Shiroku "Whitey" Yamamoto Collection

Collection

Identifier: MANUSCRIPT-M00042

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Whitey Yamamoto was actively engaged in attending events and collecting materials on the Japanese American war experience between 1980 and 2006. He collected newspaper articles, clippings, pamphlets, booklets, and memorabilia from many of the events and meetings he attended that focused on World War II and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. This is a collection of ephemera and contains no personal letters or papers of Whitey or his family.

Dates

Creation: 1980s-2000s

Restrictions

Material with personal information may be redacted by the Archives staff. Some fragile items may need to be handled by the staff only. Use of audiovisual material may require the production of listening or viewing copies.

Copyright Notice

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in this collection, their descendants, or the repository if copyright has been signed over, as stipulated by United States copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user to determine any copyright restrictions, obtain written permission, and pay any fees necessary for the reproduction or proposed use of the materials.

Literary Rights Notice

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the University of Hawaii Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must be obtained by the researcher.

Biographical / Historical

Shiroku "Whitey" Yamamoto was born in 1923 in Ninole, Hawaii, on the Big Island. His father was 46 years old when Whitey was born, thus his name derives from the Japanese words "shi" meaning four and "roku" meaning six. His mother left the family shortly after his birth and his father raised him until an illness took his life when Shiroku was only sixteen years of age. Orphaned, Whitey's school principal, Elvis Rhoads and his wife, were willing to take Whitey in as one of their own.

With the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, school was suspended for several months and all the boys, Whitey included, volunteered with the Civilian Conservation Corps. Together they build Saddle Road that connected Kona and Hilo.

When the call came for Japanese Americans to volunteer for the 442nd, Whitey decided to join. He was sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi and was assigned to the Antitank Company. After training, he was shipped out to Europe with the other men of the 442nd on May 1, 1944. They were merged with the 100th Infantry Battalion in Italy and fought along side them in several battles, including the rescue of the Lost Battalion.

In January 1946, Whitey was discharged from the Army. Since he'd dropped out of High School to take care of his ailing father and then worked after his death, he had never graduated. As a veteran, he was given one year of credit and was able to graduate in June.

After trying his hand at becoming a teacher, he enrolled in a watch repair program in Missouri and then a Jewelry Manufacturing program in Pennsylvania, using the money afforded him from the GI Bill. Having been away from the Islands for four years pursuing an education, Whitey decided it was time to return to Hawaii.

During and after the war, Whitney had corresponded with a young woman, Amy Motoyo, from High School, whom he married upon his return to Hawaii. He found employment at Hickam Airfield as an instrument technician for aircraft work. He later worked for Lockheed Aircraft Company and then Aloha Airlines, where he retired after 22 years of employment.

("Hawaii Nisei Story: Americans of Japanese Ancestry During World War II" http://nisei.hawaii.edu/page/whitey.html)

Extent

2.75 Linear Feet (2 record center boxes, 1 9-inch flat box)

Language

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

The collection, originally consisting of two boxes, was inventoried and arranged by Matt Reeder. However, since there were no defined series, Dainan Skeem rearranged the folders into a series organization. The memorabilia found in a ziplock bag in Box 1 were removed and placed in their own separate flat box. Many newspaper articles were included with the donation and were all put in box 2. The articles were not clipped so entire sections of the newspaper are still intact. There seems to be no organization as they are not foldered but are just stacked inside the box. At the direction of the Department Head, these newspapers will not be arranged further, but are left as is for researchers to use if desired.

Repository Information

Japanese American Veterans Collection University of Hawaii at Manoa Library 2550 McCarthy Mall Honolulu, HI 96822 Phone: (808) 956-3767 Email: archives@hawaii.edu URL: http://libweb.hawaii.edu/libdept/archives/mss/aja/index.htm

Physical Description

Box 1 has the ephemera that Whitey collected over the years, which are in good condition. Box 2 has newspaper articles that Whitey also collected but that have not been clipped; the entire page/section is still intact. Newsprint is already yellowing. Box 3 has memorabilia in good condition.