World War II Honoree

Ralph T. Yempuku

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Honolulu, Hawaii

Honored By

Fumio Serikawa

DECEMBER 7, 1941 TO JANUARY 21, 1942. REPORTED FOR DUTY WITH THE HAWAII TERRITORIAL GUARD; COMMISSIONED AS A LIEUTENANT, COMMANDED A UNIT OF GUARDS WHO PROTECTED VARIOUS VITAL INSTALLATIONS UNTIL THE HAWAII TERRITORIAL GUARD WAS INACTIVATED. FEBRUARY 25, 1942 TO JANUARY 31, 1943. VOLUNTEERED FOR THE VARSITY VICTORY VOLUNTEERS, A GROUP OF JAPANESE-AMERICANS RECLASSIFIED AS '4C'; ALIENS INELIGIBLE TO SERVE IN THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES; PLEDGED TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO REGAIN OUR RIGHT TO SERVE IN THE MILITARY TO DEFEND OUR COUNTRY; WAS THE CIVILIAN SUPERVISOR OF THE MANUAL LABOR UNITS WHO ASSEMBLED PREFAB HOUSES, CLEARED DRAINAGE DITCHES, BUILT ROADS, CRUSHED ROCKS FOR THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS; THE VOLUNTEERS PARTICIPATED REGULARLY IN BLOOD DRIVES AND WAR BOND PURCHASES; THE VARSITY VICTORY VOLUNTEERS WAS DISBANDED TO ALLOW ITS MEMBERS TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE NEWLY CREATED, ALL NISEI, 442ND INFANTRY REGIMENT. ON MARCH 25, 1943, INDUCTED INTO 442ND INFANTRY REGIMENT; TOOK BASIC TRAINING AT CAMP SHELBY, MISSISSIPPI; BECAME AN OFFICER; RECRUITED BY THE OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES (OSS) AND RECEIVED JAPANESE LANGUAGE AND SPECIAL TRAINING; SERVED IN THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER OF OPERATIONS AS AN OSS OFFICER.