ClickOkinawa.com - Oral Histories

Higa Takejiro
published Oct 12, 2018

An Oral History

Takejiro Higa's interview courtesy of the Center for Oral History.
Photographs courtesy of Takejiro Higa.
The Hawaii Nisei Project © 2006

And in the meantime, about four or five shells landed along Nu‘uanu Avenue, you know. Totan [corrugated iron] roof, if hit, and you can hear. And one of them hit in Kukui, just off the Nu‘uanu Avenue, in front of a saimin stand. Several Hawaii people were there. That one [shell] landed right in front of the saimin stand. Those are the anti-aircraft guns from either Hickam or Pearl Harbor. Being an old shell, defective, yeah. They’re supposed to explode in the air.
But they failed to explode in the air and came down and exploded. Several hit Nu‘uanu Avenue. We could hear the totan roof flying. Right across from Nihon gakkö, you know the Japanese[-language] school, the Nu‘uanu shogakkö. Hit over there too, I heard. I didn’t get to see the roof, but we heard that noise. Anyway, eleven o’clock, attack. We knew by then, war, so everybody hid underneath the basement.
[And then as the days and the weeks went by . . .]
And then that night, from that night, total blackout. Everybody stay out of the street after dark. And only those who volunteered to go block warding were issued permits to walk around. And block wardens, you could use a flashlight all blued out in the center, you know. Even automobile, headlight has to be blued out. Just a small light, you can see the road. Regular headlight all gone. So I wanted to go see my friends, so I volunteered for block warding. And we had a gas mask issued, block warding. With the flashlight, I was able to walk around, see. By then, my house was moved to Olona Lane, above School Street. We moved from Vineyard to above School Street, Olona Lane. So from there, I used to come down to Vineyard Avenue where my friends are. We used to get together between Miyagi Store and Taiyo Bakery. In between, there’s a room. So we’d hang around over there and talk story. And just to see them, (chuckles)
I volunteered to be a block warden so I can walk around nighttime without being arrested. (Chuckles) Name only. Only purpose was to go out and be with my friends. I had a pass, as well as a gas mask, and flashlight with the blued out. (Chuckles)
[Did you have to tell people, thought, to, you know — were there people who violated and you had to . . .]
I’m sure they got some arrested, yeah. I don’t know personally. But I wasn’t arrested because I have a permit. There’s an armband, block warden. And I get written permit, too, in my pocket. (Chuckles)
[But did you ever have to do your job as a block warden?]
Nothing doing.
(Laughter)
[That was my question.]
My only purpose was to go to Vineyard to play around with my friends. Care less, block warding. (Laughs)
[And then, because there were two brothers who volunteered, how did your sister react to Warren and you both going off to war?]
Okay. So, just prior to we being assigned overseas at Camp Savage, there was a terrible accident in the South Pacific area. Five brothers, [Sullivan] brothers, killed all one time. They were the crew members of a cruiser, got torpedoed, and they’re killed. So, from that time on, I understand, there was a policy in the war department not to assign two brothers in the same combat team, same time. In our case, my sister, I later learned, I later found out, asked the war department, begged the war department to assign me and my brother together, hoping that two brothers serving together help each other and survive the war. I found that out after the war. (Chuckles) So that’s how we were together. I think we were the only two brothers serving the same outfit, same time. That was prior to we left Camp Savage. Of course, at that time, I didn’t know she did that. After the war I found out. She asked the government, war department, to assign two of us together.
[And before you left the Islands, I’m just curious, did your family or neighborhood follow the Japanese custom and do the senninbari [thousand-stitch belt]. . .]
No.
[. . . or give you going-away party or anything?]
No. No senninbari or fukubukuro [lucky bag], or imonbukuro [comfort bag]. (Chuckles) No, no such thing.
[No such thing. And then, how long were you Schofield {Barracks] before you went?]
Ooh, I forgot. It was just a few days. A few days, I don’t know, I don’t remember.
[So could you do anything to prepare to leave since it was so soon?]
