"He figured that my platoon was probably the closest to the Chinese entry into the war and was probably the first American unit hit." (Video Interview, 50:10)
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Gene J. Takahashi
Gene J. Takahashi upon completion of Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia [10/31/1946]
War: World War, 1939-1945; Korean War, 1950-1953 Branch: Army; Army Unit: 63rd Regiment, Company D; 2nd Division, 4th Regiment Service Location: Chonju, Pusan, Yalu River, Seoul, and Wonju, Korea Rank: First Lieutenant POW: Yes Place of Birth: CA
Gene Takahashis experiences in Korea began shortly after the end of the Second World War. He had enlisted in the Army late in that war, after spending most of it with his family in an Arizona internment camp for Japanese Americans. After the Japanese surrendered, Takahashi was sent to Korea for occupation duty for 18 months. Called up from the reserves to serve in Korea, Takahashi found that his language skills with both Japanese and Korean were highly prized. He was named platoon leader of an all-black unit, and he was captured by the Chinese in November 1950 when they entered the war. He escaped, made it back to Seoul, and rejoined the fighting. Wounded by enemy machine-gun fire in March 1951, Takahashi saw his wartime service come to an end while recuperating.