise his head to
look,     out    at the  major    a
sniper    would     chip away a
rock a  few inches  away.
   The major had gone for-
ward with one of the most
advanced units attacking
a castle above Cassino and
had gone too far over the
lip of a gully. Snipers
pinned him down there. His
head and the upper part of
his body were protected by
a little rock shelter he
had piled up, but his legs
protruded and he was hit
several times on his legs
so that  he was  helpless.
   Hisaoka began digging a
shallow trench toward the
major,hoping that he would
be able to slide through
it and drag the major to
safety.
   Hisaoka had a trench
about eight yards long when
he suddenly threw down his
shovel. There was still
10 yards  to go.
   "Hell, I'm going now,"
the sergeant said." I'm
tired of shoveling. It's
getting late and I won't
get there till night at
this  rate."
   Hisaoka sprinted across
the 10 yards intervening
to the   officer.
   “Major,” he   said, “I’m
going to have to drag you
in."
   "That' s all right, boy, "
the major replied, “get
me  back any  old  way."
    Hisaoka grabbed him by
the arms and dragged him
across the open space to
the trench and saw him
placed on a_litter. The
major is going to be all
right after a spell in a
hospital. Hisaoka is all
right too.
	MOVIES
    TODAY
7:00 p.m.-12G  Mess hall
7:45 p.m.-11F   Mess  hall
    ("Pittsburgh")
    TOMORROW
7:00  p.m.--10H  Mess hall
7:45 p.m.-9K     Mess hall
   MONDAY
7:00 p.m., -7F   Mess  hall
7:45  p,m.--7G    Mess  hall
   TUESDAY
7:00  p.m.-12E   Mess   hall
7:45  p.m.,-10E  Mess   hall
   "Pittsburgh," a Uni-
versal hit starring Mar-
lene Dietrich, Randolph
Scott, John Wayne, Frank
Craven and Louise Allbrit-
ton, will begin its first
showing tonight. Behind
the powerful romantic con-
flict which motivates
"Pittsburgh" is the exciting
story of how industry has
geared itself for America’s
all-out war   effort.
--Jim Otsuka