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Lynn - 2838
OWI-3550
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
TRUMAN
For Immediate Release
LIBRARY
Cleared and Issued
Thursday, September 7, 1944
MARKY SERVERNMENT
Through Facilities of the
U.S.
Office of War Information
Forty-five American soldiers of Japanese ancestry with parents or other
next of kin living in the country's relocation centers, have been killed in
action, Dillon S. Myer, Director of the War Relocation Authority, today reported
to Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes.
A WRA compilation of casualty notices received by center families up to
August 31 showed a total of 139 War Department telegrams, giving notification of
45 killed, 92 wounded and two missing in action, Mr. Myer said. The 45 were
killed in Italy in such hard fought battles as Cassino, Volturno and Belvedere.
The parents of the men killed have expressed the belief that their sons
"died for two causes -- for their country and to win acceptance as Americans
from all other Americans," Mr. Myer said.
He reported the words of Mrs. Yaye Ohki, a widow living at the Granada
Relocation Center, Amache, Colo., who had three sons in the American Army. When
she learned that the eldest, Arnold, was killed in action July 7 and that the
second, Edwin, was seriously wounded, she said: "This is their country. This is
their home, and my sons are working toward the betterment of their motherland and
fighting endlessly to win their place in the United States as loyal citizens
whose faith in America will not die, but will grow even stronger. My son Arnold
proved that by sacrificing his life on the Italian front."
Mrs. Toyosuke Onodera, of the Minidoka Relocation Center, Hunt, Idaho,
whose son Satoru was killed fighting with the famed 100th Infantry Battalion in
Italy, said: "If the death of my son will contribute toward a greater under-
standing of the loyalty of Japanese in this country, then I shall be comforted.
I am proud that my son should have given up his life in defense of democracy
and I am sure that his death will not have been in vain."
Mrs. Onodera has two more sons in the Army, one with the 442nd Regimental,
Combat Unit in Italy and one still in training at Camp Shelby, Miss.
Most of the casualties so far have been volunteers, Mr. Myer said, explain-
ing that selective service was not applicable to Japanese-Americans between
June, 1942 and January 1944. He added that since casualty notices go directly
to the families at the centers or to evacuee families who have relocated and do
not come through WRA channels, it is believed that some casualty notices were
missed and that the total number received by evacuees in the centers up to
August 31 may be 10 or 20 per cent higher than the 139 reported.
Relocation centers receive their casualty telegrams in much the same way
they are received in thousands of American towns and homes. Not a week passes
without a military memorial service at one of the centers, usually sponsored by
the Parent-Soldier group of the center's USO organization and by the center
Community Council.
(over)
X-33732
-2-
OWI-3550
A typical service for the soldier dead may start with a prayer by a
Buddhist priest and mass singing of "the Star-Spangled Banner," with the service
ending perhaps with a benediction in Japanese, delivered by a Christian
minister, and with "Taps" by Boy Scout buglers. The speeches are translated
into Japanese or English.
#:#
X-33732
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Document data
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"ocrText": "Lynn - 2838\nOWI-3550\nDEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR\nTRUMAN\nFor Immediate Release\nLIBRARY\nCleared and Issued\nThursday, September 7, 1944\nMARKY SERVERNMENT\nThrough Facilities of the\nU.S.\nOffice of War Information\nForty-five American soldiers of Japanese ancestry with parents or other\nnext of kin living in the country's relocation centers, have been killed in\naction, Dillon S. Myer, Director of the War Relocation Authority, today reported\nto Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes.\nA WRA compilation of casualty notices received by center families up to\nAugust 31 showed a total of 139 War Department telegrams, giving notification of\n45 killed, 92 wounded and two missing in action, Mr. Myer said. The 45 were\nkilled in Italy in such hard fought battles as Cassino, Volturno and Belvedere.\nThe parents of the men killed have expressed the belief that their sons\n\"died for two causes -- for their country and to win acceptance as Americans\nfrom all other Americans,\" Mr. Myer said.\nHe reported the words of Mrs. Yaye Ohki, a widow living at the Granada\nRelocation Center, Amache, Colo., who had three sons in the American Army. When\nshe learned that the eldest, Arnold, was killed in action July 7 and that the\nsecond, Edwin, was seriously wounded, she said: \"This is their country. This is\ntheir home, and my sons are working toward the betterment of their motherland and\nfighting endlessly to win their place in the United States as loyal citizens\nwhose faith in America will not die, but will grow even stronger. My son Arnold\nproved that by sacrificing his life on the Italian front.\"\nMrs. Toyosuke Onodera, of the Minidoka Relocation Center, Hunt, Idaho,\nwhose son Satoru was killed fighting with the famed 100th Infantry Battalion in\nItaly, said: \"If the death of my son will contribute toward a greater under-\nstanding of the loyalty of Japanese in this country, then I shall be comforted.\nI am proud that my son should have given up his life in defense of democracy\nand I am sure that his death will not have been in vain.\"\nMrs. Onodera has two more sons in the Army, one with the 442nd Regimental,\nCombat Unit in Italy and one still in training at Camp Shelby, Miss.\nMost of the casualties so far have been volunteers, Mr. Myer said, explain-\ning that selective service was not applicable to Japanese-Americans between\nJune, 1942 and January 1944. He added that since casualty notices go directly\nto the families at the centers or to evacuee families who have relocated and do\nnot come through WRA channels, it is believed that some casualty notices were\nmissed and that the total number received by evacuees in the centers up to\nAugust 31 may be 10 or 20 per cent higher than the 139 reported.\nRelocation centers receive their casualty telegrams in much the same way\nthey are received in thousands of American towns and homes. Not a week passes\nwithout a military memorial service at one of the centers, usually sponsored by\nthe Parent-Soldier group of the center's USO organization and by the center\nCommunity Council.\n(over)\nX-33732\n-2-\nOWI-3550\nA typical service for the soldier dead may start with a prayer by a\nBuddhist priest and mass singing of \"the Star-Spangled Banner,\" with the service\nending perhaps with a benediction in Japanese, delivered by a Christian\nminister, and with \"Taps\" by Boy Scout buglers. The speeches are translated\ninto Japanese or English.\n#:#\nX-33732"
}