[This is Part 3 of Jon and Tak Yatabe’s account of Tak’s experiences in Topaz and Europe, fighting with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. To read part 1, see Volunteer. To read part 2, see Basic Training.]
When basic training was completed, trains delivered us to the docks at Newport News, Virginia. There we boarded Liberty ships, many of which were mass produced at Henry Kaiser’s shipyards. We boarded and spent a long, tense passage across the Atlantic—a sitting duck to enemy subs as Liberty ships were slow, and it was said they would sink in six minutes with a direct hit.
On the 26th day, we debarked at Naples, Italy. We bivouacked about 10 miles from Naples. I shared a tent with George Tatsumi, a fellow from Seattle, via the Minidoka concentration camp in Idaho. As we were there for about two weeks, some of us visited Pompei and Naples, where I bought a cameo for Kuni and met my cousin Bobby.
Our bivouac moved north to Civitavechhia. There was a beautiful field of red poppies outside the bivouac area that reminded me of the WWI song, “In Flanders Fields.”
I ran into a friend from Oakland, Nobu Kajiwara, who was in the 100th Battalion. We shook hands and Nobu left, waving goodbye. It was the last time I saw him alive—he was killed in action in July 1944 in Italy. Years later I spoke at Nobu’s memorial service. I felt sorrow for Nobu’s family who had lost their only son—one they looked to for support and courage.
The 442nd went by truck to Oroesso, then marched 50 miles and dug slit trenches for cover. Suddenly German 88 shells began to fall and we dived into our trenches. The German 88s were miles away but very accurate and silent (until they exploded). They were greatly feared by the Allied troops.
In July the Company marched up a dusty road in sight of the Ligurian Sea. George Tatsumi and I were getting water in a bivouac area abandoned by the Germans when the Germans began shelling. Many were wounded including me; I was shot in the arm. There was no aid station so I rejoined the platoon. George stayed with me. We saw shadowy German figures and I was able to fire my rifle in response. When the medics station was set up I was taken to surgery where my wound was treated and I got doses of the new drug, penicillin.