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| Jim H. Kinoshita |
Jim Hisato Kinoshita was born in
Bakersfield, California on October 1, 1914, to Kanetaro and Hisayo (Ogana) Kinoshita.
He was four years old when his mother, Hisayo Kinoshita died of influenza.
Jim's father was unable to work his farm and care for Jim and his brothers, Kaneto
Kenneth and Sadao (Sid) Kinoshita (Poston 6-4-A). Kanetaro took
the young boys to Japan to live with relatives.
Kanetaro Kinoshita (Poston 6-4-A) married Maki
Nakagawa and they returned to Bakersfield. In 1920, Tom and Chiyoko Kinoshita brought
the three brothers back to the U. S.
from Japan and the Kinoshita family was reunited in Bakersfield. Jim's
step-mother gave birth to Toshiko Phyllis in 1921.
Jim attended elementary schools in the
Bakersfield area and Kern County Union High School, where he was an
accomplished athlete participating in football and track. As a member of the
Class B high school track team, Jim consistently placed in the top three of the
low hurdles and the pole vault.
After finishing high school Jim farmed. He was drafted by the U.S. Army in March
1941. After basic training at Camp Roberts, California, Jim was assigned to the
40th Division National Guard in San Luis Obispo.
After Japan attached Pearl Harbor on December
1941, his father, Kanetaro Kinoshita was
picked up by the FBI and incarcerated at the Department of Justice internment
camp at Santa Fe, New Mexico. On May 9,
1942, his step-mother, Maki, and siblings,
Toshiko Phyllis, Michiye, Kaneto and wife, Michiye, Hitoshi Eugene and Masaru
Gerald Kinoshita were forcibly evacuated from their residence in Bakersfield and incarcerated
at the Poston, Arizona concentration camp. They were assigned to Poston
camp 1, block 6-4-A.
In June of 1942, Jim was assigned to the
first class at the Japanese Military Intelligence Service (MIS) Language School located at Camp Savage,
Minnesota. Meanwhile, on July 12, 1942, his father, Kanetaro Kinoshita was finally
granted parole from the federal internment camp, and was reunited with his
family at Poston, Arizona.
Jim had six months of intense studying, and
graduated top of the class from the MIS school and was assigned to Washington,
D.C. for a briefing by the War Department. Jim was assigned to recruit
volunteers for the 442nd Regimental Combat unit, and was sent to the Poston,
Arizona concentration camp, where his family was incarcerated.
Jim was assigned to the "Americal
Division" in the South Pacific under the command of Admiral Halsey and he
worked as an interpreter, and improved his interrogating skills as he
questioned captured Japanese soldiers. T/3.
Jim Hisato Kinoshita was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service on
February 4, 1944. In 1945, T/3. Jim was at Cebu, hilippines to interpret the
surrender of the Japanese 35th Army.
On April 3, 1945, his sister, Phyllis left the Poston
concentration camp and returned to Bakersfield to check out the area before her
parents returned October 24, 1945.
After discharge from military service, Jim
returned to farming. Later, he worked as
a self-employed landscape gardener until his retirement, and a member of the
Southern California Gardeners' Association.
Finally in 1978, Jim Kinoshita, at the age
of 63, married Yaeko Tanaka. Jim and
Yaeko celebrated 34 years of marriage in June of 2012. He was an active member
at the St. Andrews Methodist Church where he served on the board for many
years.
Jim Hisato Kinoshita died on September 17,
2012 at the age of 97. He was preceded
in death by his father, Kanetaro (1962); mother, Hisayo Kinoshita (1918); step-mother,
Maki (Nakagawa) Kinoshita (1976) brothers, Kaneto Kenneth (2004) and Sadao
(Sid) Kinoshita (1990) ; and sisters, Yoshiye Murotani (1995) and Phyllis
Kinoshita (2009) .
He is survived by his wife, Yaeko; and sisters-in-law
Mitsie Kinoshita and Michie Kinoshita.
Source: Bakersfield Californian on
September 20, 2012
