National Education Center
Medics
Japanese American Health Care Workers During WWII
Medics
“You know, medics never carried a gun, they weren’t permitted to carry guns. And the first thing that a wounded man says, contrary to movies, is not mamma or your name… He calls for a medic… And the medic hears that and he goes charging down. You know, the bullets are flying all over him… As a result, the casualty rates among medics are one of the highest…”
-Senator Daniel K. Inouye, 442nd Regimental Combat Team
You can watch Daniel Inouye’s full oral history as part of GFBNEC’s Hanashi Oral History Collection here.
During WWII, an Army battalion of about 400 to 500 men would have about 30 medics. Medics were a vital part of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team. They generally received about two weeks of basic training and six weeks of medical training separately from the combat units. They studied bodily functions and learned ways to assess the body’s condition, tie tourniquets, give medication for pain relief, cleanse wounds and to move the wounded quickly and carefully.
When the 100th/442nd were in the mountainous regions of France and Italy, the evacuation of the wounded was particularly difficult because of the rough terrain and the long distances to the aid stations. Because of this, the medics set up relay stations where minimal but vital emergency services were given, like blood transfusions and the administering of morphine, to help soldiers with serious wounds. Still, many died from exposure or loss of blood due to the delay in getting treatment. Aid trucks were often thwarted by muddy roads and wet or snowy conditions.
It is estimated that 350 Japanese American women pursued nursing through the Cadet Nurse Corps. The program actively recruited Nisei women from the concentration camps with the promise of free education. The Cadet Nurse Corps program maintained a policy of anti-discrimination and was open to all women.
Although the program was open to all students, many nursing schools refused to admit Japanese American students. Kay Shida Tsukuno recalled being rejected from schools in the Midwest and East Coast as she applied from the Jerome concentration camp. Eventually, she was accepted into a program at the University of Minnesota. Saint Marys School of Nursing in Rochester, Minnesota admitted the most Nisei students with a total of 42.
The Cadet Nurse Corps was a non-military program, but many of these students saw nursing as an avenue to serve their country. In April of 2019, Elizabeth Warren introduced the US Cadet Nurse Corps Service Recognition Act, which would grant honorary veteran status to Cadet Nurses. In addition to recognizing the Cadet Nurse Corps as part of the military, the bill would provide honorable discharges, ribbon and medal privileges, and certain burial privileges. Click here to see the current status of the act.
Yeiichi "Kelly" Kuwayama, 2003
You can watch Yeiichi “Kelly” Kuwayama full oral history as part of GFBNEC’s Hanashi Oral History Collection here.
“Well, a medic is a cry of—that he’s been hit. And so—and then it goes down the whole line. And as a medic, when you’re on a platoon, you go out and try and help in some way or other. So when I hear the medic, it’s a reaction. And your reaction is to go—oh, you unfurl your flag, wave it, and hope the Germans won’t shoot you. And so you go out… You go down to help and you—mostly it’s a tourniquet, sulfur and bandage, and that’s about it, all you can do…”
442nd Regimental Combat Team, Medic
The Geneva Convention of 1864, made it a war crime to fire on medics during WWII. Medics often took care of the enemies injured as well as their own men.
Jimmie Kanaya, 2001
“And for training, of course, we took care of our people first, and then if we have time, we take care of the enemy in the same area. And we did, we took care of the enemy. I sent wounded Germans back to the aid station, you know, and they would thank us, you know. They were very happy to be on our side now, after they’re wounded, rather than going back to Germany.”
442nd Regimental Combat Team, Medic
You can watch Jimmie Kanaya full oral history as part of GFBNEC’s Hanashi Oral History Collection here.
James Okubo
When the 100th/442nd were in the mountainous regions of France and Italy, the evacuation of the wounded was particularly difficult because of the rough terrain and the long distances to the aid stations. Because of this, the medics set up relay stations where minimal but vital emergency services were given, like blood transfusions and the administering of morphine, to help soldiers with serious wounds. Still, many died from exposure or loss of blood due to the delay in getting treatment. Aid trucks were often thwarted by muddy roads and wet or snowy conditions.
It is estimated that 350 Japanese American women pursued nursing through the Cadet Nurse Corps. The program actively recruited Nisei women from the concentration camps with the promise of free education. The Cadet Nurse Corps program maintained a policy of anti-discrimination and was open to all women.
Article from the June 16, 1945 edition of the Heart Mountain Sentinal describes Okubo award of the Silver Star.
