Johnny Nakamura was a Nisei, first generation native Japanese parent, and one of my schoolmates. He died in World War II fighting the Germans in Italy.

The way he and many of his Nisei friends fought and died, while their families were viewed with suspicion by the Americans or herded into “detention” camps with barbed wire, is a lesson in patriotism.

Visitors to this column may remember my recent article on writing your own epitaph. I mentioned Johnny when we were journalism students at Flint, Mich., Central High School, struggling through our first lesson. They ordered us to write our obituaries.

Johnny closed his commission with an epitaph to be engraved on his tombstone: “YO? Because?“His words have haunted me my whole life.

My dissertation on epitaphs on this newspaper’s website was discovered by a classmate Jason Austin from Davison, Michigan. He forwarded it over the Internet to Johnny’s younger brother, Frank. He lives in retirement in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Ah, the wonders of electronic journalism!

We are indebted to these and other sources about the Nisei Regimental Combat Team. It consisted of the 100th Infantry Battalion (Hawaii) and the 442nd Infantry Volunteers (Mainland).

It is the most decorated combat unit in the US Army by size and length of service. For the record: 22 Medals of Honor, 9,500 Purple Hearts, and 18,000 Combat Bravery decorations.

After Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, the existing 100th Battalion joined in to help rebuild the naval base. Native Japanese civilians were not segregated, but voluntarily kept a low profile.

In California, families of Japanese immigrants, including naturalized citizens and their US-born children, were rounded up and placed in internment camps.

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I graduated from Flint Junior College and Johnny was well along with a degree at the University of Michigan. I joined the Navy. He was drafted into the army and began training in the Signal Corps. .

Two months later, Johnny was honorably discharged.”by wrong induction“and reclassified”4-C, alien enemy.“

At the same time, Johnny’s father, William Nakamura, a design engineer for the Chevrolet Motor Car Company, was fired as an enemy-alien. He and his wife Elsie, also born in Japan, had five other children.

The company gave him work that he could do at home until he could rehire eight months later. He retired from Chevrolet in 1945 after Japan surrendered.

Johnny was intensely patriotic and repeatedly tried to enlist in the army. The Military Intelligence Service turned him down because he couldn’t speak Japanese. He visited Washington, DC and asked his Senator and his Representative for help.

In February 1943, the army allowed Nisei to volunteer for military service. Within a week, Johnny was back on duty. A year later he was in the allied Italian campaign fighting the Germans at Belvedere, Luciano and Livorno.

Johnny often wrote home to describe the friendships he developed with the liberated Italians.

The 442nd was sent to France in September 1944. There it was attached to the Seventh Army and saw some of the bloodiest fighting of the war at Bruyeres.

Soon enough, the Nisei were called upon to rescue a “lost battalion.” The 1st Battalion, 36th Texas Infantry Division, at Biffontaine was nearly out of ammunition and surrounded by Germans.

Again the 442nd was successful, but with 800 killed and wounded. In 1963, Texas Gov. John Connally made the whole 442nd Regiment”honorary texans“In memory of his brave rescue.

The 442 was sent to Nice, France, for a few weeks of “rest and recovery“

The 442 moved back to Italy in April 1945 as “secret weapon” for the final war in Italy. There, on April 5, Johnny and his platoon were hit by a German mortar barrage. They were all killed.

The war in Europe ended just 32 days later.

Sergeant Chester Tanaka later wrote to Johnny’s parents. “John told me one night that he expected to be killed the next day. I offered to take him off the line for a few days, but John wouldn’t.”

The next day, John was, in fact, killed in the line of duty.

stars and stripes

“stars and stripesThe Army newspaper published the following story about his death:

Private John Nakamura of Flint, Michigan, a walkie-talkie man with his platoon, who has never missed a single day of combat and has about 175 actual combat days on his record, said:

“‘When I was in France I used to think of Italy. I thought about that time we were thirsty and drank from a stream. The next day upriver we found a couple of dead Jerries, a dead Italian lady who was pregnant, some dead goats and a dead cow.

“‘I also remember the 27 days from Grosetto to Pisa when it didn’t rain a single cloud. Now that I’m in Italy, all I can think about is Nice.'”

last letter home

Johnny’s last letter home, written from France while at R&R, was typical of his love of life, country, and family, and his ability to write:

“Thanks for the birthday card. I can’t even begin to realize how time has passed. I don’t know if it’s been long or short since January. Home doesn’t seem near or far.

“Everything is like a dream in which time is wasted before you notice what is happening. I said, ‘Well, yesterday was my birthday, and I didn’t even know it.’

“War news sounds encouraging, but one should not wait too long. War situations can change overnight, for better or worse.

“As for me, I don’t regret being here, nor do I regret being in the infantry. The infantry is tough, it doesn’t make one any younger: 24 years and [I am] not yet resolved.

“One must live some kind of life, and I could never rest easy if I hadn’t gone to take my part in this fight.

“Everyone’s personal life is valuable to himself. He wants to be allowed to enjoy it. A man who is left behind and does not share military service, if he is prepared for it and it is necessary, is really saying: ‘My life it’s more valuable to me. You can waste yours, but I’ll keep mine. That’s wrong.

“You shouldn’t worry if I don’t settle down even after the war is over. I’ve learned a lot even while in the army. I would stay in France for two years before coming home if I could find a way.” – Study French and literature and other things that interest me.

“Military life has made me feel free, even though I haven’t chosen any profession yet. That doesn’t seem important as long as you can find a truly fulfilling life.

“When you’re a child, your parents do everything they can for you. When you grow up, you have to do it yourself.”

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For his military service, Johnny received the Combat Infantry Badge for his action in Italy and France, the Purple Heart for wounds received in combat, and the Bronze Star Medal for “heroic feat.“

He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Thank you, Johnny, and rest in peace.

http://www.lindseywilliams.org/LAL_Archives/Bravest_of_Brave.htm