Discover Nikkei Logo

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1513/

Being inducted into the army

George and I settled, we were actually living in Pennsylvania, across the Delaware River. On the East of it was New Jersey. And that’s the town of Flemington, and that’s where we got our mail and that’s where they called us for the draft, within sixty days after we got there.

And I had one young man ask me, “Did you come out of the camp?” Like it was written on my forehead, did you come out of the camp. Like I had stripes on me. That was one interesting dude. I said, “Yes I came out of the camp,” and answered his questions and there were no more questions after that. But he must have said to his parents, said “I met somebody that came out of camp and he’s Japanese. And how do you make out that. And he got inducted into the army.”

After we finished all our exams, they called us down into the armory, Flemington Armory. We went down, it could have been a couple hundred inductees and they called out, “Jimmy Fukuhara.” They called me soldier, Jimmy Fukuhara, come to the front and center. I thought, what’s going on? I go down there and he says, “You are now inducted into the army, we have no place to place you so you’re in the Army Reserve. Dismissed!” I got out of there and they handed me the papers that officially, that I was not going to be assigned to any unit or any branch of the military at all. I couldn’t be Coast Guard, Air Force, Navy, Army, the Marine. I could have been in any, but I wasn’t in any. I was in the Reserve. The Reserve means you sit and wait until they call you again. 


armed forces draft military national service

Date: February 6, 2015

Location: California, US

Interviewer: John Esaki

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Jimmy Ko Fukuhara was born on September 21, 1921 in Los Angeles, California to Japanese immigrants, Ume and Ichisuke Fukuhara. In 1927, his father moved the family to Santa Monica, California, and got started in the nursery business. After graduating from Santa Monica High School, Jimmy worked at the nursery, until 1942, when he and his family were sent to the Manzanar concentration camp.

Jimmy was able to leave camp early, and moved to Pennsylvania with his younger brother, George. Within sixty days, Jimmy was drafted into the army, and volunteered to serve in the Military Intelligence school. After going through basic training, Jimmy was sent to Tokyo, Japan. There he worked for the labor department in General MacArthur’s headquarters. Before leaving Japan, he visited Hiroshima in hopes of connecting with his parents’ relatives. After being discharged, Jimmy returned to Santa Monica and the family nursery business. Jimmy continued to work in the nursery with his four brothers, until he retired in 1986. (May 2016)

Yuri Kochiyama
en
ja
es
pt
Yuri Kochiyama

The day Pearl Harbor was bombed

(1922–2014) Political and civil rights activist.

en
ja
es
pt
Roy H. Matsumoto
en
ja
es
pt
Roy H. Matsumoto

Finding his relative among Japanese prisoners

(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.

en
ja
es
pt
Richard Kosaki
en
ja
es
pt
Richard Kosaki

Teaching at the military language school during World War II

(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i

en
ja
es
pt
Richard Kosaki
en
ja
es
pt
Richard Kosaki

Devastation in Tokyo after World War II

(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i

en
ja
es
pt
Seiichi Tanaka
en
ja
es
pt
Seiichi Tanaka

Drafted for Vietnam War

(b.1943) Shin-issei grand master of taiko; founded San Francisco Taiko Dojo in 1968.

en
ja
es
pt
Francis Y. Sogi
en
ja
es
pt
Francis Y. Sogi

Awareness of concentration camps as a Japanese American

(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation

en
ja
es
pt
Luis Yamada
en
ja
es
pt
Luis Yamada

Joined Japanese Imperial Army during the WWII (Spanish)

(b. 1929) Nisei Argentinean

en
ja
es
pt
Clifford Uyeda
en
ja
es
pt
Clifford Uyeda

Attempts to sign up for military service

(1917 - 2004) Political activist

en
ja
es
pt
Daniel K. Inouye
en
ja
es
pt
Daniel K. Inouye

Father’s words

(1924-2012) Senator of Hawaii

en
ja
es
pt
Frank Emi
en
ja
es
pt
Frank Emi

Meeting other Americans in jail

(1916-2010) draft resister, helped form the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee

en
ja
es
pt
Young O. Kim
en
ja
es
pt
Young O. Kim

Basic Training

(1919 - 2006) World War II and Korean War veteran

en
ja
es
pt
Young O. Kim
en
ja
es
pt
Young O. Kim

A visit to Jerome after OCS

(1919 - 2006) World War II and Korean War veteran

en
ja
es
pt
Young O. Kim
en
ja
es
pt
Young O. Kim

Resisting transfer from Jerome

(1919 - 2006) World War II and Korean War veteran

en
ja
es
pt
Young O. Kim
en
ja
es
pt
Young O. Kim

Appearance vs. Combat Effectiveness

(1919 - 2006) World War II and Korean War veteran

en
ja
es
pt
Young O. Kim
en
ja
es
pt
Young O. Kim

They had to succeed

(1919 - 2006) World War II and Korean War veteran

en
ja
es
pt

Discover Nikkei Updates

NIKKEI NAMES 2
Vote for Nima-kai Favorite!
Read the stories and give a star to the ones you like the most! Help select our Community Favorite.
NIMA VOICES
Episode 17
November 12
5pm PDT | 7pm PET
Featured Nima:
Graciela Nakachi
Guest Host:
Enrique Higa

Presented in Spanish
NEW SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT
We’re on Instagram!
Follow us @discovernikkei for new site content, program announcements, and more!