On saving the Lost Battalion

Growing up in segregated schools Feeling prejudice while looking for jobs Joining the army Generosity of the Italians Animosity between the Hawaiians and the mainlanders Being scared during combat Never feared that he wouldn’t come back home On saving the Lost Battalion Coming home to his mother after the war Getting a PhD under the G.I. Bill Invited to teach at Harvard by his boss Feeling at peace with himself

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When you’re doing your little job, you’re almost totally unaware of the big picture. And you only get that by scuttlebutt, or rumors. Even going after the Lost Battalion — they didn’t tell us we were going to go after the Lost Battalion. We have a mission to go…to rescue these Texans that were surrounded by the Germans. I don’t ever recall having clearly in mind that whatever we do was going to be a heroic event, just going to be something that might be remembered. It was farthest from my thoughts.

Date: January 3, 2015
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Lily Anne Y. Welty Tamai
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

442nd army hero lost battalion military veteran World War II