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Higa Takejiro
published Oct 12, 2018
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An Oral History
Takejiro Higa's interview courtesy of the Center for Oral History.
Photographs courtesy of Takejiro Higa. The Hawaii Nisei Project © 2006
ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW
BY: Warren Nishimoto (WN) and Michi Kodama-Nishimoto (MK) MK: This is an interview with Mr. Takejiro Higa. This is our second session on April 15, 2005. And the interviewers are Warren Nishimoto and Michiko Kodama-Nishimoto. So, Mr. Higa, I’m going to start today’s interview by having you make a correction that you felt had to be made. TH: Yes. Okay, the team that I belonged to, assigned to, the 96th Division, was known as 314th Headquarters Intelligence Team. And it consisted of, altogether, ten of us. But four at the division headquarters, two each at the three regiments, assigned to the regiment. These are the advanced parties. So the first prisoner been captured by our unit, will be interviewed by these two guys first. These two guys weren’t too akamai [skilled] on the Japanese. So if they needed further interrogation, they used to send them to the division headquarters for me to interrogate. Very basic interrogation was done at the front. There’s two each assigned to the headquarters, the regimental headquarters. They are further up in the front than the division headquarters. So a lot of prisoners came through division headquarters for me to interrogate. WN: So last time you said 318th, but it’s actually 314th. TH: 314th Headquarters Intelligence Team. MK: And was it when you were assigned to that 314th Headquarters Intelligence Team that you got to know General Claude Easley? TH: Well, when we. . . . General Easley, okay. You know, Easley, the first time I found out after the incident happened at Leyte during the shower room incident. Although we were assigned to the 96th Division Schofield, before we went overseas. But being a small potato, you don’t get to see generals, okay. So I never knew who he was. Division commander, I saw the face, so I recognized him. Smiling Jim Bradley, yeah. But the assistant general, I never met him until the shower room incident (laughs). MK: What was that shower room incident? TH: See, as I told you at the previous interview, I was assigned to the corps headquarters intelligence team during the daytime. Ever since either very late October [19]44 or very early November [19]44. And during the daytime, I worked at corps headquarters intelligence office, helping intelligence officers. And during the evening or the afternoon, go back to division headquarters for dinner as well as sleeping. And overseas, officers and men take the same shower, out in the open shower. Not like regular camp. Regular camp, you have segregated facility for the officers and men. But overseas, generals, down to the buck private, take the same shower room, out in the open. One day, I was minding my own business taking a shower. And here comes a little old man. Kind of old man, I didn’t know who he was. And he starts talking to me, “Junior, what did you do today?” I look at him, I didn’t recognize him. So I pretend as if I didn’t hear him. I took a real fast shower and scrammed out and went back to the tent. And I described it to my brother. So my brother hit the table and said, “Goddamn, don’t you know who he is? He’s a one-star assistant commander general.” I said, “What?” Yep, assistant commander general, General Easley. So, oh my god, I think I’m going to be court-martialed. So I ran to Colonel Lindsey’s office. Colonel Lindsey is our G2 officer. So I went to Colonel Lindsey’s office and I told the colonel, “Colonel Lindsey, I might get courtmartialed.” So he look at me, “Now what did you do, Junior?” “Sir, it’s not what I did, it’s what I did not do.” So I described to him what happened in the shower room. So he kind of smiled at me, “Don’t worry Junior, he might even give you a medal for that.” I said, “Why?” “You did exactly what you were told to do. Not to say a word to anybody unless on a need-to-know basis. You didn’t know him. It’s for you not to say anything.” Ho, that kind of filled me — gave me a good feeling. I went back to my tent. And about fifteen minutes later, here comes the general with the star on his shoulder. Ho, I stood up and salute him and apologized to him what happened in the shower room. So he looked at me, “No big deal, Junior. Nothing, no big deal.” So from that time on, he and I became a real good acquaintance. You know, it’s kind of farfetched to say staff sergeant and general talking on an equal term. But he and I became such good friends. And he treated me like a grandson. So from that time on, very close. So every time we ended up in the shower room together, alone, I used to bring him up to date what happened at corps headquarters. To the colonel, I used to report every afternoon because he is the man who needs to know. My brother asked me, “What did you do today?” “Don’t ask me, I’m being under strict orders not to say anything to anybody unless on a need-to-know basis. And you are not one of them.” (Chuckles) Then we left Leyte to the invasion of Okinawa, I think, the late part of March. I forgot the exact date. Two days out from Leyte, an announcement came over the radio — I mean, ships announcement PA system, that we’re heading toward Okinawa. So I told my brother, “Eh, Warren, now I can tell you what I was doing.” He looked at me, said, “I kind of felt it must be Okinawa.” Because then he told me the incident that happened to him at Leyte. One day, one afternoon, he happened to go to a G2 tent right next to our tent. And the Sergeant Duffy, Master Sergeant Duffy’s desk, there was a thick book with the title, Ryükyü. So, being the son of an Okinawan immigrant, he was curious. So I asked Sergeant Duffy, “Hey Duffy, let me