WWII Japanese American Soldiers Photo Archive in the Pacific

Japanese-American Soldiers, WWII

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[Japanese American] [WWII] [Pacific Theatre] Archive of 12 black and white photograph. Circa 1945. Single weight, borderless prints on unbranded photo paper measuring between about 8 1/2" x 6" and 8" x 10." Most with ink stamps reading " NOT CLASSIFIED" to versos. A compelling assembly of original Wartime photographs documenting an island in the Pacific Theatre and highlighted by three photographs of Japanese-American soldiers, two identified and signed by their subjects. The two identified solders are Tatsumi Hisatake (1924-2018) and Reynold Watanabe (1924-2007), each first generation American citizens of Japanese ancestry born in Hawaii. Archival records indicate Hisatake entered Army service in January of 1945, and trained in intelligence and Fort Snelling in Minnesota (likely in that base's Military Intelligence Service Language School) during October 1945. Watanabe also served in the Army and records cite his enlistment as November 1944 and his discharge in December 1946. Roughly 6,000 Japanese Americans served as translators and interpreters with the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) in the Pacific, using the language of their parents and grandparents to shorten the war and save lives. At the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, a wave of anti-Japanese suspicion and fear led the Roosevelt administration to adopt a drastic policy toward these residents, alien and citizen alike and send them to internment camps. In addition to the images of Watanabe and Hisatake (and a third, unidentified group photo featuring 5 Japanese-American soldiers), there are numerous scenic views of the island and 4 images of a PBY Catalina, an amphibious aircraft heavily utilized by American forces in the Pacific. Photographs each with three-hole punches on one side, presumably from a previous binder mounting, now loose. Trace edgewear, stress around hole punches, otherwise clean, solidly very good. An uncommon photographic glimpse into Japanese-American military service in the Pacific Theatre. Seller Inventory # 20001

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Title: WWII Japanese American Soldiers Photo ...
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