Roy H. Matsumoto was born near Los Angeles [Annotator's Note: Los Angeles, California] in May 1913. He had four brothers and two sisters. He was in the third grade when his uncle brought him to Japan for a visit. When it was time to leave, his uncle left him behind with Matsumoto's grandparents. Matsumoto stayed in Japan until he reached high school age when he returned to the United States in 1929. While he was in Japan, he learned the language which was very useful during his service. In Japanese high school, students had to take Junior ROTC [Annotator's Note: reserve officer training corps], reserve officer training. The military training later came in handy also. In 1929, Matsumoto chose to return home. It was the Great Depression, so people were poor. Matsumoto had to support himself by working in the mornings and afternoon. He attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School [Annotator's Note: Long Beach, California] and graduated in 1933. Many people lived on farms in the United States. It was comfortable compared to the congestion of Japanese neighborhoods. Neighbors were much closer in Japan. It was much different. Matsumoto was lucky in Japan because his grandfather was financially well off. It allowed Matsumoto a more comfortable lifestyle in Japan. The family returned to Japan when Matsumoto reached the United States. They returned to Hiroshima. It was peaceful except Japan soon became involved in China [Annotator's Note: in 1937]. Some relatives wanted to return to the United States later, but the war prevented them from doing so. Matsumoto had a brother who was drafted into the United States Army before the war. Several other relatives remained in the states. Matsumoto had gone to Long Beach to work for his great uncle. For that reason, Matsumoto graduated from Long Beach Polytechnic High School.

Roy H. Matsumoto went to work in a fruit stand after his high school graduation [Annotator's Note: in 1933]. Jobs were hard to find during the Great Depression. He soon became a delivery boy but still worked for low wages. He delivered to the local area Japanese population until the war started. He met many different Japanese with different dialects. He made note of all the variations from his familiar Hiroshima [Annotator's Note: Hiroshima, Japan] dialect that he encountered. His fluency in Japanese was lauded by others. That skill was beneficial later. When Pearl Harbor was attacked [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941], Matsumoto was on his way to get a haircut from his aunt. He turned on his automobile radio and heard of the attack. He was shocked. He told others nearby. None of them knew what to do. Many of them would end up in camps later. [Annotator's Note: Japanese-Americans living on the United States West Coast were interned during part of the war.]

Roy H. Matsumoto listened to news reports from Japan on his shortwave radio. He could tell some of it was propaganda, but things changed in the local Japanese-American community. A curfew was established. Rumors abounded. Movements were restricted. The citizens found themselves classified as 4C, enemy alien. They were told that they would be put in a camp or they could relocate to the middle of the United States. Matsumoto, at this time, had lost his former boss to an accident. He had nowhere to go. A kind family, the Yamaguchi's, took him in. They informed him that he no longer had to work if he tutored their two elementary school age girls. Because Mr. Yamaguchi was a wealthy man and of Japanese ancestry, the FBI [Annotator's Note: Federal Bureau of Investigation] picked him up and sent him to a camp in Texas or Montana. Matsumoto offered to take Mrs. Yamaguchi and her three daughters to the interior of the United States. The problem was that rationing of tires and gasoline had been imposed. That prevented them from exiting California. Instead, Matsumoto was sent to an assembly center at the Santa Anita Racetrack [Annotator's Note: in Arcadia, California]. The center was for Japanese-Americans in the Los Angeles [Annotator's Note: Los Angeles, California] area. It was a waystation prior to internment. Those who did not respond to the call to assemble were captured and imprisoned. Each person destined for the assembly center could only bring one or two suitcases. Other belongings had to be disposed of. Matsumoto left some of his belongings with a friend who later became sick and had to sell them. Matsumoto never asked the friend for compensation. Because of his American high school graduation, being bilingual, and having produce experience, Matsumoto was placed in charge of feeding the people at the Santa Anita Racetrack assembly center. He received a letter of appreciation for his good efforts while in charge of that work. He remained with the Yamaguchi family as they were sent to Jerome, Arkansas [Annotator's Note: Jerome War Relocation Center near Jerome, Arkansas] for internment in August 1942. He traveled by train with the shades drawn. He should have gone to Manzanar [Annotator's Note: Manzanar War Relocation Center near Independence, California] since he lived near Los Angeles; however, he went with the Yamaguchi family from Long Beach [Annotator's Note: Long Beach, California]. Those individuals were destined for Arkansas. In November, he was recruited for the Army. He wanted to leave the camp anyway except escape. There were machine guns that prevented escape from the camp. The internees were suspected as potential spies even though they were American citizens. He was mad and wanted to join the service to show he was not an enemy alien or second-class citizen. He was an American born citizen. Some men did not want to join but a draft was later imposed and took them anyway.

