Fighting Americans, too!

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"It is hoped that tne Japanese American combat team

will become one of the outstanding units of the Ameri-

can Army, This combat team will fight with and as a

part of 4 Caucasian force, The War Department has

faith in the loyal Japanese Americans, This is a

Splendid onportunity to demonstrate to the American

people and to the `Yar Nepartment that Jananese Ameri-

cans have faith in America, A success of the program

and the voluntary feature of induction will be a great

step forward in the rehabilitetion plans for Japanese

Americans,"

~~COL. WP. SCOPEY, Executive Officer

Office of the Assist, See'ty of War

Lf i ED hy

today in ten gove

ernment-operated relocation centers

scattered through the western half

of the United States'some 100,000

persons of Javanese blood. Barbed wire

fences and armec soldier guards are

standard accouterments of these centers,

About 70,900 of these peovle are Ameri-

can citizens b tight of birth; the rest

are aliens, |

A vear ago, all 100,000 were living

on the west coast, most of them long-

time residents of that area, with their

homes and businesses and interests root-

ed there, But throveh a series of cir-

cumstances following the Javanese treach

ery at Pearl Harbor, the American vov-

ernment felt impelled to remove then

from the coast and "lace them under de-

. tention at various inland sites,

No single specific factor was resvon-

sible for the eviction, The government's

action was the result of several cumula-

tive forces and pressures, One was the

natural rise in the tide of nublic feel-

ing against all those of Japanese de-

scent as a result of the Pearl Harbor

attack, This feeling was understandably

strongest on the Pacific coast where

Japanese ' residents were most numerous,

Another factor was the nececsity of mi-

litary precaution acainst possible sabo-

tage and fifth-colum activity by ele-

ments in the Japanese pooulation in the

event of an attack on the coast. Still

another consider*tion was the possibili-

ty of widespread vigilante action by

erouns of Pacific coast inhabitants

against the Jananese. A fourth factor

was the pressure exerted Sy various op-

vortunistic individuals and organiza-

tions who, from motives either of racial

prejudice or of possible political or

economic advantages to be "ainecd, advo-

cated the evacuation., 7

Taken all together, these factors

were felt by the covernment to be strong

enoush to justify the evacuation of all

persons of Javanese blood as a measure

of national expediency. :

AS a physical fact, the evacuation is

past history which .cannot de counter-

- manded,

`the action,

;

at wo

emerges from the whole complex of cir-

cumstances and events involved in it is

as alive and challenging today as at the

beginning of evacuation, This is the

issue of the loyalty or dislovalty of

those evacuated,

The 100,000 evacuees are not in their

present situation because they have been

proven collectively disloyal to an Ameri-

ca at war, No specific charges on this

count have ever been brought against

then by the government, Nor were the re-

moval and forced detention of the 70,000

who are citizens based on any imoutation

to them of acts which invalidated their

citizenshin rights. But because of the

stigma inherent in evacuation and, more-

over, because of the wholesale nature of

embracing all those of Jap-

anese Cescent, without trial or hearing,

without regard to citizenship, the gen-

eral effect has been to nut the whole

`racial sroup under a cloud of doubt and

Susyicion in the eyes of the American

public, The loyal many received the same

brazd as the disloval few; the sheep be-

came indistinguishable from the goats,

The most continuously disheartening

aspect of the whole situation thus was.

not the physical' hardshin of dislocation

end restriction, but the difficulty of

eaining `ublic recognition of the fact

that the vast majority of those evacu-

ated, both `citizens and aliens, were

fundamentally as loval as any other seg-

ment of America's heterogeneous popula-

tion. Upon wide `public acceptance of

this fact the successful resettlement

and rehabilitation of the evacuees

largely depended, Unless the cloud of

Goubt under which they moved were dissi-

pated, they might remain indefinitely as

wards of the government, an unwanted

`eonle, The odds against the attainment

of the Gesired end were large and for-

bicding, The weight of existing public

opinion, the continued pressure of the

forces actively opposed to the return of

the Javanese to normal life, the prepon-

derance of unfavorable over favorable

nublicity in the nation's press- all

But the one crucial issue which

these things made the problema diffi-

cult one.

