125 Linguists Join 442 For Basic Training

One hundred and twenty-five Japanese American graduates of the Military Intelligence Language School at Camp Savage, Minn. have arrived at Camp Shelby to undergo a stiff eight-week training cycle with the Japanese American Combat Team.

Undaunted by the hot weather of Mississippi after a spring and early summer in Minnesota, the soldiers, all technicians, fifth grade, were anxious to plunge into field training and get their hands on rifles and machine guns. During the school course which they have just completed they had no contact with weapons, only visual instructions. Said T/ 5 Juichi “Nick” Nishii: “We’re aching for a chance to handle guns after those months of class studies.”

Basic Training

Their basic training period here as a unit will be under the supervision of Capt. Thomas A. Crowley, 2nd Lt. Ralph T. Yempuku and 2nd Lt. Silva M. Landress and a specially chosen cadre of non commissioned officers, all of the Combat Team.

“The hardening process of the men must be rapid and yet complete,” said Capt. Crowley. “They will be taught adequately to take care of themselves on the field of battle. They will learn how to fire and handle all types of weapons such as carbines, mortars, Garand rifles, machine-guns, anti-tank guns and rocket shooters.”

Upon completion of their field training, the Nisei soldiers will be returned to Camp Savage for assignments.

Most of the men are from the mainland, volunteering for the Language School from Relocation Centers and from Army posts and camps. Many are graduates of universities and colleges, majoring in commerce, agriculture, engineering, political science. T/5 Ben Obata was once president of the University of California Japanese students club, and is a commerce major. “It’ll be good to get some physical exercise in the outdoors after the hours we spent in studies,” he said.

T/5 Nobuo Alex Yorichi was an undergraduate of the University of California where he took lower division Reserve Officers Training Corps. “But they’ve changed the marching routine and the weapons are different and better now,” he said. Yorichi volunteered from the Topaz Relocation Center at Topaz, Utah.

Once a southpaw pitcher for the San Francisco Junior college baseball team, T/5 Nick Nishi stated that the trip south was okay and the meals were excellent. “It was rough since we boarded the train in Minnesota in a storm, but we had a good time on the way down,” Nishi said. An undergraduate before evacuation to the Poston Relocation Center, he was one of the first to volunteer for the language school.

Looking at the weapons carried by the Japanese American soldiers, T/5 Cyril Omata, commerce graduate of the University of California, hoped that the weapons weren’t very complex and hard to learn. He was also anxious to fire on the range to test his skill.

Likes Minnesotans

Formerly of San Francisco, Cal., and a graduate of the University of California, T/5 Minoru Endo hoped that the people of Mississippi were as friendly as the Minnesotans who treated the Japanese American soldiers royally during their stay at Camp Savage. A tall, slim youth with glasses, Endo was glad that studies were over and said, “I know that field training with weapons will be a welcome change to all the men.”

Second Lt. Arthur S. Loi and 2nd Lt. Richard J. Wilson accompanied the men from Camp Savage and returned the next day to the northern post.