Roy H. Matsumoto was first forced into an assembly center which was a racetrack [Annotator's Note: Santa Anita Racetrack near Arcadia, California]. The internees were billeted in horse stalls that had been whitewashed but still had the smell of horse manure and urine. It stunk. Hay was provided for mattresses. He chose to work instead of staying in the stalls. [Annotator's Note: Matsumoto was placed in charge of organizing the feeding of detainees.] He did not have to do anything to be fed but chose to volunteer to work to stay busy. In the internment camp [Annotator's Note: Jerome War Relocation Center near Jerome, Arkansas], he volunteered to be a storekeeper because of his previous work experience and bilingual ability. He provided rice, coffee, canned goods and so forth to the internees. He chose work instead being idle. Some others played games to keep busy. Others had hobbies or talked amongst themselves. The younger people made camouflage nets. For Matsumoto, he had to stay busy or go crazy. He had to feed people three times a day, so it was very active for him. The buildings were constructed with tarpaper walls. There was a potbelly stove to heat the interior. It was November [Annotator's Note: November 1942] and not too bad at the time.

Roy H. Matsumoto went to Minnesota after he volunteered for the Army. [Annotator's Note: Matsumoto volunteered for the Army to escape the Jerome War Relocation Center near Jerome, Arkansas in November 1942.] It was cold for a person more familiar with California weather. After his uniform was issued, he went to school to learn Japanese. He had a good command of the language, so the education was not difficult. Matsumoto had studied for years in Japan and spoke the language and various dialects well. He was considered better than the instructor. He also studied military terms and how to interrogate. Six months of school was easy for him. Matsumoto next went to Camp Shelby near Hattiesburg, Mississippi where the weather and living conditions were quite different for a California native. He had combat infantry training there. He volunteered for hazardous duty that projected 85 percent casualties. The promise was if the volunteer survived three months of dangerous duty, he would return to the United States to serve out the duration of the war. Matsumoto was proficient in speaking and understanding both English and Japanese. He tutored some who were limited in those abilities. When he deployed, he would face troops from Japan who originated from the same area where he learned to speak Japanese. He would understand their commands and discussions completely because of his skill with their dialects in addition to being fluent in standard Japanese. He learned much about the Japanese language and was fortunate to ask enough questions about strange terms he heard while in Hiroshima. While at Camp Shelby, he had leave in New Orleans [Annotator's Note: New Orleans, Louisiana] and the French Quarter [Annotator's Note: also known as the Vieux Carré and Barrio Francés; the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans]. He unfortunately had to return to camp where he disliked the Mississippi insects and heat. The training itself was not bad because the men had been to school together and were friends. They helped each other along with hikes, the rifle range, and other instances. [Annotator's Note: There is a brief pause followed by some informal conversation between the interviewer and Matsumoto.]

After training at Camp Shelby [Annotator's Note: near Hattiesburg, Mississippi], Roy H. Matsumoto heard rumors of a good deal. It involved a dangerous mission that would last three months. If the volunteer survived the hazards, he would return to the United States and remain there for the duration of the war. Matsumoto was accepted without having to interview for the mission. Although there were 22 classes, Matsumoto, and his friend Hank Gosho [Annotator’s Note: US Army Staff Sergeant Henry Gosho] led their classes and were readily made part of the team. They rode by train to California and made it to Camp McDowell [Annotator's Note: Fort McDowell, Angel Island, California]. Two battalions were assembled at Camp Stoneman [Annotator's Note: in Pittsburg, California]. They left on 20 September and arrived at Bombay on 29 October [Annotator’s Note: 1943]. En route, the men thought they might end up in Hawaii. Instead, they arrived at Nouméa, New Caledonia. The voyage was aboard the Matson Lines luxury liner Lurline which had been converted into a troopship. Matsumoto's outfit was placed in a stateroom because of concern that they might be mistaken for Japanese soldiers. Their segregation ended after they were introduced as American citizen-soldiers to the other troops on the ship. The other men were told that Matsumoto and his complement would be their eyes and ears in combat. The men became acquainted during their 40 days on the ship. Their next stop was in Brisbane [Annotator's Note: Brisbane, Australia] where another battalion boarded the Lurline. Those new passengers were veterans from Guadalcanal [Annotator's Note: Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands]. The ship then stopped at Perth [Annotator's Note: Perth, Australia] where the men could disembark, but there was little to do and nowhere to go. The troops were treated well by the locals. After the ship arrival at Bombay [Annotator's Note: Bombay, India; now Mumbai, India], the troops traveled by train to central India. While aboard the Lurline, some troops from the east coast of the United States who had never met a Japanese-American civilian as well as the veterans from Guadalcanal had difficulty accepting Matsumoto and his comrades.