It is true that both the War Reloca-

tion Authority and the evacuees them-

selves did make some

solution, aided measurably by various

interested and svmpathetic outside

groups and individuals, Sore 19,000 eva-

cuees in the fall of 1942 voluntcered to

help save the nation's. sugar beet and

other crops threatened by the shortage

of farm labor, thus gaining a measure of

favorable public attention. Several hun-

dred evacuce students were enabled to

continue their higher education in vari-

ous schools througnout the country,

keeping that vital, if svecialized,

channel of contact with the outside

world open, And a systematic program of

expanding employment vossibilities by

means of advance scouting and "ublic re-

lations work was instituted by the WRA

in different sections of the cotntry.

But all these. efforts, while bearing

hopeful fruit, were neither decisive nor

broad enough to make a major breach in

the barrier whieh separated the collec-

tive mass of the evacuees from general

public aceeptance, Something more was

needed to turn the trick--something that

would clarify the still cloudec funda-

mental isspe of the Loyalty of the eva-

cuee population,

It was in recognition of this, need

that the American covernment early this

year took a step which was intended to

clear up the matter once and for all.

Since shortly after Pearl Harbor, the

armed services had been closed to Japa~

nese Americans, and this had served to

give added weight to the unfortunate im-

pression created by the evacuation, The

fact that the nearly 5,000 Javanese

Americans who had been taken previous to

the ban were allowed to stay in service

was an anomaly which only added further

confusion to an already eonfused situa-

tion, But on January 28, 1943, there

came an announcement from Secretary of

War Henry L, Stimson that the United

States Army was being reopened to all

loyal Amerieans of Japanese oloed and

that as the initial procedure a volun-

teer combat unit made up entirely of

their own groun was to be formed. This

announcement was followed by the offi-

headway toward a

cial War Department proelamation, fully

explaining the motives behind the action

and the stevs by wh'ch those motives

were to be implenented,

Here, at last, was the long-awaited

catalyst needed to activate the whole

process of returning loyal evacuees to

their normal places in. American life.

For here was the government's own refu-

tation of the videly-helad notion that

evacuation was somehow related to dis-

loyalty. Here was an affirmation of the

government's trust in the lovalty of the

majority of those whom it was forced by

circumstances to remove from former

hones, Here was a token, in terms of po-

sitive action, of the government's in-

tention that race should not be a bar-

rier to tuore who believed in democracy

and wished to varticipzte in its privi-

leges and responsibilities, And, as the

Proclamation made clear to these people:

"Your government would not take these

steps unless it. intended to go further

in restoring vou to a mormal place in

the life of the country, with the privi-

leges and obligations of other American

citizens, The invitation to the young

men heze to volunteer is simply a token

of its good faith and further interest,"

In the ten relocation centers, hun-

dreds of American citizens of Japanese

descent have answered the call, And many

who are not citizens have responded, tog

feeling that loyalty to this country is

not. voredicated on a technicality of

birthplace, but on a sincerity of belief

in the democratic principles for which

America stands, They are asing the gov-

ernnent to take them as well as the ci-

tizens.

This little pamphlet is primarily

concerned with the story of volunteering

in one of the centers--the Central Utah

Relocation Project at Tovaz, But what is

reeorded here is undoubtedly also the

story of every other center, for 4 con-

mon purpose united all volunteers every-

where--a determination to prove that the

government's faith in them and the groun

they represent is justified. They all

realize that their action is the All-

important first step necessary to estab-

lish, positively and irrefutably, the

fact that those of Javanese blood can be

and are as good Americans as any other

racial'. group in this country. They are `tive gervice, Theirs is the, pride of

the vanguard of the `thousands of other leading the way to the brighter future

Japanese Americans who will follow them lying ahead for "the Japanese in this

into the armed forces throuch the Selec- country,

a moO COR

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od fie a as ns rit aba By a, My

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` ee S , or) oo

THE WHITE HOUSE

WASHINGTON

February 1, 19435

`My dear Mr. Secretary:

The proposal of the War Devartment to organize a combat

team consisting of loyal American eitizens of Javanese descent

has my full avproval. The new combat team will add to the

nearly five thousand loyal Americans of Javanese ancestry who

are already serving in the armed forces of our country.

