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| Samuel C. Yamaguchi |
Samuel Coolidge Yamaguchi (Poston 307-7-D) was born on August 11, 1923 in San Diego, to Japanese immigrants who immigrated in 1910, Yataro Yamaguchi, a truck farmer, and Matsu (Sato) Yamaguchi. In the 1930's the family lived at 4775 Lamont Street in Pacific Beach. Growing up in Pacific Beach, Yamaguchi had no Japanese friends. Sam was supposed to graduate from La Jolla High School in 1942 but had to leave before graduation for the internment camp.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the family voluntarily evacuated and relocated to the Cutler-Orosi area in Central California. On August 3, 1942, the Yamaguchi family along with other people of Japanese ancestry living in the Cutler-Orosi area were forcibly evacuated by train to the Arizona desert and placed in living quarters at the Poston internment camp. Yataro, Matsu, Yone Lois, Mark Manuel, Samuel Coolidge, Edith and Jane Yamaguchi resided at Poston block 307-7-D. While at Poston, Matsu became a Red Cross member, the only successful organization at the camp. Yone found employment as a Beauty Shop operator, and she also volunteered as a Girl Scout leader. Edith and Jane attended high school at camp 3. Yone was the first in the family to find outside employment in Chicago and departed on March 10, 1943.
Samuel found a sense of belonging at Poston III, and once stated that he was better off with his own people because there was no prejudice with your own people. Later, he signed up to volunteer for the all Nisei Army unit on April 29, 1943 because he wanted to prove that the Japanese were good Americans. Sam found work outside of Poston and left on June 14, 1943 to work at Smithfield, Utah. Samuel was living at Scotts Bluff, Nebraska when he was notified to report for military service at Salt Lake City on September 3, 1943.
Mark Manuel left Poston on 10/12/1943 and went to Chicago to join his sister. Edith followed on 2/1/1944 and left Poston to join family members in Chicago. Meanwhile, following basic training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, Sam was sent to Europe with the 442nd RCT, where he was wounded in combat in Italy in July 1944. He was later awarded the Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge, and Good Conduct Medal after discharge from the Army. Yataro, Matsu and Jane were the last of the family members to leave Poston, and they departed for San Diego on September 19, 1945.
Samuel's father, Yataro Yamaguchi died at the age of 81 years on December 1946. Samuel's mother, Matsu studied and became naturalized U.S. citizen on August 31, 1954.
Samuel was a member of the National Association of Letter Carriers, and resident of San Diego, California, and died on March 8, 2009. He was preceded in death by his father, Yataro (1946), and brother Manuel Mark (1989).
Sources:
http://www.tributes.com/show/Samuel-Coolidge-Yamaguchi-86286593
http://www.examiner.com/sightseeing-in-san-diego/compelling-exhibit-on-japanese-americans-the-military-at-veterans-memorial-museum
http://www.sdhumane.org/site/DocServer/AFareSum09_FINAL.pdf?docID=2761
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080419/news_1m19exhibit.html
http://www.ljhsalumni.org/media/%20NL%20Fall%2009-10.pdf