Roy H. Matsumoto arrived in India and traveled to Deogarh [Annotator's Note: Deogarh, India] in the interior. A camp was set up and jungle training commenced during October to January [Annotator's Note: October 1943 to January 1944]. The men were assigned to units and learned about how to operate in the jungle environment. Each of the three battalions was assigned four Japanese-American [Annotator's Note: or Nisei, meaning first generation American citizen] soldiers. General Merrill's [Annotator's Note: US Army Brigadier General Frank Dow Merrill; commander of the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional)] battalions were divided into two combat teams. The individual teams could operate independently or together. Matsumoto was assigned to one of the two I&R, Intelligence and Reconnaissance, teams in the 2nd Battalion. They were scouts used to determine enemy locations and strength before the main body of the team advanced. The team was equipped with light weaponry with a mortar being the heaviest of the weapons they carried. The men in I&R carried only rifles [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber M1 semi-automatic rifle, also known as the M1 Garand], carbines [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber M1 semi-automatic carbine], and Tommy guns [Annotator's Note: .45 caliber Thompson submachine gun]. The jungle prevented anything heavier than a machine gun and mortar from being hauled by the mules assigned to the combat teams. Initially issued an M1 Garand rifle, Matsumoto swapped with another soldier and ended up with the lighter carbine. He felt the 15 round semi-automatic carbine carried enough power for him. The American weapons had more firepower than the five round bolt action Japanese weapons of a lesser caliber than the carbine. Hand grenades and BARs, Browning Automatic Rifles, were also issued to the combat teams. Following their training at Deogarh, the men forced marched to a former Chinese military camp in Burma. It took ten days to cover the 125 miles while carrying gear and weapons. The Ledo Road was operational between India and Burma, but the decision was made for the 5307th to march with its gear to further benefit their physical conditioning. The Marauders moved into the jungle on 24 February [Annotator's Note: 24 February 1944].

Roy H. Matsumoto found the high elevation of the Burma jungle and the winter weather resulted in temperatures cold at night but still hot during the day. The two pair of boots and two blankets issued to the men grew heavy as time progressed into the summer. The second blanket and pair of boots would eventually be discarded. The troops had to carry all their food and equipment with them. Matsumoto received the Legion of Merit [Annotator's Note: the Legion of Merit is awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for exceptionally meritorious conduct and outstanding service] for his service with the Marauders [Annotator's Note: 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional); also known as Merrill's Marauders after its commander, US Army Brigadier General Frank Dow Merrill] during 24 February through 11 March [Annotator's Note: 24 February through 11 March 1944]. The Marauders actual entry into the jungle was on 5 March. One of the three battalions had already encountered the enemy on 3 March. Matsumoto's 2nd Battalion set up a roadblock to ambush the Japanese. During this time, Matsumoto discovered a live Japanese Army communication wire and tapped into it. He learned that the enemy had discovered that the Marauders were near them. The Americans had just hit Walawbum [Annotator's Note: Walawbum, Burma]. The Japanese and Americans were both operating from the same British map. That benefited the decisions made by American Generals Merrill [Annotator's Note: US Army Brigadier General Frank Dow Merrill] and Stilwell [Annotator's Note: US Army General Joseph Warren Stilwell]. The Generals listened to the intelligence obtained by Matsumoto over the live Japanese communications wire and stayed a jump ahead of the enemy. That intelligence allowed the destruction of an enemy ammunition dump by P-51 bombing [Annotator's Note: North American P-51 Mustang fighter aircraft] bombing. While Matsumoto continued to listen to the Japanese communications, his I&R platoon [Annotator's Note: Intelligence and Reconnaissance] platoon found an enemy supply dump which was later destroyed. Of all the translators, Matsumoto was most successful in interpreting enemy communiques. The information was then sent by secret code to Merrill and Stilwell for further action. The enemy did not understand that their messages were being intercepted by Matsumoto. Matsumoto received the Legion of Merit for his actions during this period. The Japanese were not aware that the Americans could understand their un-coded messages. The roadblock was eventually abandoned by the battalion after the Japanese decided to use a bypass instead of confronting an American force of unknown strength. Matsumoto also obtained the information about the Japanese decision not to take the road his battalion was defending. He was credited for determining the location of the enemy ammunition dump that was destroyed by the P-51 and the rerouting of the Japanese forces to bypass the ambush his battalion had set up.