I guess not. Of course, they had issued a uniform, basic uniform. That’s about it. We had a basic uniform. And in those days, uniform is shabby, yeah.
(Laughter)
[What did you get for uniform?]
Khaki pants. Khaki pants and the old khaki hat. That’s about it. No more stripe, no more nothing. Buck private.
[Did it fit?]
Somehow fit, yeah. Look kind of baggy, but.
(Laughter)
Somehow managed.
[And then when you were leaving Schofield, did you know where you were going?]
No. We just transported by truck to the pier, we boarded a ship, and arrived in San Francisco. First time I seen the Golden Gate. And the first time I see — what’s that famous rock?
[Alcatraz?]
Called Alcatraz. I read about Alcatraz but never seen before. “Oh, kore ga Alcatraz [this is Alcatraz].” Golden Gate, of course, you read about it, you see the pictures, so you know. Then we got into the San Francisco. And from there, right away to the train station, trucked out, and went somewhere. And then, I don’t know what route we took, but a couple days later, we’re passing the middle part. Midwest I guess, no? In the morning, you see wheat fields. Evening, we’re still passing wheat fields. America no hirosa wakatta, bikkurishita.
[You’re just surprised at the size of America.]
The size, yeah. I mean, train traveling, now. In the morning, you see wheat fields on both sides. Evening, we still passing wheat fields. Until we reach Minnesota. Once we reached Minnesota, I don’t remember what kind of field it was. And from there, trucked out to Camp Savage.
[And you know that trip across the U.S., what were you guys doing in that train?]
Nothing special, just monkeying around. (Chuckles) Talking story, playing cards.
[Your brother was with you?]
No. My brother [Warren Higa] was at Camp Shelby already, training.
[Oh, Shelby, okay.]
They went through training first, yeah. So while I was in Camp Savage, we used to correspond to each other.
So in Minnesota, being dairy country, we have all the fresh milk we want to drink. And fresh egg in the morning for breakfast, yeah, with scrambled egg. Compared to Camp Shelby. Camp Shelby get powdered milk, powdered egg. And the dirty ground, eh. Minnesota was nice. Summer months were nice and green, you know. You can roll around in the grass. Whereas Mississippi, hell, it’s sandy, it’s a dusty place, you can’t do all those things. I used to write about that. So when the recruiters went to Shelby, from Savage, my brother was one of the first ones to sign up.
(Laughter)
He was one of the first to sign up. So his group came up as soon as we finished our basic language training, and ready to go to basic training. So when he came over, we were just about finished. And soon after, we finished our language course so we were sent to Camp Blanding in Florida for basic infantry training. Prior to that, basic training consisted of sixteen weeks, yeah. But in our case, because of urgency, they need more interpreters and translators in the front, our training was cut in half. Eight weeks. But we have to cover the same subject matter. So from one training to training area, instead of marching, we were trucked out. Trucked out to save all the time. Although we have to cover the same subject training. So we finished in eight weeks, then we came back. By that time, they finished accelerated training program. We took eight months, but they took only a few months.
[You know, going back to Camp Savage, you were there for eight months of training.]
Eight months training.
[Now, what was the training, how was the training done?]
Oh, eight o’clock in the morning to about four o’clock, classroom training. We studied the Japanese textbook based on Japanese Military Academy. We learned military terminology. All heigo [military terminology], yeah. (Chuckles) Sore ga yo. The class was divided according to Japanese knowledge, see. Section 1 was the top class. Many of them had Japan education, university grad. Many of them American university grad. And many of them became instructors afterward. And then down the line. I was in Section 5. In my class, we had two Japan University grads, two University of Hawaii grads, the rest, all high school grad at least. I was the only one who never even finished high school. Only one year high school. So everybody breaking their ‘ökole to study Japanese. Heigo yeah. I was studying English.
(Laughter)
I was studying English. Bakatare.
