Obit - Michio Terao, fought in Japanese-American war unit

In his life, Michio Terao had to climb a lot of mountains, emotional as well as physical, that touched him in a way perhaps only another Japanese-American could truly understand.

On Aug. 6, 1945, he was recovering in a Colorado hospital from a serious knee wound suffered while serving with the all-Japanese U.S. 442nd Regiment in Europe when he heard America had dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

"He wasn't bitter."

Most of these Americans in my area were.

Although many "voluntarily" sold their homes and farms for a dime on a dollar after internment they were coerced by the strong sense of fear and nationalism that prevaded the San Joaquin Valley. Most were privately bitter after repatriation but recognized that publicizing their feelings would come to no good end.

Today their children, with whom I attended school, are among the valley's Nesi leaders but are still respectful of the excesses of that period and share a common bond, albiet a shared mistrust.

Michio Terao was my grandfather, and not him nor one of his buddies were ever bitter about WWII and what had happened to them. How do I know? I can't tell you how many weekends were spent at my grandparents' house in Mountain View, California. I also can't tell you how many of his friends just did their business, raised their families, went to the gardeners' picnics, and lived life to the fullest. I don't remember a single one of them being bitter. You know what they'd say? "It was something we had to do." It seems you live in the San Jaoquin Valley, which isn't far from the Bay Area...well, I'm sorry you didn't get to meet my grandfather. He was an exceptionally wonderful, kind, caring, and loving man. I do hope the fact that even though he and his WWII comrades were amazing heroes in a war that was brutal he did turn out to be such an influential man is one of the things people remember when they talk about our greatest generation.

God Bless your Family, My father fought against the Japanese in the Pacific, was in the hospital a while back with a kind gentleman who fought against the Nazi's who a Japanese American. mY father and he told many stories and laughed a great deal It was a good time for my father whom I asked later was that your enemy? " He said NO" " He was my comrade in arms he fought against our so called family in Europe" A mans skin or his eyes don't make an enemy, only those who try to take my freedom.

Different circumstances may have colored individual responses to forced internment.

The internees in Fresno County were, in the main, established farmers with ranches from 20 acres to 100 acres. They were first or second generation US citizens who had worked their fingers to the bone to earn enough money to buy these small ranches and then toiled mightily to provide sustenance for their families.

In an instant all was taken from them. They were not protected from mortgage payments, property taxes nor where they granted a subsidy to pay for security to protect their homes, land and equipment in their absence.

They were not given a promise of when or even if they would be repatriated. Their extended families were located in Japan and could not provide either financial help or moral support. Adding to this feeling of isolation was the suspicion and hatred generated by our national press. There were many patriots anxious to help these internees through purchase of their properties, at a bargain, of course.

This is not to say that I would not have isolated potential saboteurs had I been a citizen of that era but this is to say that the object of our passionate fears did not simply turn the other cheek. They were angry at our collective, unprincipled behavior and they had a right to that anger. They transmitted that anger to their children (my generation) and those citizens grew up with a suspicion of the US political system during their formative years.

It is a testament to the character of your grandfather that he conveyed to you a sense of incorporation into your society. I share your respect for his person.

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