PARKER, ARIZ. INCIDENTS

  Hero’s Reward: Wounded Japanese-American Soldier Ejected by a Barber, WRA Charges 

     POSTON, Ariz., Nov. 11, 1944 (AP)—The War Relocation Authority reported today that a crippled Japanese American Army private, wearing many service ribbons, had been ejected from a civilian barber shop near this WRA center because of the owner’s objection to his ancestry.

    Andy Hale, the barber, acknowledged he had ordered the soldier Thurs-day not to come into his shop but denied shoving or forcing the infantryman.

     The WRA said the veteran, walking with a crutch, had been shoved from the establishment.

     Hale, father of three sons in the armed service, said a sign on the front of his Parker (Ariz.) shop reads: “Japs keep out, you rat.”

   “I didn’t want none of their business,” Hale asserted. “They might close me up bit I sure as hell won’t work on a Jap”. 

“ALL THE SAME”

    Hale, in answer to a question, said it made no difference to him whether the Japanese Americans were civilians or soldiers. “They look just alike to me,” explained the Fort Worth (Tex.) native who has lived 20 years in Ari-zona.

   Mrs. Pauline Brown, reports officer for the WRA center, said the soldier was Pvt. Raymond Matsuda, 29, former resident of Hawaii, who was shot in the knee on the Italian front July 22.

     Matsuda, Mrs. Brown related, was wearing seven Army ribbons and badges, including the Combat Infantryman’s Badge and the Purple Heart.

     He served two years overseas, she reported with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, an outstanding unit on the Italian front.

NISEI’S STORY

     Mrs. Brown said Matsuda came to visit friends here.  He has been at the Army’s Hammond General Hospital at Modesto, Calif.  She reported Matsu-da gave this version of the incident:

    Matsuda went into the shop without noticing the sign and was confronted by Hale, who said, “Can’t you see that sign?”

    The soldier replied he hadn’t noticed but even so he was wearing a U.S. Army uniform.  Hale then shoved him out the door.

     Hale said “I didn’t touch the soldier—he didn’t even come into the shop. I met him at the door and told him not to come in.  That’s all there was to it.”

 Source: San Francisco Chronicle, November 12, 1944

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April 28, 1945 Parker, Yuma County, Arizona--Andy Hale, (principle in wounded veteran incident), struck one of two Issei standing on corner near his shop.  Neither date nor identity of person struck has been established.

May 7, 1945 Parker, Yuma County, Arizona-- Internee at Poston Relocation Center attacked in Parker by Guy Lillard, Parker gambler.  Evacuee, waiting for a bus, was struck several times before he could get away according to witnesses. Lillard had been drinking. Evacuee's identity not established.

May 8, 1945 Parker, Yuma County, Arizona — Tom T. Sakai (18-9-D), 23 year old evacuee, attacked by Sig Hall while waiting on corner for Center ice truck. Hall watched crew of ice truck and entered drug store; he instructed them to leave Parker as soon as they were finished, and "stay out." He also followed project baggage truck in his car, warning crew not to leave the depot side of street. When ice-truck crew left drug store, Hall swung on Toshiya Ogura,(19-5-C) who warded off blow and suffered no damage.

Source: “Special Field Reports of Allan Markley” to Dillon S. Meyer, Director WRA, Attn: M.M. Tozier, Chief of Reports, WRA