Roy H. Matsumoto

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

Nickname Kibei schoolchildren in Hiroshima, Japan Feelings of loyalty to America while in Japan Treatment of Kibei after return to United States Keian employment agencies Difficulties understanding different Japanese dialects Mixed emotions after declaration of war on Japan Finding work in the assembly center Living conditions in the Santa Anita Assembly Center Train ride to Jerome Relocation Center Atmosphere in his Merrill’s Marauders unit when surrounded by Japanese soldiers Finding his relative among Japanese prisoners

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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)

identity nickname hiroshima immigration migration patriotism discrimination kibei employment agencies keikan dialects language World War II assembly center incarceration internment produce horse stalls santa anita camps relocation merrill's marauders military