Page 11 - Ft. Irwin High Desert Warrior August 2016

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Hollywood actor Clyde Kusatsu talks to Maj. Gen. Joe Martin, NTC Commander, and to Lt. Col. William Garber III, then commander of the 2916th Aviation Battalion, after speaking at the
National Training Center’s Asian-American Paci c Islander Heritage Month celebration at Fort Irwin on May 25.
in Canton, a desperate father, to save his son, his 10-year old boy, sold famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team that fought in Africa, Italy
him to a New England sea captain, for six dollars… when they landed
in New Hartford, Connecticut, he was adopted by a family, and he
took on their name, and he was now Joe Puce.
“…In 1862, he volunteered and enlisted in the 14th Connecticut
Regiment of the Union Army. And he participated and fought in the
Battle of Antietam, Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, and Gettysburg.
He survived the war, coming out as a corporal in 1865.
“…the Spanish-American War began with the battleship Maine
being blown up in Havana Harbor, and amongst the crew were seven is-
sei,whichmeans rstgeneration, rstgenerationJapaneseimmigrants,
as well as the Chinese immigrants as well, who were part of the crew
of the battleship Maine.
“…in World War I, the most notable Asia-Paci c American was a
fellow named Tokutaru Toku Nishimura-Slocum. Again, he was a
10-year old who was adopted by the Slocum family in Minot, North
Dakota. And he fought with the 328th Infantry in France, where he
was gassed. But he survived. And because he was a war vet, he was
allowed to become a naturalized U.S. citizen following the con ict.
However, the issei, or rst-generation Japanese Americans became
ineligible to join or become eligible for naturalization due to a 1925
Supreme Court decision of Toyota v. U.S. But subsequently through
a one-man crusade and lobbying e ort by this gentleman, Congress
passed the Nye-Lea bill in 1935, granting naturalization citizenship
rights for 500 World War I vets of Asian-Paci c ancestry.
Father tells stories about World War II
Kusatsu then talked about his father, who was a member of the
University of Hawaii ROTC program when the Japanese attacked
PearlHarborin1941,andwhowasoneofthe rstJapanese-Americans
to join the Army’s 100th Battalion, which later become part of the
High Desert Warrior
11August 5, 2016
Heritage Month Celebration
and Germany.
“…My father used to tell me when I was younger, a few of the
stories. As he got older, the stories became less frequent, and he was
not as willing to talk. I think, upon looking at it, that the memories
became too painful.
“But he did talk stories about the times that they were assigned guard the highest levels. You look all around, all the services… Gen.
duty to the Afrika Korps prisoners of war in Alabama. And how they
would say, “Watch them do their spit and polish drills with their guns,
their ri es. ey were crazy. ey gave them their ri es, and they did
execute all the drills. ey were quite impressed with the Afrika Korps.
“And a lot of times, when they were on maneuvers in Louisiana,
theywouldcatchthecat shandmakesashimiforthemselves.Butthey
didn’t care for the water moccasins that would swim around.
“But they encountered a lot of challenges while they were in the
Army over there. In Hawaii, the best place to sit on the bus is the
back of the bus. at was the cool place to sit. But when they were in
training in Mississippi, they were told not to go to the back of the bus, American. e identi ers--the Hajib, the look, what singled you
because that was not for them.
“ ey were given white status. So they used to have a lot of ghts
about that. Especially when they heard the word “Jap.” In Hawaii, that
was ghting terms. But the mainland Japanese had learned to survive
by not getting engaged by that kind of …they were more contained.
Because they had to survive.
“So, those were some of the stories he told me. But then, some of
the stories he told me were about how going to war was a life-changing
thing. When he enlisted, he was a 104 pounds. He was like 5’3”. By
the time they took him out of the line in France, he was down to 84.
“… ey were sent to do the most impossible missions. And
they achieved it. ey were there to liberate Rome. But the whole
From HERITAGE, page 10
ceremony for the liberation of Rome, the unit was set aside, while the
haole (Caucasian) troops were walked in. And with the news reels and
everything like that.
Asian-Americans and the American Experience
“…So you know, this is what it is. We can sit back and say the
unfairness of it all, but it is about legacy. is is to inform people
that the Asian-Americans have contributed to the nation at
Shinseki was Chief of Sta of the Army, he was a West Point
grad. Talk about grit. He still, after being wounded in the foot
with a grenade, still maintained tness, to continue up the
chain of command. ere are Japanese-Americans, Chinese-
Americans--Army generals, Air Force generals, Navy admirals,
commanders, we’re all spread around.
And we must acknowledge that. To me, one of the most
leveling aspects of our society is the function of our military,
which honors achievement, perseverance, resilience--all impor-
tant factors to keeping our country strong.
“…when 9-11 happened, a lot of the Japanese Americans
knew what was going to happen. Especially if you were Muslim
out. Because that’s what happened in 1941, in 1942.
“We are not that far away in time from then. We need to
learn from this knowledge and legacy, when we are talk about
today. It’s important that we are reminded. It’s not old news.
It’s always new news.
If we want to instill the sense of belonging, we must bring
acceptance. And that’s what you guys here do. In the military.
It’s part of the service you provide to our country, and our
culture, and our society.
For more information go to www.irwin.army.mil