take a look at that book.” Sergeant Duffy thought nothing of it and said, “Eh, take ’em.” So my brother brought back the book to our tent. And about to open, Sergeant Duffy ran in, said, “Hey Warren, where’s the book I just loaned you?” So Warren pointed to the book on his desk. And Duffy grabbed the book and going out. So from behind, my brother told Duffy, “Eh Duffy, if we going to Okinawa, maybe my kid brother can help. He lived there for fourteen years, you know.” Then, you know, Duffy didn’t respond to anything. And I don’t know how many days after, or that particular day, or what, I forgot, but I got a call from the Colonel one day. He said, “Junior, go to corps headquarters right away with Captain Fernandez.” Captain Fernandez was my constant escort officer. And to be with an escort officer is why because being a different faced Japanese, if you go roam around by yourself, I might get shot from my own troops, eh. Being a disguised enemy. Because there was an incident at corps headquarters. A guy named Ito from California, nisei boy, assigned to the 24th Corps Headquarters under George Takabayashi. One day, he was roaming around, away from the division, I mean, the corps headquarters maybe. So a Filipino guy grabbed him and treated him like a Japanese prisoner. And George Takabayashi, the team leader, has to go over there and bail him out. (Chuckles) So, because of that, for our protection, we had one haole officer assigned to us as a bodyguard anytime we go out from the headquarters out. And Captain Fernandez was my escort officer all the time. (Coughs) I might add though, at the division headquarters, there were three other special teams attached to the division headquarters G2. And they were - one team was what they call Aerial Photo Interpreters Team. These are small group of people. . . . In fact, our division only had three: the commanding officer, Captain Krueger, and the two sergeants. Their job is to interpret and analyze aerial photographs for military value. And the other team is Japanese Order of Battle section, JOB. Their job is to identify the enemy unit. Its history, if possible. And knowing their background, the higher command can anticipate what kind of tactic these people might use. So that’s useful information they can get. Knowing the officers in charge and the history, if they have it. And the third team is CounterIntelligence Corps, CIC. (Coughs) CIC (coughs) excuse me. CIC’s duty is to see any subversive or any irregular activity among our troops. To keep an eye on our own troops who might do something against a military rule, or the order of military rule, or custom. And they can punish the guys, yeah. Sort of FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] working for the army. And us, our job is to get the |
information about the enemy. So these four teams, a special
group of people, assigned to the division G2. G2 is
intelligence, as you know.
So because of the safety reason, as I say, we had a bodyguard all the time. Every time when I went to caves, Captain Fernandez was always with me. Right beside me. MK: And what was your . . . TH: So protect me. MK: What was your relationship with this Captain Fernandez? TH: Very close. (Coughs) Very close. He’s another person, I’m very sad to say, I never kept up with him. I’m don’t know if he’s still alive or what, but I never got to contact him after the war. For one thing, I didn’t have too much time. Soon after the war — maybe I’m getting ahead of schedule — but I was shipped out to Korea. So I never got to him to know much about it after the war. Only during the campaign. MK: And you were saying that he would always be with you when you went out of headquarters. When you say “always,” it was virtually . . . TH: Everywhere. Whenever I go out from headquarters, he [Captain Fernandez] was my officer protecting me against our own troops. Otherwise, they might shoot me, yeah. Being Japanese face. And even though I’m in uniform, they can easily say this guy is a disguised prisoner, you know. So protection. And one day, even general told me, one day, while taking a shower, “Hey Junior, do you realize in case of emergency and we have to get out from division headquarters, you get higher priority than me?” So I told him, “Ho, General, that sounds real good.” (Laughter) He said, “The reason being this: we know too damn much about our own unit. So if I’m captured, although we are trained not to say anything more than name, rank, and serial number, under pressure, you might spill out, yeah. So that’s one. And the other one is, if you’re captured by Japanese, guaranteed to be tortured and probably killed, yeah. So we’re supposed to scram out before, ahead of anybody.” MK: And knowing all that, how did you feel, knowing that you were so vulnerable? TH: Well, I knew that. But I knew also, I was well protected. Covered by all the non-coms and even officers in the division headquarters. And the only time I go out from division headquarters was when I go to caves. And a couple of times to POW [prisoner of war] camps, civilian compound. Other than that, always in division headquarters because I have to be ready to receive calls from regimental headquarters if the two guys in each regiment need help. I got to be available, you know. MK: And, you know, before we move on to Okinawa, I remember you were telling me that the general treated you like a grandson. And when he was killed, you told us about how you felt. TH: Yeah. MK: If you could repeat that to us? TH: Well, he treated me so nicely. And I was attached to him. So one day, almost toward the end of the battle, he got shot in the front line by a sniper. And he got killed. When his helmet was brought back to the division headquarters, I looked at that and I cried. Because just like losing my own flesh and blood, yeah. And I looked at the general’s helmet. Bullet entered right below the star. And no