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Interviewee
Oye, Tom Takeshi
Document Type
Oral History
Date of Interview
10-1-2002
Abstract
Tom Takeshi Oye was born on 22 October 1918 in Hillsdale, Oregon. The son of Japanese immigrant parents, he graduated from high school in Salem, Oregon, in 1936 and from Willamette University in 1941. After the US entered the war in December 1941, Tom's foreign-born parents were placed in internment camps, first in California and then Colorado. Tom, a Nisei (born in the US to Japanese immigrant parents) was not interned, but rather inducted into the US Army in February 1942. Tom did Basic Training at Camp Robinson, Arkansas, and then was stationed at Camp Crowder, Missouri, working in personnel administration. He was married in 1943 (wife Martha), while on leave. In 1944 he was posted to Co B, 100th Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and shipped to Europe. This unit was attached to the 34th Infantry Division in Italy, and the 36th Infantry Division in France. After V-E Day in May 1945, Tom spent several months on occupation duty in northern Italy, and was appointed sergeant major of the 100th battalion, before being rotated back to the US and, in November 1945, discharged. Tom remained in the Army Reserve, finally retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Again a civilian, Tom completed his law studies at DePaul University and received his J.D. degree, and worked many years in the credit department of General Mills; he retired in 1984 from the Minneapolis office as national credit manager, with more than 30 years service. He died in 2004.
Copyright
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced without the written permission of Concordia University Library or Thomas Saylor, Department of History, Concordia University, St. Paul.
Recommended Citation
Saylor, Thomas, "Oral History Project World War II Years, 1941-1946 - Tom Oye" (2002). Oral History Project: World War II Years, 1941-1946. 171.
https://digitalcommons.csp.edu/oral-history_ww2/171
PDF Transcript of Interview with Tom Oye