Roy H. Matsumoto was shown contempt by one of the translators in his unit [Annotator's Note: 2nd Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional)]. The man was derisive of Matsumoto and his success because Matsumoto was only a high school graduate. The inebriated former colleague of Matsumoto was a college graduate and spoke disparagingly of Matsumoto and his medal [Annotator's Note: Matsumoto was awarded the Legion of Merit for his actions in Walawbum, Burma; present day Myanmar]. Later, at a reunion, the offensive individual apologized to Matsumoto. During the action resulting in Matsumoto's military decoration, his 2nd Battalion had only one man killed. He was shot by a sniper. Matsumoto previously witnessed one of the scouts with him named Robert Landis [Annotator's Note: US Army Private Robert Landis] instantly killed by an enemy machine gun on a trail in the dense jungle. He was the first Merrill's Marauder [Annotator's Note: Merrill's Marauders was the nickname of the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional)] killed in action. Landis was in Matsumoto's I&R [Annotator's Note: Intelligence and Reconnaissance] platoon. The Marauders would later name a camp after Landis in Burma. The enemy position was well tended with neatly dug foxholes. The death of Landis provoked a wide range of emotions in the platoon. Matsumoto was a sergeant at the time and could not admit to fear. Another man would be killed later trying to get a souvenir from a dead Japanese soldier. Matsumoto warned him not to do so. It was risky to search Japanese dead because their bodies would sometimes be booby trapped. When Japanese officers were killed, Matsumoto had to be involved in information recovery. Warner Katz [Annotator's Note: US Army Staff Sergeant Warner Katz] was the first Marauder to kill a Japanese. A Mississippi schoolteacher, Lieutenant Grissom [Annotator’s Note: then US Army Lieutenant, later Lieutenant Colonel, William C. Grissom], was the platoon's commanding officer. It was hard for the officer to write to the next of kin about the death of one of his men. Matsumoto was close to Lieutenant Grissom. Matsumoto was the first enlisted man to be inducted in the Hall of Fame [Annotator's Note: Matsumoto was inducted into the US Army Ranger Hall of Fame in 1993].

Roy H. Matsumoto thought he would like to be taller as a Marauder [Annotator's Note: Matsumoto was a member of the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), referred to as Merrill's Marauders after its commander, US Army Brigadier General Frank Dow Merrill]. That was until he saw a much taller buddy lose his head from an artillery shell. Matsumoto was standing next to his unfortunate friend when it happened. It made Matsumoto feel lucky he was shorter. Carrying extra equipment was tough for him when he had to climb a hill. The incident happened while the Marauders were surrounded on a hill at Nhpum Ga [Annotator's Note: Nhpum Ga, Burma; present day Myanmar]. The Japanese were firing knee-mortar [Annotator's Note: Japanese Type 89 Grenade launcher] and artillery rounds at the Americans. One dud landed just in front of Matsumoto. He was lucky it did not explode. The Japanese lobbed hand grenades up the hill at the Americans. Matsumoto saw one hit a tree and bounce back at the enemy. If it had landed at the feet of Matsumoto, he never would have had time to pick it up and throw it back. He was lucky again. Tree bursts were deadly. Matsumoto had his photograph taken with another translator amid the devastated tree line of the former dense jungle. While on a patrol, Matsumoto was ordered up by his commanding officer, Major Richard Healy [Annotator's Note: US Army Major Richard Healy; commander of the Blue Combat Team, 2nd Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional)]. While working his way there, Matsumoto was fired upon by a Japanese light machine gun. The weapon was on a bipod. While firing, the automatic weapon bounced up and down. Consequently, Matsumoto was not hit. He could see the muzzle flashes in the jungle. Once again, Matsumoto was lucky. His officer put Matsumoto in for a Silver Star [Annotator's Note: the Silver Star Medal is the third-highest award a United States service member can receive for a heroic or meritorious deed performed in a conflict with an armed enemy], but a Bronze Star [Annotator's Note: the Bronze Star Medal is the fourth-highest award a United States service member can receive for a heroic or meritorious deed performed in a conflict with an armed enemy] was awarded instead. Matsumoto first fired his weapon at the enemy at Nhpum Ga. It was dark and he could only fire at the muzzle flashes. It was hard to see the enemy in the jungle. If a person moved, a sniper would be tempted to fire at him. Two of the battalion's four translators had to be evacuated because of sickness. Only Matsumoto and one other translator remained in the action and that man was sick in his foxhole. After the Japanese left Walawbum [Annotator's Note: Walawbum, Burma; present day Myanmar], they took a direct route to their next position. They beat the Marauders there and took up positions in readiness for the American advance. Initially, the Americans had to retreat from that location. When the 800 Marauders reached Nhpum Ga, they formed a perimeter. The Japanese surrounded them. There is a debate on the actual numbers that were on the hill. Men were lost due to death and others had to be evacuated due to injury and sickness.

