Quite a handsome pair, Joel. Thanks for remembering them and sharing.
Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA
On 5/26/2014 5:02 PM, DZDub wrote:
I was reminded of an important family photo when the subject of squatting
Asians came up in reference to some of the people featured in Tina's
Vietnam photos. The photo features my father-in-law with his younger
brother, who was in the most decorated US battalion in WW2, the 100th,
comprised mainly of first-generation Americans of Japanese descent. They
are referred to as "nisei" meaning "second generation," but I mean that
they were the first-generation born in the US -- citizens by birth.
We know little in a documentary sense about Uncle Frank's service, as he
seemed not to have spoken much about it. Everything we "know" is an
extrapolation from what his company was doing, and when. He was wounded in
Italy, almost certainly in the attempt to take Monte Cassino. He survived
his wounds but was unable to return to the fight. His company had had a
tough stint with the Germans in late November of 1943. Sometime between
then and Feb 1, 1944, he was given a field commission, so we know he
acquitted himself well. (Thirty men among the whole battalion received
field commissions. This is remarkable because the Hawaii boys were not
allowed to have commissioned officers among them because of their race.
Even the boys who were in the process of completing -- even those who had
completed -- officer training were required to serve as privates. A field
commission is always extraordinary, but this fact makes it even more
extraordinary.)
My father-in-law used to take photos with a borrowed camera. He gave me
all of his negatives once I had built my first darkroom. Each one was a
unique experience to print! Once I had a flatbed scanner, I had a bit more
control. We don't know who took this photo -- perhaps it was the camera's
owner.
Frank was in the Hawaii National Guard, 299th IR, prior to Pearl Harbor.
Two days after the attack, the unit was federalized and they worked until
June 1942 building defenses on the outer islands (i.e., not Oahu) against a
return attack by the Japanese. In June, they were removed from the Islands
by stealth of night and shipped to California and then by train to
Wisconsin for basic training. They were treated well in Wisconsin. Many
Germans had emigrated to Wisconsin prior to WW1 and suffered persecution
during that war, and so they were sympathetic to the Hawaii Japanese boys'
plight. The climate in Wisconsin was difficult for them but the people
were warm. Some of these guys actually moved to Wisconsin after the war
and others sent their children there to get their college education in 50s
and 60s. The kindness of the people in Wisconsin really meant something
special to them.
Anyway, I do run on. There is a wonderful site on the 100 here:
http://www.100thbattalion.org
And the photo is here:
http://myweb.uiowa.edu/jfwilcox
Joel W.
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