This is a natural and logical step toward the reinstitution

of the Selective Service . procedures which were temporarily

disrunted by the evacuation from the `Vest Coast.

No loyal citizen of the United States should be denied the

democratic right to exercise the resoonsibilities of his citi-

zenship, regardlecs of his ancestry. The vrinciple on which

this country was founded and by which it has always been gov-

erned is that Americanism is a matter of the mind and heart;

Americanism is not, and never was, a matter of race or ances-

try. A good American is one who is loyal. to this country and

to our creed of liberty and democracy, Ivery loyal American

citizen should be given the ovportunity to serve this country

wherever his skills will make the createst contribution--

whether it be in the ranks of our armed forces, war production,

agriculture, government service or other work essential to the

war effort, ;

I am glad to observe that the Var Department, the Navy De--

ee eSd partment, the War Manvower Commission, the Devartment of Just-

ice and the War Relocation Authority are collaborating in a

program which will assure the opportunity for all loval Ameri-

cans, including Americans of Japanese ancestry, to serve their

country at atime when the fullest and wisest use of our man-

power is all-important to the war effort,

Very sincerely yours,

(Signed) FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

VOLUNTEERING IN TOPAZ

In the .late afternoon

of this year, the administration tele-

type office of Utah's `Jar Relocation

Project at Tovar received a message from

the nation's capital. Over the wires

came the statement beginning with the

wores: `The `lar Department announcec tos

dav that plans have bee' completed for

the admission of a substantial numer of

American citizens of Jananese ancestry

to the Army of the United States..." |

T. Japanese American residents of the

project, this was probably the most sig-

nificant and stirring news to come their

wav in the nearly six months since their

arrival at the c mp. They saw in it the

veri ning of the end to the nation-wide

ban that had been placed against Japan-

ese Amex ican anlistment a fe weeks af-

ter Pearl Harbor. They saw in it the op-

portunits they had been seeking---the

oo vortunity to settle once and for all

the ouecti nu of their loyalty, `so loug

an object of doubt, open and imolied.

Within 24 hours afte. the rew devel-

ooment was publicized throush the Topaz

of January 28

Times, a number of male citivens turned

t the "roject administration for de--

toils of the War Department vlah. At

that time, Little wes known other than

that 4 spertat combat unit of the Army

was vlanned, ana that the initial pro-

cecure in the formation of `the unit

would be induction of volunteers fromm

the male citizens residing in the ten

WRA centers the' non-evacuation zones,

and the Hawaiian Islands. |

To permit the evacuees

ouestions on the matt r,

tion, through the Tovaz Community Coun-

cil, sponsored a mass citizens' meeting

on the evenine preceding the arrival of

the Army recruiting team. General inter-

est in the m-tter indicated by the

overflow crowd of more than 600 men and

women attending the ascembly, At the

conclusion of the meeting, a conmittee

was selecte to put the cuestions raised

from the floor into prover form for pre-

sentation to the Army team.

The "lar Department team, headed by

Lieutensnt William Lee Tracy, arrived on

to prepare

the administra-

~ Gag

schefule at Topaz on Friday afternoon,

February 5. The detail iricluded Techni-

cian Fourth Grade "illiam "T. I 5hida--a

Javanese Amcvican--and Ser' eants Raymond

F. Condon and Luke , Rogers. The repre-

sentatives imuc*iately went into 4 ser-

tes of conferences ith the project ad-

ministration heads to settle the detzils

of their ~"ission.