Roy H. Matsumoto was almost killed at the Myitkyina [Annotator's Note: Myitkyina, Burma; now Myitkyina, Myanmar] airstrip. He had just left a position when two men assumed that location. One bullet hit both men and wounded them. Once again, Matsumoto was lucky. While he was in a tree wiretapping a Japanese communication line, he was being shot at but was never hit. That was at Walawbum [Annotator's Note: Walawbum, Burma; present day Myanmar]. He took the microphone out of the telephone receiver so the enemy would not hear him as he listened to them. He understood various Japanese dialects better than his cohorts. He stayed in the tree and did not move because American lives depended on it. The enemy had tanks and artillery, so it was very risky for the Marauders [Annotator's Note: 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional); referred to as Merrill's Marauders after its commander US Army Brigadier General Frank Dow Merrill]. There was a radio operator at the base of Matsumoto's tree. That sergeant took Matsumoto's jotted note and coded it for transmission up the chain of command. Snipers fired at the men, but the jungle was so dense it was impossible to determine where the firing came from. Matsumoto could hear the bullets ricocheting around him. He concentrated on hiding behind the large tree and listening to the enemy discussions about important things like troop movements and an ammunition dump. He had to relay that information to the communications sergeant below him so it could be sent up the line.

Roy H. Matsumoto was within the perimeter of Nhpum Ga [Annotator's Note: Nhpum Ga, Burma; present day Myanmar] for three days before the Japanese surrounded the American force [Annotator's Note: Matsumoto was a member of the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), known as Merrill's Marauders after its commander US Army Brigadier General Frank Dow Merrill]. Machine gun positions were in place. The Marauders were cut-off by the Japanese for 15 days. Matsumoto had a reunion with his foxhole buddy, Ed Kohler [Annotator's Note: US Army Sergeant Edward C. Kohler], years after the war. The 3rd Battalion claimed to have saved Matsumoto's 2nd Battalion but in truth, the 2nd survived Nhpum Ga. They were not rescued, they survived.

Roy H. Matsumoto infiltrated behind enemy lines at night to listen to their discussions for potential intelligence. [Annotator’s Note: Matsumoto's Blue Combat Team, 2nd Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) was surrounded in Nhpum Ga, Burma]. His buddy could not understand why Matsumoto assumed the dangerous risk, but they were surrounded. Matsumoto slept in his foxhole during the day since the enemy only harassed them at night. One man had been shot when returning to his line, so it was dangerous. It was so dark in the jungle it was difficult to see. Matsumoto had to be completely quite when near the enemy. He was afraid but went every night and returned before dawn. He heard nothing of significance until the tenth day they were surrounded. Matsumoto's commander ordered him to come to him. He had placed a rifle platoon along a path where it was easier for the enemy to advance. The platoon officer claimed 40 percent casualties, but it was not the whole regiment. Those losses were only within an individual rifle platoon. Matsumoto found out one night that the enemy planned a dawn attack the next day. [Annotator's Note: There is a brief interruption due to an incoming telephone call.] The enemy knew all the American positions. The Americans booby trapped their foxholes and withdrew a few yards and quietly set up another line of defense. They also armed themselves with a greater number of automatic weapons. The Americans were to hold their fire until the enemy advanced. When the enemy closed, about 50 automatic weapons opened up on them. The Japanese soldiers had only their Arisaka bolt action rifles to respond. Matsumoto carried a carbine [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber M1 semi-automatic carbine] with a 15 round clip. The first wave was wiped out. The survivors were ordered to retreat but Matsumoto countermanded that order with a precise Japanese military command. He knew the Japanese Field Manual and knew exactly what to say. The enemy was killed in a banzai charge that Matsumoto had ordered. [Annotator's Note: Matsumoto laughs.]

