A Japanese-American veteran of World War II shares his story

Photo By Michael Meyer | Sam Mitsui, Tokyo, Japan, is seen in1945. (Photo courtesy Sam Mitsui)  

MARYSVILLE, WA, UNITED STATES

05.09.2012

Story by Capt. Michael Meyer 

364th Expeditionary Sustainment Command

MARYSVILLE, Wash. - “I always believed I was an American,” said Sam Mitsui. ”That is, until Dec 7, 1941, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.”

Mitsui described how he and many other Japanese Americans were forced to relocate to internment camps, and why he and many others enlisted in the military to prove their loyalty to the United States. Mitsui spoke before a military audience, including the 364th Expeditionary Sustainment Command (Mission Support Element) at the Marysville Armed Forces Reserve Center, May 9.

Mistui explained that he is Nisei, which means second-generation Japanese-American. His parents were called Isei, first generation immigrants who lived in Skykomish, Wash.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the outraged American public became suspicious of their Japanese-American neighbors described Mitsui. An evening curfew was placed on all Japanese-Americans, the FBI confiscated their firearms, businesses refused to serve them, and some faced physical harassment and intimidation on the streets.

“As a child, I used to say that sticks and stones may break my bones, but because of incidents like these I have changed my mind,” said Mitsui. “Words do harm you.”

In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, and 120,000 Japanese-Americans, including the Mitsui family, were forced to abandon their homes and relocate to American internment camps. This was done without due process, and no one was ever convicted of espionage or treason said Mitsui.

Mitsui recalled his family being relocated to an internment camp with no running water, or sufficient insulation for heating and cooling. Some families slept in racetrack horse stalls.

Even though the Nisei were living in internment camps, many of them requested to serve in the U.S. military said Mitsui. In 1943, the U.S. War Dept. formed the segregated 442nd Regimental Combat Team with 4,500 fighting Nisei from Hawaii and the mainland U.S. to fight the Germans in the European theater.

"They became the most decorated unit, for its size and length of service, in the history of the U.S. military" said Mitsui. "The 442nd RCT, received 18,143 individual decorations, including 21 Medals of Honor and over 9,000 Purple Hearts."

An additional 6,000 Nisei’s served in the secret Military Intelligence Service in the Pacific Theater during World War II said Mitsui. They participated in every major invasion landing of the Pacific Islands, such as Guadalcanal, Saipan, Iwo Jima, Philippines, and Okinawa. They are credited with shortening the Pacific War by two years and saving one million American lives by breaking enemy codes, translating Japanese documents, and interrogating prisoners.

In 1988, Pres. Ronald Reagan signed an official apology for the imprisonment of 120,000 Japanese-Americans. In 2000, a national monument to Japanese-American patriotism was dedicated in Washington D.C. and Pres. Bill Clinton presented 19 Congressional Medals of Honor to members of the 442nd RCT, said Mitsui.

"A Military Review Board determined that due to racism in the military during World War II, [the recipients] were not awarded the Medal of Honor, even though they deserved it at that time," Mitsui said.

On Dec. 7, 2003, the Pearl Harbor Association of Seattle invited the Nisei Veterans Committee to attend their Memorial Service to honor the dead and the living survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack.

"I was hesitant to attend, not knowing what the reception would be, but, to my amazement, we were greeted with open arms and they honored us, as special guests, during the service, with applause," said Mitsui. At was at this moment that Sam Mitsui finally felt that he had come full circle from Dec 7, 1941 to Dec. 7, 2003.

Today Mitsui is dedicated to honoring the sacrifices of the men of the 442nd BCT. "We all must remain united so that history does not repeat itself."

Mitsui received a standing ovation from the military audience.

"What impressed me the most about Mr. Mitsui's story, is despite the hardships that the 442nd soldiers and their families went through, that they carried themselves with such honor and integrity," said Sgt. 1st Class Ata Risati, of the 805th Transportation Battalion from Tacoma, Wash. "They didn't fall apart when times were hard, like when they were dealing with so much racism and discrimination. They had so much love for this country, they stayed strong, and even volunteered to serve in a time of war."

Risati said that it filled him with pride to meet Matsui and hear his story because they shared a few things in common. Risati is also from the Pacific Islands, in particular, American Samoa; and Risati deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005 with a company of the famed 442nd Battalion.

"I think that this part of history is important for everyone to know," said Risati. The lesson I take away from it is to never give up when times are hard, and to always look for inspiration in the stories of the people who have come before you."

Mitsui was invited to speak by the equal opportunity adviser of the 364th ESC (MSE), Javier Roman. In addition to the 364th ESC (MSE), EO officers from around the country were attending certification training in Marysville.

"We are teaching the equal opportunity leadership course," said Roman. "This is the start of the EO career progression to empower them to look at things from a different perspective. Having a speaker like Mitsui speak to them is important because it puts people into the perspective of understanding diversity, to be sensitive to different cultures and practices. The U.S. Army is committed to a workplace that is free from discrimination," Roman said.

• Date Taken: 05.09.2012
• Date Posted: 07.03.2012 14:34
• Story ID: 91067
• Location: MARYSVILLE, WA, US