The Japanese-Americans of the OSS (Script, 1946)
When we think of the brave and selfless acts performed by the Nisei during World War II we are often inclined to remember the 442 Regimental Combat Team - that is why it is important to read this informative essay, which names many of the brave Japanese-Americans who served in the O.S.S. behind enemy lines in the Burma-China theater as well as those who toiled on behalf of the Southeast Asia Translation and Interrogation Center.
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Praise for the Nesei Regiment (Yank Magazine, 1945)
A member of the 34th Infantry Division wrote to the editors of "Yank" to let all members of the Army know how much respect he had for the Nisei soldiers in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
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Nesei Homecoming (Yank, 1945)
Who knows, perhaps the author of Bad Day at Black Rock , Michael Niall, had read this striking bit of fiction from "Yank" and felt such a deep sense of social injustice that it inspired him to write his novel about anti-Isei mob violence. Either way, this vey moving, two column piece is a fictional account about the pathetic homecoming experienced by a member of the Nesei packed 442nd Regimental Combat Team. It was written by "Yank" Magazine's Len Zinberg (1911-1968; a.k.a. Ed Lacy, a.k.a. Steve April); by that time, Zinberg was already an experienced writer with impressive credits and the magazine was lucky to have him. His writings at "Yank" helped to open the door at the "New Yorker", where much of his work was to be seen following the end of hostilities.
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Private Yori Wada, United States Army (Script Magazine, 1942)
This two page article was written by a twenty-five year old U.S. Army private named Yori Wada (1917 - 1997). Wada had joined the army some months prior to the Pearl Harbor attack and with all the good fellowship and optimism typical of youth, he wrote well about how much he enjoyed the army and all the friends he had made within his unit. While the article makes no reference to the unfortunate lot of his family back home, Wada wrote that his future in the army as of April, 1942 was unclear:"All I ask is the chance to do my share in defeating the Axis...a real chance on the battlefield." Yori Wada served briefly with the 442 Regimental Combat Team before being transferred to work in military intelligence. Today, San Franciscans remember Yori Wada for his efforts in solidifying the friendship between Japanese-Americans and the Black community. In later years he served as a University of California Regent.
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Loyal Japanese Fight for the U.S.A. (Click Magazine, 1943)
This photo essay from CLICK MAGAZINE consists of six black and white images illustrating the Nisei officers and GIs toiling under the merciless sun at Camp Shelby, Mississippi prior to being shipped out to Italy. The accompanying paragraph rants on about their devotion to the nation, declaring that for these Japanese-Americans, "democracy outweighs blood ties", yet says not a word about the internment camps.
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