Jump to content

Nisei Paratrooper. A mystery solved


Eric Queen
 Share

Recommended Posts

Here are a couple more photos of Yoshida. I just don't think he is our guy.

a67188a721c3093d5a312662b6e69cf2.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

lakenormanusa

Are there 2 Yoshida's?

 

I see F. Yoshida

 

post-125711-0-13529700-1466016149.jpg

 

and Kazuo Yoshida

 

post-125711-0-36501700-1466016203.jpg

 

I see similarities, with Kazuo Yoshida, but nothing clicks with me to say, "That's him!"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

F. Yoshida is a mistake. There is no F. Yoshida on the MISLS enrollment list. Both photos you posted are the same guy IMO. I do not believe that it is Bob. I guess that part of the mystery continues.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Being Asian, and being from Hawaii gives me a advantage. I have taken the group picture with the red circles and the first picture side by side to compare and would put my money in the person kneeling bottom right. When comparing the lips, eyes and nose they match.

That's F. Yoshida and he was my pick too.

Ronnie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess the reality (for me) is, from these images, I cannot say with 100% certainty that he is any one of them. But also, in my mind at least, he has to be. There were only so many qualified Nisei paratroopers. The only other ones formally jump trained were the dozen or so who were with the OSS (Detachment 101 in Burma and later China). All of these men were trained at the Kunming parachute school (China) in late 45 to prepare for the "bird" missions. Here below is a photo of the OSS guys and their names.

 

Nisei attached to OSS go through Special Guerilla, Ranger, and Survival Training on Catalina Island, California. 1st row, l-r: Calvin Tottori, Shoichi Kurahashi, Fumio Kido, Wilbert Kishinami, Tad Nagaki, Takao Tanabe, Dick Hamada and Tom Baba. 2nd row, l-r: Susumu Kazahaya, Lt. Ralph Yempuku, Lt. Richard Betsu, Maj. Crowe, Lt. Junichi Buto, Lt. Chiyoki Ikeda, George Kobayashi.

img9357.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only other Nisei to jump in WW2 was not even parachute trained. Harry Akune jumped on Corregidor with the 503rd but he was never officially qualified.

akune.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, I believe that one of the 23 men is still alive (at 94). I was able to find what I believe is his address and have sent him a copy of the photo today with a request for help. Will let you know if I ever get a response. Short of that, this part of the mystery will probably remain a mystery. At least for awhile.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
Eric Queen

Well, believe it or not I received response from the veteran yesterday (via snail mail). Unfortunately, it was not good news. Here is what he said.

 

"The "Bob" pictured in the photo attached to the letter is definitely not the Robert Kimura who graduated from jump school with us in March 1944. Unfortunately , I do not recognize the "Bob" in your photo nor do I have a picture of Robert Kimura. For whatever value it may be to you I am enclosing a old news clipping identifying 13 of the Nisei's from Honolulu. Sad to say that only 4 of the 23 are living today (2 on the mainland and 2 in Hawaii). Please feel free to contact me at XXX XXX XXX if you need additional information"

 

So, these are the facts as I understand them.

 

* "Bob" is not Robert Kimura

* He was not one of the 23 Nisei's who completed jump training in the states.

* He cannot be one of the two who did not complete the training (wearing jump wings, this veteran would have recognized him)

* There were no other Nisei jump trained in the US. We know this from all historical records and from the MISLS records.

* He is not one of the 14 Nisei attached to the OSS. Jump trained in Kunming in 1945 based on pictorial reference and no one named "Bob"

 

Conclusion: Unfortunately, to me, based on the historical facts, there can be only one conclusion. All these guys were given leave (to go home) after completion of jump school (this is well documented). Bob must be either a friend or relative of one of the 23 borrowing the snazzy paratrooper outfit to wear for a "gag" type photo. At that time, it must have been quite the thing to be in a paratrooper uniform let alone a Japanese in a paratrooper uniform.

 

Sadly, this is the only thing that could make sense based on the facts as I know them.

 

 

 

 

 

ddddd0002.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Eric,

I think that you have done some outstanding detective work and commend you for it. I would wonder if "Bob" might be Philippino? Yes, he has decidedly Japanese features, but with there is always a chance that he could have lived elsewhere. Les Hughes did a great article on the Philippine Airborne which can be found here- http://www.insigne.org/5217-I.htm Perhaps it will provide you another avenue to search?

 

For some reason, I don't think this is a "gag" photo. I think the guy was really a paratrooper in WWII. Good luck!

 

Allan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Eric Queen

Allan

 

Interesting thought but I am convinced that Bob is Japanese. This is based on the fact that there are a number of photos of him in a Japanese internment camp, there were some other small Japanese American (civilian related) items with the group, he looks very Japanese, etc.

 

It seems I made quite the mistake with the title of this tread. I thought for sure "Bob" was one of the 23. It seems that the mystery continues.........

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Eric, did you ID the internment camp? If you did, there must be a roster of all the internees and perhaps an association of the former unfortunate people who where relocated in.

I remember watching a documentary about the internment camps and it was about a white spouse of a Nisei who was interned with her family. Unfortunately for her, she became homeless in her old days and she was rescued from the streets by an association of former internees.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 years later...

It has been seven (7) years since my last posting on this subject and, and long last, I think I have figured this out. 

 

I think "Bob" in my original photo is Nobuo Robert (Bob) Izumi. 

 

He went into active service in August of 1944, completed jump training at Fort Benning in January of 1945 and left for overseas in early April of that year. He was assigned to the Service Co., then Co. "G" of the 506th PIR in May, and then Co. "F" of the 508th PIR in October. 

 

Here is his photo. To me, it is a very close match. 

 

Some other facts that support this. 

 

* He was from Southern California (the original photos were found at an estate in Southern California)

* He was in Manzanar internment camp. 

* This would explain why the veteran from the original 25 Japanese linguists trained in March of 1944 did not recognize him when I showed him the photos. 

* Attached is a signed photo of him wearing 82nd/508 PIR Ike. The "Bob" is a very close match. 

 

But, his WW2 recollections have not been without controversy. He claims, among other things, that he was originally in the 442nd in Italy (no records support this), he has made 318 jumps in Italy, France and Austria (absurd), he fought at the Battle of Bulge (was not in Europe at that time), etc. 

 

This website speaks to in it detail with documentation. 

 

https://www.airborneinnormandy.com/izumi_links.htm

 

This is the best explanation to this point. I just cannot account for another jump trained Japanese American paratrooper during WW2. 

Izumi.jpg

Bob Izumi.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

WW2UsCollector

I believe he's still alive. He has two Facebook accounts, and maybe you could try messaging him. Also here's another photo of him
 image.png.83efba58ece2e069d0bfddb8586bd20a.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good idea. Thank you. Just sent him scans of the photos via FB. We'll see if he responds. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Alas, no response via FB. Perhaps I will ask Mark Bando about it. I heard there was some discussion of Izumi on one of this 101st ABN boards. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kurt Barickman

I knew two G Company men from Minnesota but alas they are both deceased now. One was the CO of G company after his CO was killed on D-Day and he had a fantastic memory. Maybe Jim Martin can answer that question as he too has a great memory for someone his age.

 

Kurt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...