George Shukichi Yoshino served as a Private First Class in Company K, 3rd Battalion, 442nd RCT. He was born on June 9, 1921, in Naalehu, Hawaii, one of six sons of Zenzo and Kitsu (Ogata) Yoshino. His parents immigrated from Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, in 1910 and 1916, respectively.
In the 1940 census, George and his older brother Barney were lodgers in the N. Kukui Street home of widower Minore Nakayama and his sons, one of whom worked in an auto repair shop. When he signed his WWII Draft Registration card on February 14, 1942, in Honolulu, George was living at 52 N. Kukui Street, his point of contact was his older brother Barney Shuzo Yoshino of 1326 N. Vineyard Street, he was employed by W.A. Ramsay Ltd. at Fort & Queen Street, and he was 5’4”, 120 lbs.
Yoshino was inducted into the U.S. Army on August 15, 1944. His civil occupation was listed as skilled mechanic/repairman, motor vehicles. He and others from Hawaii were sent to Camp Fannin, Texas, for infantry basic training. After training, they were shipped to Le Havre, France, then headed toward southern France where they joined up with the 442nd in the Champagne Campaign. Then he went with the 442nd to Livorno (Leghorn) and saw combat duties in the North Apennines and Po Valley. He was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge.
Yoshino was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army with other men from the 442nd on August 15, 1946, in a Veterans Day ceremony held in Kapiolani Park attended by about 80,000 including veterans of the Spanish-American War and World War I. The 442nd RCT was officially deactivated at the same ceremony.
On September 21, 1946, he married Mieko Kanemoto. George also got back his old job at W. A. Ramsey Ltd. Later, he worked for Kaman Bearing Supply until he retired in June 1984. After his retirement, he was active with the Company K Chapter, 442nd RCT Veterans Club.
George Shukichi Yoshino passed away on January 21, 2013. He is buried in Nuuanu Memorial Park in Honolulu. His sons, Alan and Irvin, are active with the Sons & Daughters of the 442nd RCT.
Yoshino’s younger brother Tatsuo, born April 1, 1928, in Naalehu, was inducted into the U.S. Army in February 1951. He served as a Private First Class in Company L, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Division, and was killed in combat in Korea on September 13, 1951. He is buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl in Honolulu.
