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Interviews

Roy H. Matsumoto

(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.
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Atmosphere in his Merrill’s Marauders unit when surrounded by Japanese soldiers

They think well, we been talkin' and some people askin', How long this gonna be, last? And what gonna happen? And when gonna, 3rd Battalion gonna come rescue us, and those were things, then some pray, and I knew that, realize that no atheist in the combat, 'cause everybody prayed, see. And I prayed ABC, that is Allah, Buddha and Christ, I prayed everything, see, they hope that survive. And lotta Catholic in there, they use the hand motions and crying. And some people don't say anything and some go, well, crazy 'cause they're so scared and anxiety and everything else.

Merrill’s Marauders U.S. Army 5307th Composite unit (provisional) World War II

Date: Dec 17, 2003

Location: Washington, US

Interviewer: Alice Ito, Tom Ikeda

Contributed by: Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

Interviewee Bio

Hiroshi Roy Matsumoto was born on May 1, 1913 in Laguna, CA, a rural area on the outskirts of Los Angeles. His family was from the Hiroshima prefecture in Japan. As a young child, he went to Japan to live with his grandparents where he attended elementary and middle school.

Upon his return to the United States, he worked a variety of jobs, while also graduating from Long Beach Polytechnic High School. During World War II, he was sent to the Santa Anita Assembly Center. From there, he was sent to the Jerome Relocation Center in Arkansas where he stayed for six months before volunteering for the Military Intelligence Service.

Mr. Matsumoto was in the first MIS class at Camp Savage. For his heroism as a member of Merrill's Marauders, he was later awarded the Legion of Merit and inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame. (December 18, 2003)

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