(Laughter)
So, at the army. Okay, four o’clock, school is over. Then between four to six, there’s a time period for dinner, see. Dinner as well as shower and do other odd work. And then go back to school another two hours, night school. So come back about eight o’clock. Eight to ten you had whatever you wanted to do. So after ten, lights out, yeah. Everybody got to go sleep. Me, I go bathroom. Latrine, we call ’em in the army, yeah. I study. And then one day, charge of quarters, CQ, came around and caught me studying after ten o’clock. They scold me, see. “What are you doing, go back and sleep.”
I said, “Okay.” No can disobey sergeant, yeah.
Then again, same thing happen, day after day. Then, about the third day, he found out why I have to study so damn hard beyond ten o’clock. He found out. So after that, he didn’t bother me. Oh, no. Before that, I used to make believe I’m doing the business, sit on the toilet bowl with pants down and studying. “What are you doing?”
“Oh, you know what I ate? I don’t know what I ate today, but kind of upset my stomach. I’m sitting down.”
“Oh, okay. Then okay. Anyway, finish quick and go back sleep.”
“Okay.”
Again. Very obedient. “Yes, Sir, sergeant?” And about a few days later, he found out why I was studying so damn hard. So after that, he didn’t bother me. Every time he look at me, “Oh, again?” He’d just smile and he’d let me go. But I really studied hard to catch up with them.
[When you say “study,” were you reading like novel books . .]
No.
[. . . like what, what were you reading?]
Some kind of textbook. English textbook.
[How come you studied so hard, though?]
I told you, I had to, to catch up with the rest of the guys. Everybody else had high school education and above, yeah. I was the only guy without a high school education. I’ve got to keep up with them, Section 5.
[I’m wondering, you know the group that went with you directly to Savage, you know, that weren’t recruited from Shelby, they must have been kind of good in Japanese though, right?]
Well, not that good, but passable. That’s why they were selected. Like, my brother had only a few schooling at Japanese school. He knew a little bit Japanese, not enough, but he was selected. The ones who went to Japanese[- language] school after the English school, at least they knew a little bit, so they were selected.
[And then who were your instructors?]
The nisei.
[Nisei.]
American, mostly Mainland nisei.
[And, in your estimation, what was their knowledge of Japanese.]
Oh, they’re all Japan university grads. Kibei nisei [nisei who spent youth in Japan].
[And then I was told that there were also many Caucasians who went through the MIS.]
Oh, that’s the kind, yeah, I think. Officer candidate, ninety-day-wonders.
[What did you think of them?]
Junk. (Laughs) We had one of them, don’t know nothing. Later on, a navy intelligence officer was assigned to us. He was good. Donald Keene. He became a university professor, Columbia, as well as in Japan. He was real good. See, first we had a Caucasian army officer, ninety-daywonder, assigned to us. In the Philippines, he caught a cold and he got shipped out, back. So, at that time, 96th Division, we were known as 318th Language Special Team [314th Headquarters Intelligence Team], see. Needed a language officer. So Donald Keene was assigned to us from that time. So he joined us and went to Okinawa. And he was real good. He and I became very good friends. Yeah, very good friends. And too bad I never got to see him after the war. I understand he passed through here several. . . . Oh, I think one time we met, you know, I think, Pagoda [Hotel]. I’m not sure on that. But he passed through Hawaii many times back and forth between Tokyo and Columbia.
[And getting back to the time you were at Camp Savage, what were conditions like? You said weather-wise, it was better than Camp Shelby . . .]
Oh, yeah. Well, . . .
[. . . but how about your living conditions, food, . . .]
The living condition, nothing to complain. Winter months, of course, cold, eh. So every barracks had, I think, three pot-belly stoves with the coal inside. And my bunk was right next to the pot-belly stove, see. In fact, that thing come red, you know. So the middle of the night, sometimes I used to take the blanket off. Then in the morning I got to put back the blanket. Because I was right next — close to it. I was very close to the stove, so very warm. The first snow, all Hawaii guys run out to the snow and play around in the snow. Afterwards, of course, everybody stay in. (Chuckles)