marking behind. So I assumed the bullet was still I his head, or unless penetrated out, yeah, that I don’t know. I never got to see the body, of course. So that really put me in a sad moment. As if I lost my blood relative. So whenever I go to Okinawa — I’ve been back to Okinawa many times after the war — and there is a memorial at the southern tip of the island called, “Heiwa no Ishiji,” or Peace Memorial Park. And over there, they have, on the marble, something like the Vietnam Wall. All the dead person’s names inscribed, including the civilians, Japanese army, known dead, and the Americans. All in there, all different sections. So I looked for General Easley’s marking. I go over there and I put — I know he’s not Buddhist, but hell, this is the closest I can pay my respects. The first time I went, I even took a pencil marking of the name on the stone and I brought it home. With the lead pencil, you know, marking. So I know exactly where his name, inscribed names are. So each time I go, I go over there. If there was an incense-burning container, I would have put incense, but (chuckles) no such thing. So the closest I can do is just put my hands together. He was such a nice man, I tell you. Even to this day, when I think about him, I get near tears. MK: I guess, you know, you mentioned that in the Philippines, of course, you knew General Easley. And then you had your escort officer, Captain Fernandez. TH: Captain Fernandez. First name, I forgot. (Chuckles) MK: And I was wondering, you know, what was your relationship with the other men in the division? In the headquarters. TH: Individually, I mean, we don’t have any very close ties. But overall, they treated us very nicely. They figured that we are the eyes and ears of the division. So nobody mistreated us. Nobody even mentioned “Jap” or anything. Always, everybody was treated very cordially. And we were very good friends together. MK: And in the Philippines, I’m wondering, at that time, how much contact did you have with civilian Filipinos? TH: Very little. Very little. In fact, I can’t think of any one particular incident dealing with a Filipino. I know some of them came through the division headquarters and looked at us, but no personal contact. MK: And, you know, I was wondering, what the conditions were like for you folks in the Philippines. TH: Well, just like any war condition, I guess. We were living in a tent. And we had a bomb shelter right across of our tent. The engineers dug up the hole and covered it with coconut log, and then piled up the dirt. So unless you have a direct hit, you’re probably safe. We, several times, ran into there. Air raid alarm. And nothing happened, of course. Luckily. And the first few days, we were very close to the front line. So we could hear, at night, banzai charges. (Chuckles) It’s a real eerie feeling. Oh, about, I would say, I don’t have a wristwatch so I can’t tell exact time, but I would say after midnight, yeah. Early in the morning you can hear, in the distance, in the hillside, “Tenno heika banzai! [Long live the Emperor!]” And then bang, bang, bang, bang. And then soon after the machine gun open up, it’s just like a firecracker. It’s a funny kind of feeling when you hear those words. Banzai charge. And then a day or two later, we hear the report from the front, there was so many dead bodies and whatnot. But during the Okinawan campaign, I understand American’s didn’t fear too much. Because by then, they’re kind of used to it, eh. So American GIs — what I heard was this, oh, about five o’clock, they quit fighting, yeah. Set up a base, defense position. And then in Okinawa, first time they used the snoopy scope. You can see at nighttime. It’s an infrared sight mounted on a rifle. Not everybody had it, but few in the company platoon had it, eh. So what they do, according to what I heard — I never saw it, of course — what I heard was, they placed these guys with the snoopy scope in a strategic position. And they would be the watchdog. And I saw, one time. See, that darker the night, you can see better. If it’s an ordinary night, moonlight, probably can see better than the snoopy. But the darker night, up to about fifty yards, you can see the difference between human being and a pig running loose. Only thing, you cannot tell is what kind of human being; Japanese, or haole, or native. Human being shape, you can tell. And compared with the domestic animal, yeah. You can see the difference. So what I overheard the infantry boys tell me was, late in the afternoon, they quit fighting. Avoid night fighting. And then set up a defensive position for the night. So they set up this guy with the snoopy scope every so many yards. And then cover him, they have machine guns, yeah. So when the enemy penetration comes through, this snoopy scope operator shoots a tracer bullet. And then crossfire yeah. So at that point, the machine gun opens up and slaughters all the guys coming through. So in fact, they said — it’s kind of not nice words to use — but they welcomed the suicide charge. That way, they can slaughter more Japanese than individually. And by then, they’re kind of used to banzai charge terms so they weren’t too upset. They were mentally prepared for that. MK: You know, for you, hearing the banzai charge, you know, you said . . . TH: It’s a real . . . MK: . . . it’s a eerie feeling. TH: . . . it’s a queer, I mean, real — what shall I say? — not sad — scary. Very uncomfortable feeling. You know, sort of an insufficient, or what, unprotected-like. Even though we know it’s quite a distance away from us, but still, funny kind of feeling. You don’t feel good hearing those words. And especially when soon after that, machine guns open up and bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. You know, just like firecracker, no more end. WN: Well, you sort of grew up hearing that. |
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