Concurrently with the publication of

President Roosevelt's message aporoving

the var Derartment "lan, an announcement

of a special invitational meeting was

carries in the oroject newsvaver. This

meeting, attenced on the evening of Feb-

ryary 8 by the Army deteil and some 300

renresent=tive resi`ents of the project,

was intended to give a thorough present-

ation "f `the plan Through 2 detailed

War Department vroclamation read by

Lieutenant Tracy, it was revealed that

the rovernment, seeking a feasible +"olu-

tion ts the aoute wartime "roblem of the

Japanese Americanveople, had decided to

determine, "rincivally by means of gues-

cionnaires, the -extent of the Loyalty

held by the evacuees tovards the United

States. ;

The proclamation, of which presenta-

tions were being made almost simulta-

neously at all the relocation centers by

Similac Army teams, disclosed the gov-

ernment's reasons for the evacuation and

the "tevs contemplated in restoring the

Loyal Americans of Japanese ancestry to

their richtful "oleces in American socie-

ty. The formation of a special combat

unit made up entirely of Javanese Ameri-

vyoluntcers was to "e the first of

these eteps,. fhe proclamation further

`disclosed that induction through the Se-~

lective Service System could be evpected

as a follow-up step for, those loyal ci-

tivene who do not volunteer but are of

military age and. physical fitness.

As to the svecifie reason for the

formation of an all-Japnanese American

cx bet team, the proclamation mace it

clear that the step was not "rompted by

any motive of racial serregation, but by

the fact that a separate fighting unit

would be of greater publicity value, On

this point, the statement.read: ",..if

your strength were . diffused through the

Army of the United States--as had-al-

ready been done with many other Ameri-

cans of your blood--relatively little

account would be taken of your action.

You would be important only as man-power

--nothing more, But united, and working

together, you would become a symbol of

something greater than your individual

selves, and'the effect would be felt

both in the "United States and abroad..:"

To the nations abroad, and esyecially to

the peoples of the East, you would pro-

vide the measure of solidarity of people

who get together in the name of democra-

cy . i?

The proclamation was read again two

nights later before a large. indoor gath--

ering of almost 1000 young citizens, At

this meetins, questions prepared by the

resident committee prior to the Arny

team's arrival were given voice, along

with ouestions raised from the floor,

These queries ranged in variety from re-

quests for further clarification of the

separate combat unit plan to inouiries

about details of the Army physical re--

quirements, 0x00B0 a

This was followed by a period of se-

veral days, ` during which the residents

were given the time and the ovnvortunity

to consider all aspects of the matter

and to "repare for the joint ar Devart-

ment and "RA registration to be conduct-

ed, On Saturd-y, February 13, the regis-

tration of all evacuees 17 years of aze

and over officially began. Under the di-

rection of the Army team, resident re-

gistrars during the followins

period completed the 100 ver cent regis-

tration of the project population af-

fected. .*- wos"

As a loyalty check, the registration

demonstrated that the great majority of

the Japanese Americans, and many of the

aliens also, had retained their loyalty

to this country through all the trials

and strains of forced evacuation, Parti-

cularly significant was the disclosure

by Project' Director Charles F, Ernst

that "over one thousand young men of To-

paz registered their loyalty tothe

United States and are now waiting to be

notified of the date to anpear before

the Selective Service Board.'' Together

two-weels .

with those who voluntcered for the spe-

cial combat unit, they revresented the |

vast majority of those in Tonvazg who:

were citizens and of military age,

Those who had chosen to be inducted

into the Army as volunteers instead of

as draft selectees immediately decided

to form a committee to express in terms

of concerted action their feeling that

"loyalty to country is a voice that must

be hear@.,.,and that this. basic American

belief is not a casualty of war,' One of:

the first undertakings of the committee

was the oublication of a booklet titled

"Volunteers for Victory,' containing ar-

ticles bringing out the significance of

volunteering, The title caught the ima-

gination of many, and an official organ-

ization of all Tovaz :voluntecers.~,was

cuickly formed under that name,

On the evening of .March 9,. the;-day-

before the official close of the vobun-

tecring veriod, the organigation called

a soecial meeting of potential .new mem-

bers, Therc, many who had already volun-

teered expressed their -conviction that-

their action was the necessary first

steo to establish' the loyalty of" the;

