Post Commander Frank Isogawa

Frank Isogawa

TAPS: Frank Isogawa (1921-2016)

(L-R): Frank Isogawa, ____, Shim Hiraoka, Bill Youngblood, Tom Uyeoka, George Kiyomoto, ____, and Tom Teramoto. 
 Photo credit: Mrs. Aiko Uyeoka

                                                              

 

Seated (L-R): Nori Masuda, Lee Melton, Frank Isogawa, Mrs. L. (George) Kiyomoto, Mrs. M. (Fumio) Ikeda, Mas Nakamoto, Bill Youngblood, and George Fujimoto. Upper row: Clarence Suzuki, ____, Mrs. ____, Alvin Togo, Gary Tsudama, ____, and ____. Back row: ___, Bob Shintaku, ____, and Hiro Isogawa.

                                             Harry K. Nagata with his wife Jean.

 

Pfc. Yukiyasu "Tom" Uyeoka visiting at the 

Poston, Arizona concentration camp.  WRA photo

 

 Pfc. Yukiyasu "Tom" Uyeoka 

442nd RCT/522nd Field Artillery Battalion B Battery

About the 442nd RCT/522nd Field Artillery Battalion B Battery

" ....their single most infamous engagement occurred in southern Germany around Munich when the men stumbled upon roughly 5,000 prisoners marching through the countryside. Their initial encounter with these thousands of emaciated and mistreated victims of Nazi concentration camps was followed by the discovery and assisted liberation of the Kaufering and Landsberg sub-camps of Dachau..... the specific service of the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion remains far less familiar to most Americans than the service of their parent unit, the 100th Infantry/442nd RCT, .....the U.S. Army awarded the unit a Presidential Unit Citation, adding to the already impressive decorations of the 442nd RCT... " Source: Densho Encyclopedia

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 L-R: Noboru Togioka, Tom Uyeoka,____________,Shim Hiraoka,

____________, Don Wakida, Bill Youngblood, and George Kiyomoto.

 Photo credit: Mrs Aiko Uyeoka

 

 (L-R): George Kiyomoto, _______,Tom Mori, Tom Uyeoka, ____, Shim Hiraoka, Mrs. Aiko Uyeoka, ___, ____, Mrs. Chiyo Hiraoka, Tak Kimoto, Frank Isogawa, and Tom Teramoto.

Photo credit: Mrs Aiko Uyeoka

                    




Pfc. Tom Tamotsu Teramoto, 442nd RCT 3rd Battalion, L Company, was incarcerated at the Gila River concentration camp in Arizona.

 Sgt. Tadashi Tom Mori, Military Intelligence Service, was incarcerated at the Poston, Arizona concentration camp 2.

                                           

Nisei V.F.W. Conventions

Photo credit: Lilyan Kiyomoto

Photo credit: Lilyan Kiyomoto

Photo credit: Lilyan Kiyomoto

 Photo credit: Lilyan Kiyomoto

Photo credit: Lilyan Kiyomoto

George Kiyomoto

Photo credit: Lilyan Kiyomoto

Veterans' Day Parades

 Photo credit: Aiko Uyeoka

 Photo credit: Lilyan Kiyomoto

 Photo credit: Lilyan Kiyomoto

Photo credit: Lilyan Kiyomoto

Photo credit: Lilyan Kiyomoto

Fresno City College Nisei Monument

Photo credits: Mrs. Aiko Uyeoka

Hiro Isogawa Testimonial Luncheon

Photo credits: Mrs. Aiko Uyeoka 

HIROSHI ISOGAWA (1925-2015)

     Hiroshi "Hiro" Isogawa died on December 14, 2015. He was born to Joichi and Kiyoko Isogawa on November 23, 1925, near Pinedale, California.  He was the fourth of nine children and his siblings were named; Frank, Chrissie, Anne, Ben, Mickey, Sanumi, George and Tom. Hiro attended Pinedale Elementary, until his parents purchased a farm in the Fig Garden area in Fresno, California and farmer. Hiro was attending the Central Union High School until the signing of Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Hiro was was evacuated with his family and other local people of Japanese ancestry to the Fresno (Fairgrounds) Assembly Center in the early summer of 1942. They were sent under military guard on a train to the Jerome, Arkansas concentration camp. After graduating from Denson High School in Arkansas, Hiro volunteered for the U.S. Army, while behind barbed wire.  

     Hiro Isogawa was inducted into the Army on April 4, 1944 at Ann Arbor, Michigan. He had basic training at Camp Blanding, Florida, and completed advanced training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, but was held back due to being "too young to go overseas". Hiro served as acting Squad Leader in Basic Training, and was used as a 'cadre' to train replacements for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. His unit was renamed the 171st Infantry, Battalion A, with whom he stayed until the unit was disbanded in March 1945. He was sent to Fort Meade, Maryland for three months, and then deployed overseas when he came of age in June, and sent to Nuremburg, Germany with varied assignments. Later, he was deployed to northern Germany at Munchen, Gladbeck, and Antwerp, then to Mons, Belgium with the 390th Military Police Unit and guarded the supplies for Europe. He was discharged from the Army in June, 1946. Since three of his brothers were still serving in the military, Hiro had to remain on the family farm.  His sister Mickey, was a beautician, and worked with Harriet Watanabe, a "pretty girl" from Maui, Hawaii. She really caught Hiro’s "eye", and after dating about a year, they were married on June 30, 1952 in Reno, Nevada. He was allowed to leave the farm, and the couple settled in Fresno. Hiro and Harriett had two children, Leilani and Randall.

     In 1953, the VFW Post 8499 for Nisei veterans was formed with Hiro as a charter member. He served as Commander from 1993 -1995. Hiro became involved with the Fresno Veterans Day Parade in 1993 . In early 1995, Chuck Monges approached him to become a docent for the Legion of Valor Museum in downtown Fresno. Hiro volunteered on Wednesdays, and because of this many hours of dedicated service to the museum, he was promoted to staff.  Hiro became one of the museum’s most valued volunteers. As a member of the 442nd RCT, Hiro was a recipient of the nisei Congressional Gold Medal and proudly attended the ceremonies in Washington D.C. in 2011. 

    Hiro was a manager of the Star Super Market #2 for 19 year and the Mayfair Market until he retired. After retiring, he helped his relatives at the Aki Hardware Company in west Fresno. Hiro was very active with the Nikkei Center for Senior Citizens, and the United Japanese Christian Church, as trustee for many years.