Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Okubo, Don S.
- Abstract:
- This collection contains primarily photographs and military documents related to Don S. Okubo's time in the army during World War II, when he was assigned as an interpreter for military trials and other operations in the Pacific Theater. Other artifacts include medals, a scrapbook, and souvenir handkerchiefs gifted to Okubo.
- Extent:
- 1 linear foot
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Don S. Okubo Collection. [95.85 or 2005.153], Japanese American National Museum. Los Angeles, CA.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
This collection contains primarily photographs and military documents related to Don S. Okubo's time in the army during World War II, when he was assigned as an interpreter for military trials and other operations in the Pacific Theater. Photographs document Japanese soldiers on trial for war crimes, Korean prisoners of war, surrender ceremonies aboard American ships, and other unique situations. Other artifacts include medals, a scrapbook, and souvenir handkerchiefs gifted to Okubo. Prewar items include a few books, photographs, and high school ephemera.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Don Shigeru Okubo (1919-2007) was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, son of Yosuke and Misano Okubo. Donald graduated from McKinley High School in 1938 and worked as a department manager at a local hotel company before volunteering for the U.S. Army in June 1943. Because Donald attended Japanese school throughout his childhood, he was assigned to the Military Intelligence Service and sent to study the Japanese language, customs, and geography of the Pacific at Camp Savage, Minnesota for six months. Donald returned to Hawaii where he was attached to the First Marine Regiment of the U.S. Navy stationed in Peleliu, Palau. He landed in combat areas to translate seized enemy documents and to interrogate Japanese prisoners of war. Serving as one of the only Nisei linguists in the Palau and Marshall Islands' areas, Donald helped to prepare documents for enemy surrender in the Pacific and participated as an interpreter at the war crime trials on the atolls of the Marshall Islands. Donald was discharged in January 1946 and received the Bronze Star Medal from the U.S. Navy for exceptional service as a Nisei translator and interrogator in the Pacific. In June 2000, 55 years after the end of World War II, Don and other members of the Military Intelligence Service were honored with a long overdue recognition of the Presidential Unit Citation. And just a year later, Donald Okubo's service was individually recognized when he was sent a Silver Star, an upgrade from the Bronze Star he received in January 1946. He returned to Hawaii, where he was an insurance agent for AFLAC, and passed away in 2007.
- Acquisition information:
- Acquired in 1995 and 2005 as a gift of Don S. Okubo.
- Processing information:
-
Items were initially processed by museum staff, and digitized by Coffee Kang.
- Arrangement:
-
Items remain in their physical arrangement as originally processed.
- Physical location:
- Japanese American National Museum. 100 North Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
- Rules or conventions:
- Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard
Indexed terms
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
By appointment only. Please contact the Collections Management and Access Unit (collections@janm.org). Advanced notice is required.
- Terms of access:
-
All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in this collection must be submitted to the Collections Management and Access Unit at the Japanese American National Museum (collections@janm.org).
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Don S. Okubo Collection. [95.85 or 2005.153], Japanese American National Museum. Los Angeles, CA.
- Location of this collection:
-
Collections Management & Access Unit100 North Central AvenueLos Angeles, CA 90012, US
- Contact:
- 213-625-0414