Japanese Anerican group beyond ouestions

Sone spoke as students, others as pro-

fessional men, as farmers,-' as family;

men, As a result of this mecting, many

young men on larch 10 filed into the

Voluntccrs for Victory headevarters to

Other activitics of the organization

Since then have includea such things as

the framing of 4 credo (mneproduced,on .

the cover of this pamphhet), the: contact

ing of other voluntcer groups to unite

for common action, the undertaking of a

public relations and goodwill "rogran,

and the oprcvaration of literature pre-

scnting the beliefs and aims. of those

who have volunteered,

The final record of volunteering in

Topaz shows that one out of every ten

male citizens of military age who have

exoressed willingness to . serve in. the

armed forces of the United-States has

volunteered, On tie following pages is

the complete roster of these,men, In the

Sincerity of their belief in democracy

and Atierica, they have all placed them-

selves without reservation at the im-

mediate service of their country.

NAME

AKAGI, Takeo William

. AKIYA, Ichiro Karl

ANIYOSEI, Hisashi Roy

AKTYOSHI, Takamichi

ARIMOTO, Kano Edgar

ASANO, Paul Sachio

BABA, Kenjiro

CHO, Susumu

EBIHARA, Henry Hiroshi

HARANO, John Yukiharu

HIKOYEDA, Tadashi

HIKOYEDA, Takeo

HIROTA, Carl Tokuji

IINO, Edwin Nobuo

IIYAMA, Ernest Satoshi

IKEZOYE, Misturu Francis

IKI, Robert Shigenori

IMAI, Ted Heiyu

ISHIDA, Tadami

ISOBE, Masao

ITO, Josevh

IWATA"I, Shigeo John

IZUMI, John

IZUMI, Ernest

KAJIWARA, Nobuo

KAGAL'T, Ray Teruyo

KAGAIT, Yutaka

KAMIYANA, Shigenori

KANAI, Saburo Sam-

KATAYAMA, Taro

KATSU, Nobuyoshi

KAWAGUCHI, iiasami Benjamin

KAWAI, George Rinsei

KAY AKAMI, Iwao

KAY ATA, George Shigeaki

KISHII, Leo Michihiro

KITAGAKT, Nobuo

KITAGAWA, Saburo Arthur

KITAMURA, Kozo

KOCHIYAHA, "illiam

OIZUMI, Yutaka

MASAOKA, Ben

AGE

mw O29

Hw OD) GF Gl

OO 09

eho DF oo me

~w DW Ww

STATUS

Single

iiarried

Married

Single

harried

Single

Married

Single

viarried

Single

Married

Single

Married

Single

warried

Single

San

san

San

Sar

San

san

San

Berkeley,

Francisco,

Oakland,

Francisco,

Clovis,

Berkeley,

Berkeler,

Francisco,

Oakland,

Francisco,

Oatsland,

Francisco,

Oakland,

Franicsco,

Francisco,

Alameda,

Berkeley,

Francisco,

Oakland,

Yosemite,

Francisco,

Salt Lake

Berkeley,

Francisco,

Oakland,

Hayward,

Berkeley,

Jakland,

Freneisco,

Oakland,

Oaklana,

Francisco,

West Los Angeles,

HOE TORN

California

New ilexico

California

Cdlifornia

California

Cali*ornia

California

City, Utah

California

Califomia

California

NAME

MATSUKI, Paul Shinji

MATSUKI, Joe Minoru

MATSUMOTO, Frank iakoto

MATSUOKA, Janichi Jay

MATSUMORI, Keizo Tom

MISUMI, Tom Takashi

MIZOTE, Henry

MOMII, Rikito Richard

HORI, Thomas -

MORITA, Walton Masashi

MORIVAKI, Yoshiaki

NAGATA, Ronalc Masao

NAKAGAKT, Hiromi

NAKAMURA, Richard Yoshito

NAKATA, Walter Kenjiro

NAKAYAMA, Tyler Hitaro

WISHI, Takanori Allen

NISHIMURA, James Takao

NISHILURA, Yoshio

NISHIZAKI, Jim

NOBORI, Teruo

OBATA, George Kimio

OGAWA, Tatsuo Jiro

