George Aki
George Aki, a Nisei man, was born in Livingston, California, and attended school in Fresno. Just days before his graduation from seminary in Berkeley, Aki and his wife were evicted and imprisoned at Tanforan Temporary WCCA “Assembly Center” in California, Topaz WRA Concentration Camp in Utah, and then transferred to join his parents at Jerome WRA Concentration Camp in Arkansas. From Jerome, Aki volunteered to be on the Chaplain’s Corps in the U.S. Army. He discusses the animosity he faced from others in Jerome for volunteering. However, there were many non-Japanese Americans who wrote letters on his behalf to join the Chaplain Corps, and he was incredibly grateful for them. Aki served as a Chaplain for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II. He recalls the comradeship that was established between the men, especially when they went overseas, as well as the heroism of these soldiers.
