Ward 6
Dibble Gen. Hosp.
Menlo Park, Cal.
August 21, 1944
Dear Mr. Turner,
It is rather awkward for me to begin addressing you as “Mr.” after having called you Colonel Turner ever since I’ve known you. I might as well get used to this process of “Reconversion”.
Sorry, I couldn’t have answered your letter sooner for I was laid up for the last three weeks with two operations (minor), one to take out two fragments from my knee and the other to remove a scar tissue from my left arm. Am fine now, up and around once more, but still have my meals in the ward like a full-fledged “Goldbrick”.
You are right in your assumption that my prolonged hospitalization is due to a nerve injury. The median nerve at the left bicept was severed by a small fragment and was sutured at the evacuation hospital in Italy. A subsequent operation at Schick Gen. showed 25% function of the nerve so the doctors decided to leave it the way it was, not wanting to gamble on its complete loss. The knee is coming along nicely, although it has only a 90 flexion as yet.
Fred Nakamoto (B), Ishii (F), Yoshida (C), Doi, Awakuni (not the one man tank destroyer) and Lt. Mitchell (C) are patients here also. Kawamoto from 442nd also. We are all ambulatory, so spend a lot of time reminiscing.
By the way, Jack Johnson, Taro Suzuki, and I were injured on the same day but from different shells, but only within about an hour. Lt. Ray was at his D. Co. O.P. who got killed, but am not sure it was on the same day we got it. Kimata got hit with the same shell that got me.
Maj. Gillespie (now a Lt. Col.) was discharged from the hospital and assigned to a camp on the Atlantic coast shortly after I was sent to Schick. I only had a glimpse and a wave of hand from him as he was busy to get somewhere in a hurry. He looked fine.
If you are keeping clippings about the 100th, you may be interested to know about the following: Aug 5 issue of the Colliers mag. has an article with a picture of Mack Yazawa (now in Honolulu) of B Co. July 31 copy of Time: and the Aug. 25 issue of “Yank” mag. has an article about the 2-day engagement for which the 100th got the War Dept. Citation.
3. Have plans been formulated for the Club 100? I am told that I am $25 behind in my dues but that I am not expected to pay it yet. When the time comes for me to pay it, I shall be glad to do so.
I think you were very thoughtful in giving so many talks to the families and friends of the boys, and I am sure they were very much appreciated. There is nothing like talking to one who can give first-hand information about their sons.
This paragraph should have come in the first paragraph of this letter – Congratulations on your promotion to the Vice Presidency of Lewers & Cooke.
Preliminary steps have been taken to get me transferred to a Hon. Hospital so, if everything goes on without a hitch, I may be home in a couple of months.
Aloha nui,
Gary