0GO, William Goro |

OGO, Benjamin Yoshiharu

OKYNO, Chisumi Curt

OKUBO, Seiichi

OKUSA, Mneo Michael

OTA, Daniel

OKI, Sadao James

SHINOTORI, George

SHIMOTORI, Goroge

SHIOZA"A, Mitsuo

SHIRAKI, George iiyonobu

SHIRONITTA, Zane Grey

SUZUKI, Goro :

TABATA, Teruo Terry

_ TAKAGI, Roy Yoki

TAKAHASHI, Nobumitsu

TAMAHASHI, Frank Tadao

TAKAHASHI, George Shiyogo

TAKAKI, Henry Ta,etaro

TAKAKT, Yoshitaka

TAKET, Akira

TAKIGUCHI, Stephen ilasayuki

TANAKA, George Ernest

TOBA, Tsutomu Ben

TOMINAGA, Sam Saburo

TOMINAGA, Paul Shiro

TOYOTA, George Jiro

AGE

eee

`ee

0 Pd CA

reo fo

4.0

46.

STATUS

Siu:

Single

single

Single

single

Sinele

Single

Married

Single

Married

single

Married

Single

Varried

Married

Single

Married

Single

single

Single

Married

Single

ifarried

Single

varried

liarried

Single

Married

ilarried

Single

iarried

San

san

San

S3an

wan

Francisco,

Oakland,

n Francisco,

Larkspur,

Oakland,

Berkelev',

Berkeley,

Francisco,

Makland,

Fr-ncisco,

Berkeley,

San Mateo,

Los Angeles,

' Los

Berkeley,

Richmond,

Berkeley,

Oakland,

San Francisco,

Los Angeles,

San

pan

San

Berkeley,

Oakland,

Francisco,

Oakinnd,

San lateo,

Francisco,

Berkeley,

Oakland,

San Mateo,

Oakland,

Francisco,

Oakland,

Franeiseo,

Francisco,

Berkeley,

Oakland,

Angeles,

HOME TON

California

Califomia

California

Califomia

California

Califomia

California

In collections

Joseph R. Goodman papers on Japanese American incarceration

Details

Title: Fighting Americans, too!
Date: 1943
Identifier: MS-840_0423
Description: Journal focused on enlisted Japanese soldiers at Topaz incarceration camp. Includes list of enlistees. Page 14 is blank. "This pamphlet is a special publication of the historical committee of the Volunteers for Victory. April 3, 1943."
General notes(s): Series: Volunteers for Victory, published by the Resident Council for Japanese American Civil Rights, Topaz, Utah, 1943
Physical description: 15 pages, 11 x 8.5 inches
Preferred citation: Fighting Americans, too!; Joseph R. Goodman papers on Japanese American incarceration, MS-840; California Historical Society.
Rights statement: Copyright Not Evaluated
Publication rights: The California Historical Society (CHS) has no information about copyright ownership for this item, and is not authorized to grant permission to publish or reproduce it. Copyright is assumed to be held by the original creator of the item. Unpublished works are expected to pass into the public domain 120 years after their creation; works published before 1923 have entered the public domain. Upon request, digitized works can be removed from public view if there are rights issues that need to be resolved.
Topical subject(s): Japanese Americans
Identity and values--Nisei
World War II--Incarceration camps--Publications
World War II--Military service
World War II--Military service--recruiting and enlisting
Named subject(s): Incarceration Camps--Topaz (Central Utah)
Geographical subject(s): Delta (Utah)
Finding Aid: https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt0v19r86x/
Collection identifier: MS-840