Roy H. Matsumoto and his outfit [Annotator's Note: Blue Combat Team, 2nd Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional)] did a head count the next morning and found 54 dead including two Japanese officers. He estimates that the number of casualties removed from the field were much higher. [Annotator's Note: This event occurred during the battle of Nhpum Ga. In his fluent Japanese, Matsumoto had countermanded a Japanese officer's command to retreat which resulted in a final deadly banzai charge that decimated the enemy.] Not a single American was lost. Matsumoto searched for documents on the two dead officers but found none. The battalion survived due to teamwork but some wanted to give Matsumoto credit. The 3rd Battalion said they rescued the 2nd Battalion. Matsumoto sees it differently. The 2nd survived the onslaught of the enemy. As a result, the battalion moved on Myitkyina [Annotator's Note: Myitkyina, Burma; now Myitkyina, Myanmar] and captured the airfield there. That was a significant strategy for General Stilwell [Annotator's Note: US Army General Joseph W. Stilwell]. After the battle for the airfield, Matsumoto was one of the last of the 200 survivors to be evacuated. Those killed in action were fewer than the wounded and the sick withdrawn by the enemy. When he retrieved the intelligence from the Japanese at Nhpum Ga, he only had to silently crawl ten or 15 yards downhill through the jungle to reach the enemy positions. He left everything that would make noise behind and was armed with only a dagger and two hand grenades. One of the grenades was intended for the Japanese if he was captured. The other was for himself to circumvent capture. He was taking a dangerous chance to get the intel; however, he had to do so to save his comrades. His prior understanding of the Japanese Field Manual helped him countermand the enemy officer's order to retreat [Annotator's Note: he studied the precise way a Japanese officer provides orders to his men which was different from the way an American officer addresses his troops]. He will donate that manual to a museum at some point. His fellow veterans express their appreciation for what he did every time he attends a reunion. That dawn attack was not the first attempt to overrun the Americans but it might have been the fatal one without Matsumoto's alert in advance. The information rapidly went up the line from his Lieutenant Ed McLogan [Annotator's Note: then US Army Lieutenant, later Lieutenant Colonel, Edward "Ted" McLogan] to Colonel George McGee [Annotator's Note: US Army Colonel George A. McGee, Jr.]. The Marauders suffered heavy casualties but mainly in McLogan's rifle platoon which withstood the brunt of the attack up the slope. There were many other casualties due to sickness. McLogan's account of Matsumoto's actions was very influential in Matsumoto being inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame [Annotator's Note: Matsumoto was also the first enlisted man to be inducted into the US Army Ranger Hall of Fame]. Once the Americans knew of the Japanese plan to attack McLogan's position, the automatic weapons for the battalion were redistributed to McLogan's platoon to blunt the attack. The Americans were prepared in their relocated foxholes and with superior firepower against an enemy that outnumbered them. Matsumoto also had the recommendation of his combat team commander, Lieutenant Bogardus [Annotator's Note: US Army Captain Thomas Bogardus] for induction. There was another translator with Matsumoto but he stayed in his foxhole. That man felt sick and had diarrhea and was hungry and still kept in the fight.

Roy H. Matsumoto used his carbine [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber M1 semi-automatic carbine] to drive back the enemy on the hill at Nhpum Ga [Annotator's Note: Nhpum Ga, Burma; present day Myanmar]. It was dark and hard to determine how many of his shots actually hit the attackers. He fired at muzzle flashes in the jungle. McLogan's [Annotator's Note: then US Army Lieutnenant, later Lieutenant Colonel Edward McLogan] rifle platoon had numerous automatic weapons and probably caused most of the casualties. Without a doubt, Matsumoto's orders to the retreating attackers to return and continue the offensive caused many more enemy dead and wounded. Matsumoto has addressed students and even been in a presentation with Senator Inouye [Annotator's Note: Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii]. The combat between the Marauders [Annotator's Note: 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional)] and the attackers was at close range and extremely noisy. The Americans were protected within their foxholes, but the Japanese on offense were exposed to automatic weapons fire. There were no American losses but 54 Japanese were killed and more wounded and withdrawn. After Nhpum Ga [Annotator's Note: Nhpum Ga, Burma; present day Myanmar], Matsumoto's name became well known in the battalion [Annotator's Note: 2nd Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional)]. The 2nd had been surrounded for 12 days by the enemy. They had to be resupplied by airdrop. The attack on the hill was full of confusion for the enemy. They had thought they knew the locations of the Americans but those locations were booby trapped. Confusion reigned within the attackers. Matsumoto's order to persevere in the attack added to their chaos. The attacking force was likely an understrength company.

