Jack Wakamatsu
Jack Wakamatsu, a Nisei man, was raised in Los Angeles, California. Wakamatsu was drafted prior to World War II in October 1940 and was the original first sergeant who started F Company in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. He trained at Fort Ord and experienced discrimination that he faced for being Japanese. Wakamatsu describes numerous experiences from overseas during World War II, such as rescuing the Lost Battalion and the Battle of Bruyères in France. During the war, he lost many close friends and soldiers that he trained, and he remembers them with great fondness. He addresses the injustice that Japanese Americans faced during World War II, as Wakamatsu’s family was evicted and imprisoned at Manzanar WRA Concentration Camp in California. He expresses his strong belief that the story of the 442nd RCT is one that needs to be told to spread awareness of the heroism of the unit.
