Second World War / Japanese Canadian Military Service / Service in Europe Before Pearl Harbor
Six nisei from the Raymond, Alberta area served in Europe: Toru Iwaasa, Tom Matsuoka, Joseph Takahashi, Shigeo Takahashi, Yasuo Oshiro, and Harry Higa. George Higa, brother of Harry, later served in southeast Asia in the Canadian Intelligence Corps.
Jack Nakamura enlisted in Quebec City and was sent overseas to combat in France and translation work in England.
James Oshiro, from Kenora, Ontario, enlisted in May 1931 and served four years in Italy, France, Belgium, and Holland. He later became the chancellor of the University of Lethbridge (Luckhurst, 1973).
Three Japanese Canadians from BC were enlisted in 1941 before Pearl Harbor: Tony Kato, Joseph Aida, and Harry Hiromi Tanaka. It is not known how they were able to sign up during the enlistment ban on BC nisei. Tony Kato was married to a white woman; he served in Europe, at the S-20 Japanese language school as instructor, and later in southeast Asia; he was discharged in 1946 (Takahashi-Lai, undated). His brother Kazuo Kato enlisted in 1945 and attended the S-20 Japanese language school. Joseph Aida served in Europe and experienced racial taunting from his colleagues; he was discharged in 1943 because nisei service was incompatible with government policy (Ito, 1984, p. 133). Harry Hiromi Tanaka completed basic and advanced training in Canada, but was discharged for medical reasons in 1942 before he could be posted to Europe.
Winston Claude Mawatari was killed in Ontario while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force. Minoru Tanaka, son of issei First World War veteran Taisuke Tanaka, was killed in Germany when his tank was hit. Tom Matsuoka was badly wounded by an exploding grenade in Germany.