Roy H. Matsumoto knows that Lieutenant McLogan [Annotator's Note: then US Army Lieutnenant, later Lieutenant Colonel Edward McLogan commanded a rifle platoon in the Blue Combat Team, 2nd Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), also known as Merrill's Marauders] lost a significant portion of his men during the fighting at Nhpum Ga [Annotator's Note: Nhpum Ga, Burma; present day Myanmar]. His order for Matsumoto to infiltrate the Japanese lines to gain intelligence resulted in the one-sided victory on the hill. Matsumoto had gone out previous nights without gaining any intelligence on the enemy plans. The night that McLogan ordered him out to the enemy lines was the night before a planned dawn attack. McLogan was able to ready his troops for the oncoming attack in relocated foxholes. The enemy closed to within a few yards then the Americans opened fire. They scored a lopsided victory for the Marauders. Matsumoto has been lauded for his role in the victory. He was lucky he knew how to give the order [Annotator's Note: yelling orders in Japanese, Matsumotot tricked the withdrawing Japanese into committing a final deadly banzai attack into the teeth of McLogan's platoon's automatic weapons]. There were two dead Japanese lieutenants in the midst of the 54 dead enemy soldiers. The next day, the 3rd Battalion scout managed to make his way up the hill and meet up with the 2nd Battalion. The enemy had left the scene. It was Easter Sunday 1944. Matsumoto feels the 2nd Battalion survived the siege rather than being rescued by the 3rd Battalion as some of those troops suggest.

Roy H. Matsumoto and his outfit [Annotator's Note: Blue Combat Team, 2nd Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional)] proceeded to a location [Annotator's Note: spelling uncertain] where an airstrip was established in the rice paddies. L5 [Annotator's Note: Stinson L5 light observation aircraft] and L4 [Annotator's Note: Piper J3 Cub light observation aircraft] liasion planes could pick up wounded for evacuation for hospitalization. The walking sick carried on to Myitkyina [Annotator's Note: Myitkyina, Burma; now Myitkyina, Myanmar]. The airstrip was captured there as General Stilwell [Annotator's Note: US Army General Joseph W. Stilwell] had planned. Larger planes could land at that airstrip providing an added means to supply troops in addition to the Ledo Road overland route. The Marauder's 2nd Battalion served guard duty on that airstrip for three months until the town of Myitkyina was finally captured. The 5307th was disbanded on 10 August [Annotator's Note: 10 August 1944; one week after securing Myitkyina]. The few remaining combat effective men were transferred to the 475th Infantry Regiment. Matsumoto was one of the last 17 men to be transferred out of the Marauders. A previous shrapnel wound treated without proper sanitation became swollen on Matsumoto's arm. He was withdrawn for treatment and recovery. He met Noel Coward [Annotator's Note: Sir Noël Peirce Coward; English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer] at the hospital. Records were lost so the Purple Heart [Annotator's Note: the Purple Heart Medal is award bestowed upon a United States service member who has been wounded as a result of combat actions against an armed enemy] was not given to Matsumoto even though he was wounded in action. Multiple attempts were made to correct the missing record without success. Matsumoto has no regret because he was inducted into two Halls of Fame [Annotator's Note: he was the first enlisted man inducted in the US Army Ranger Hall of Fame and he is a member of the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame]. Receiving those recognitions are more important to him than obtaining the Purple Heart. Matsumoto's shrapnel wound occurred on 27 or 28 March [Annotator's Note: 27 or 28 March 1944] in Nhpum Ga [Annotator's Note: Nhpum Ga, Burma; present day Myanmar]. He was too busy to think about the arm wound and the unsanitary condition. He had been treated by Abe Kolodny [Annotator’s Note: US Army Captain Abraham L. Kolodny, MD; 2nd Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) medical officer]. The infection set in after 20 August while the 475th troops were being organized following Myitkyina. All the Japanese-American translators except Matsumoto and one hospitalized individual, Sergeant Yamaguchi [Annotator's Note: US Army Sergeant Jimmy Yamaguchi], had transferred to New Delhi [Annotator's Note: New Delhi, India]. Matsumoto was told after recovery from the infection, he would be awarded the Legion of Merit medal [Annotator's Note: the Legion of Merit is awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for exceptionally meritorious conduct and outstanding service]. He received it in September 1944 for his actions on 5 March of that year at Nhpum Ga. He also managed to get Yamaguchi to join the other Niseis [Annotator's Note: first generation Japanese-Americans] at New Delhi. Eventually, Matsumoto was shanghaied to China.

