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

So Warren pointed at the book on his desk. And then Duffy grabbed the book and started going out of the tent, see. From behind, my brother told Duffy, “Eh, Duffy, if we go into Okinawa, maybe my kid brother can help, you know, he lived over there for fourteen years.”
He didn’t tell me that until March 2. No, no, I mean not March 2, but two days after we left Mindoro, he didn’t tell me all those things. Anyway, about a few hours later, I get a call from General, I mean not general, Colonel Lindsey, my G2 colonel. “Junior, go to corps headquarters with Captain Fernandez right away.”
By the way, “Junior,” there’s a reason for it. My brother and I were assigned to the same division headquarters. My brother has an English name, Warren. I don’t have. So the officers and the non-coms in the division headquarters get hard time to pronounce my first name. Take. . . . You know. So, I forgot which sergeant, but one sergeant, one day, said, “Oh shit,” pardon my language. But, “Oh shit, you, from now, Junior. Junior Higa.” So I was known as “Junior,” you know, division headquarters.
(Laughter)
So I kid myself, “Ho, I better not be arrested, boy. If I’m arrested, I’ll be also known as Junior.” (Laughs) Anyway, colonel called me on the phone and said, “Junior, go to corps headquarters with Captain Fernandez right away.”
So, as ordered, I was ordered by Captain Fernandez and I went with one Filipino jeep driver. Go in the jeep, went to corps headquarters. And on the way, I was wondering why the hell corps headquarters wants me. You know, only staff sergeant. Why they wanted me in the G2 in corps headquarters. I was kind of worried. So, anyway, ordered, so I had to go. I went, and I reported to G2 tent. And in the center of the tent, there was a huge blown-up map of the southern half of Okinawa, see. When I saw that, I kind of froze in front as if somebody poured a bucket of cold ice water on my head. I froze to realize, “Oh, next target,” you know. Quick conclusion, eh. I was just looking dumbfounded, looking at it.
Then the G2 officer called me, “Junior, come, sit down. I understand you lived in Okinawa for a number of years.”
“Yes, Sir. Fourteen years.”
“Sit down.”
So he pulled out one picture, blown-up picture, about this size, you know. Showed me in front, see. I looked at it. At first glance, I didn’t recognize. Just burned out, everything burned out, yeah. Then after I look real carefully look at it, it’s part of Naha, main part of Naha. All burned out, October 10 bombing. And a few landmarks are remaining. Like a torii [shrine gate] in front of Naminoue Jingü. And one small wall of one school. I’m quite familiar with those areas because, as I told you, three or four times a week I used to go to Naha, transporting black sugar. So that area was quite familiar. So after a careful look, I recognized what it was. So I described to the G2 officer what it was.
And then I even described Naha Harbor. How narrow, how small it is. Afterwards yeah, after they show me the special glass, I felt myself like a stupid asshole you know. Because I was describing to him, in detail, what the place looked like. How wide, how narrow the place is. Everything. Freighters and regular passenger ships coming in. The harbor is too small so cannot turn around by itself. So two tugboats push each other and turn the boat around. And then push toward the pier. I was explaining to him all that. And deep inside the harbor, there’s a small island. Harbor is kind of long, just like Pearl Harbor. Inside there’s something like Ford Island, small island. And there’s a bridge between the island and the northern half of the harbor to the southern half. Oroku Peninsula, yeah. I’m describing all that. And okay, that, they all right. And the entrance, this Naminoue, rock formation. On top, we used to have a shrine, this and that, see.
Then next, he showed me — oh, he asked me, “Where did your grandfather used to live?” So I pointed in the general area of the map. And then he pulled out one big picture again. And this entire block of my village, exactly how I remember, 1939. Because this village has no military value, so no bombing, no nothing, no shelling. Entirely as is. So I quickly located my grandfather’s house. And from there, I finger traced all my relatives homes. All intact. Okay, I feel good, you know. Anshin [relieved], yeah. Then third one, he pulled out one more map. One more picture, showing a bunch of Okinawan haka facing the ocean. Beautiful scenery. So I look at that, I guess I look at the G2 officer, “What’s the big deal about this picture” kind of face, I think. Ho, he scold me, “Goddamnit, look at it carefully, we think the whole island is fortified.”
Quickly realizing they had a misconception, so I said, “No, no, no, no. Chigau, chigau [You’re mistaken]. This is the Okinawa special grave above the ground burial tomb. And then I described to him how it’s made, what the inside looks like, what its shape, all this for. And I explained to him it’s shaped like a woman’s womb. And the entrance is where the baby comes out. And in front of the entrance, there’s a square mound, see. That represents the woman’s breast. And in front, get the small opening where families get together on special occasions. Obon [Buddhist summer festival] like. And then celebrate, offer senko [incense] and whatnot. I explained to him and what the inside looked like. So this is not fortification. And I described everything, what the inside looked like.
So at that point he tell me, “Junior, you’re going to help us from here on. Every day. For that, whatever you see, whatever we talk about, whatever anybody else talks about, not a word to anybody unless on a need-to-know basis. You understand?”
“Yes, Sir.”
Okay. So from then, he showed me or told me about other things. And at that point, he gave me a special eyepiece. Just like upside-down binoculars. You look with that, all the area pictures, just like you’re seeing actual ground. So how I explained to him in the Naha Harbor and whatnot, the intelligence officer easily could figure out by the scale of the picture how wide it is. After that, I felt like a two-cent piece, you know. “Goddamn, how, stupid. Why did I do that?” you know. I described everything to him, even ditch kind. It clearly shows, with that glass. And being an intelligence officer, easily can figure out, with the scale of the picture, they can figure out how wide the harbor is. No, not knowing any better, I explained to him how wide, how narrow the place is. (Chuckles)
[Why did you feel bad about doing that?]
Well, not knowing any better. Just like exposing myself how idiot I am, eh.
[Did you feel bad because you were giving the American intelligence all this information about Okinawa?]
No, no. That’s my duty. (Chuckles) And then - no, the reason why I felt so bad is, not knowing any better, I’m explaining to intelligence officer, what he can actually see with the eyepiece.
[You felt kind of embarrassed . . .]
I’m embarrassed.
[. . . that he already knows.]
Yeah. They know exactly what I’m talking about. And here, I’m explaining, earnest face, eh? Bakatare. (Laughs) Ahö yo. [Stupid. Foolish person.]
[That’s just being majime [earnest].]
(Laughter) [Tie up loose ends now. I wanted to ask about seeing Warren for the first time. You met in Florida?]
No, no, no. I mean, the army?
[Yeah. When were you reunited with Warren?]
In the army. Oh, no, in the army, or back home, Hawaii?
[No, no. But when did he join up with your unit?]
Oh, Camp Savage.
[Oh, Camp Savage. How did you feel about that?]
No, I didn’t know that we were supposed to be in the same team.
[Right, right, right.]
When the team was announced, I was surprised. Because we already heard about the [Sullivan] brothers. So I was surprised. But he became a team leader, see. Our team leader.
[Were you glad to see him?]
Well, yes and no.
(Laughter)
Yes and no. Not really, particularly, either way.
[Well, I’m thinking, because we’re running out of tape, can we stop here?]
Okay.
[And then the next session, we’ll continue with your relationship with General [Claude] Easley, and then heading out to Okinawa and what you did, and how you felt, and then the rest . . .]
Well, General Easley, what happened was in Okinawa. I mean Philippines first, but shower room, eh.
[Okay, so that story, I’ll have you tell us in the next session, okay?]
I brought quite a few books.
[We’ll stop.]