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Show ~esuonna.ir -- ~age I•~ve Wi 1 1 i am Koch:lyama Shelby, Hattiesburg, Hississippi, which was known as the "Hellhola of the South." There I be cam a zoomber of Company Y., 442nd I.nf'antry" Reg:imnt.. OUr training was tough and lasted tor almost one year. In itself', this i1as highly unusual. It took that long because the ArrrrJ had to evaluate our loyalty, performance, and potential before it comr.itted the 442nd RCT to combat. ·.1hl..le in training the nan of the h42 had the opportwrl.ty' to visit the closest concentration camp, where they could enjoy Japanese food and the company of Nisei women. !'hat camp was at Jerome, Arkansas; and there is where I met ~·~, lmo was in charge of the camp's u.s.o. Several months later, before heading overseas, we be~ engaged and therea!ter did our courting primarily by mail. 15.rlhat was your war experience? ·rhe 442nd ROT fought in Italy and in France. I served as a rineman and a scout -- the guy "'dlo precedes his squad into battl.e. It was a terr:U.'y:i.nll and nightmarish e~nce. Somehow I escaped without a scratch, but had many "close calls. 11 When the war ended in Ita.JJ, I had risen in rank to T/Sgt. and was acting 1 st/Sgt. of Company K. ~ promotions were not earned on merit -- onlJ by ~ .fact_~t I was one of the row rema:i.ning ~n or the original c~ who ~~·-1CuJ.ed or wounded. The 442nd lost ~st .300% in casualties; and it won the greatest number of decorations for i"'unit of its sise in the entire hiBtory of the United States Anay. (Tony: refer to your reference books about the 442. ) 16. \-lhen were you married? I waa discharged from the Anay on December 31 , 19451 and married Mar:r on February 9, 1946. In September of that year I entered Long Island University, Brooklyn, under the G.I. Bill.. 17 .How many children did you have 'l Six. Their names and birthd.ays follow: William Earl Kochiyama --!-lay 11 1947 Audee Tsuma Y~chiyama -- June .30, 1 949 Lorrie Ai.ch:i. Kochiyama -- June 28, 1952 Edmund Yuta.ka Kochiyama-- June 16, 1955 James Wade Koch:cyama. -- April 28,1957 Thomas Seiichi Kochiyama.- April 1 , 1 959 18.hbat ld.nd of work do you do? Public Relat:iona. J.~ job was recently terminated (November 18, 1974), and an now lookillg for new employment. Have been in th1a .tield for 24 years. 19 .Have zou registered any complaints about your impri!onment? llo. Sit I ba"t'8 given several in!omal taJ..ka to groups about that almost hidden aspect of American history. |
