Soldier Story: Torao Hayashi
Soldier Story
Torao Hayashi
Private
100th Battalion, B Company
442nd Regimental Combat Team
Torao Hayashi was born on January 24, 1914, in Sacramento, California, to Ichimatsu and Yoneyo (Ikeda) Hayashi. He was the second of eleven children. His siblings were: brothers Masuo, John Kazumi, Masao Roy, and sisters Helen Hisako, Michiye Arlene, Yoshiko Louise, Sueko Barbara, Tomiko Jane, Natsuye Ruth, and Ruby.
Ichimatsu and Yoneyo arrived in the US in 1906 and 1911, respectively, from Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. He was 14 years older than his wife and they were married upon her arrival.
In 1918, the family lived at 1402 5th Street in Sacramento, and Ichimatsu operated his truck farm at Front and Y Streets near the Sacramento River.
By 1930, the family had moved to Jackson Road in Perkins on the east side of Sacramento. Ichimatsu was a truck farmer. Torao graduated from Sacramento High School in 1931. In 1940, the family was still living in the same house. Brother John K. was married and his wife Lorraine also lived in the home. John was his father’s partner in farming and Torao worked for them.
Torao signed his draft registration card on October 16, 1940, Local Board No. 28, 1700 K Street, Sacramento. He was living with his family on Jackson Road, address P.O. Box 25, Perkins. His brother John was his point of contact and his employer on the farm. Torao was 5’4” tall and weighed 135 pounds.
On March 21, 1941, Torao Hayashi enlisted in the U.S. Army in Sacramento. He was sent for basic training at Camp Roberts, Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties, California.
He was then stationed at Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, with the 8th Service Command. The unit, nicknamed “Texas Power Wagon,” was responsible for Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The headquarters was at Fort Sam Houston in August 1942 and later moved to Dallas.
Right: Pvt. Hayashi at Fort Bliss, 1942
The Hayashi family was evacuated to the Pinedale WCCA Assembly Center in Fresno in the spring of 1942. They were incarcerated at Poston Camp 2, Colorado River WRA in Arizona. The family lived in Unit 2-208-2-CD. Oldest son Masuo died of cardiac failure while at Poston, on January 3, 1944, five days after his 24th birthday. Most of the family members were released to Sacramento on April 2, 1945. John and wife Lorraine lived in Unit 2-208-13-A and first two children were born there. They were released to Tooele, Utah, for employment on December 14, 1944.
In early 1944, Torao Hayashi was sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, for combat training. That summer he was given a short furlough to visit his family at Camp Poston in Colorado.
Left: On last visit to see family at Poston, 1944
After returning to Camp Shelby, Hayashi was sent as one of 672 replacements to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in Italy. The 442nd had been in Italy since May 28, 1944, and had fought in the Rome-Arno Campaign. They were relieved from the front lines on September 6 and moved to a bivouac at Castiglioncello. On September 10 they were trucked to Piombino and embarked on Liberty ships to Naples. After arrival, the Combat Team bivouacked outside of the city.
On September 18, Pvt. Torao Hayashi arrived as one of the 672 much-needed replacement troops and was assigned to 100th Battalion, B Company. The new arrivals had to be trained and integrated into their companies over the next 10 days. Finally, on September 27, the 442nd left on the transport ships Thurston, Dickman, Chase, and Henrico for France.
They arrived at Marseilles on September 29 after a 2-day voyage, and bivouacked at nearby Septèmes prior to traveling over 500 miles north by truck or rail boxcars to the Vosges – where they joined in the Rhineland-Vosges Campaign as part of the Seventh Army.
The Combat Team arrived at Charmant-devant-Bruyères on October 11. On October 14, the 442nd began moving into position in the late afternoon preparing for the assault on the German-held hills surrounding the important road and rail junction of Bruyères.
After liberating Bruyères on October 18, followed by the neighboring villages of Biffontaine and Belmont, they were given a couple of days to rest in Belmont. However, after a day there, they were told that the following morning they would be heading out to rescue the 1st Battalion of the 141st (Texas) Regiment. Despite numerous attempts at rescue, this battalion remained surrounded on three sides by the enemy after advancing beyond its support.
Following is a description by I Company Medic Victor Izui of what the 442nd encountered, after the costly and exhausting battles for Bruyères and Biffontaine, as they set out on their mission – still in their summer uniforms:
To get to them, we encountered the most God-awful terrain and weather in the dark, jungle-like Vosges forest – a series of unmaneuverable, long, narrow ridges; cold rain and more cold rain; well-camouflaged, well dug-in, tenacious enemy we couldn’t see; water-logged foxholes and soggy combat boots that produced trench feet; digging dugouts no matter how tired we were in order to survive devastating nightly barrages and tree bursts…a foolhardy general [Major General John E. Dahlquist] who came right up to our lines, goading us to get up and charge…three days of slow, tedious tree-to-tree fighting with no sleep; forcing down cold, dry meat hash and crackers with cold, stale water…
On October 27, the men set out before sunrise, marching in columns with each man holding onto the pack of the man in front of him as they could not see in the pitch-dark night. By 2:00 p.m. the 100th was in position on the right of the line with 2nd Battalion on the left and 3rd Battalion in the center. The attack moved very slowly, meeting heavy resistance. The fighting was severe and after a counterattack was broken, they dug in for the night. By the end of the next day, October 28, the 100th and 3rd Battalions had advanced about 500 yards and captured 70 prisoners.
It was on this day, October 28, that Private. Torao Hayashi was mortally wounded by artillery shrapnel in his back and side. He was taken to an aid station where he died. He was buried at Épinal American Military Cemetery south of Bruyères.
For his military service, Private Torao Hayashi was awarded the: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one bronze star, World War II Victory Medal, Distinguished Unit Badge, and Combat Infantryman Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on October 5, 2010, along with the other veterans of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. This is the highest Congressional Civilian Medal.
On December 12, 1944, an obituary for Pvt. Hayashi was printed in the Sacramento Bee.
After the war, the US began closing many of its overseas wartime cemeteries. Families were given the choice of having their loved one returned home if they wished. The Hayashi family chose to have Torao returned to California. His remains were returned and interred at East Lawn Cemetery in Sacramento, where many other Hayashi family members are buried.
Left: Burial service for Pvt. Hayashi at East Lawn Cemetery, 1948
On July 2, the family held a memorial service for Torao at the Buddhist Hall, 418 O Street. This was followed by graveside services under the auspices of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Nisei Post 8985, whose member also gave a 21-gun salute. Hayashi was survived by his mother, brothers John and Roy, and sisters Arlene Tsukamoto, Louise Kubo, Barbara, Tomiko Jane, Ruth, and Ruby.
Researched and written by the Sons & Daughters of the 442nd RCT with assistance by Pvt. Hayashi’s niece in 2025.