Roy H. Matsumoto was transferred to the 1st Battalion, 475th Infantry Regiment which became part of the MARS TASK FORCE with other cavalry and artillery elements. [Annotator's Note: Matsumoto had originally served with the Blue Combat Team, 2nd Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), also known as Merrill's Marauders, until that unit was disbanded on 10 August 1944 after the capture of Myitkyina, Burma, present day Myanmar.] He went on to serve with the OSS [Annotator's Note: Office of Strategic Services; forerunner of the CIA or Central Intelligence Agency] with Chinese troops under him. After being presented with the Legion of Merit [Annotator's Note: the Legion of Merit is awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for exceptionally meritorious conduct and outstanding service] by General Merrill [Annotator's Note: US Army Brigadier General Frank Dow Merrill; commander of the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional)], Matsumoto was sent to serve with the Royal Air Force. When he did not salute a British general, he was threatened with court martial. Matsumoto was used to being in combat where enlisted never saluted officers because snipers would target an officer saluting back. Nevertheless, Matsumoto lost his potential desk job. In lieu of court martial, he was shipped to Kunming, China. Matsumoto was a staff sergeant and Yoshimura became a lieutenant [Annotator's Note: the US Army Technical Sergeant Akiji Yoshimura was also a member of the disbanded 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional)]. Matsumoto was sent to a prison camp for Japanese prisoners to practice interrogation. Some of the prisoners had been in captivity for eight years. The camp was called "Peace Village" and one of the Chinese was trying to indoctrinate the prisoners in communism. From there, Matsumoto was sent to the combat front on the Chinese border. Yoshimura was sent to headquarters. Matsumoto joined a group of Chinese-American troops who helped him with the language. He was fluent in Japanese but not Chinese. Matsumoto had the job of observing enemy vehicle movements. He was then sent south of Kunming. He carried a Colt .45 automatic weapon [Annotator's Note: .45 caliber M1911 semi-automatic pistol]. He was given a revolver and offered some opium. The former because ammunition was not available for his Colt and the latter in case he was captured. He could use the opium to barter his way back to the American lines. He elected not to take the opium but took British occupation currency instead. [Annotator's Note: There is a brief pause while lighting conditions for the interview are adjusted.]

Roy H. Matsumoto did not realize he had been assigned to OSS [Annotator's Note: Office of Strategic Services; forerunner of the CIA or Central Intelligence Agency] when he was sent to Chunking, China on Christmas Eve 1944. He was flown further into China. He then hiked with two Chinese soldiers about 20 miles. The soldiers carried Matsumoto's backpack and baggage. They ultimately made it close to the coast where there were about dozen men already in place. Matsumoto was responsible for document translation and prisoner interrogation. He found out he was in the OSS at that time. He did not know what the OSS was all about. The Chinese forces that supported them were poorly armed with many of the troops having no weapons at all. They were Nationalist troops who scouted on Japanese activities and Chinese movements. There were many local dialects in China requiring several interpreters. The Americans wanted to convince the Chinese to side with them. They trained the troops with the arms and equipment they carried. They encouraged the Chinese to capture a Japanese soldier in order to be well rewarded. The Chinese cooperated with the Americans. A prisoner was brought to Matsumoto. The man was hungry and frightened. The prisoner was fed and given a cigarette. He was surprised to discover Matsumoto could speak Japanese. The enemy troops had stopped moving during the day because of aerial bombardment or strafing by the Air Force. Repairs to road damage had to be made at night. The OSS destroyed bridges and disrupted enemy troop movements as well. It was about the summer of 1945.

Roy H. Matsumoto arrived in Kunming, China on Christmas Eve [Annotator's Note: 24 December 1944]. It was questionable as to whether his flight into China would arrive or not. It carried ammunition and fuel supplies. The previous flight did not make it. An air raid occurred soon after arrival. Matsumoto went to Chungking [Annotator's Note: Chungking, China] and joined other OSS [Annotator's Note: Office of Strategic Services; pre-runner to today's Central Intelligence Agency or CIA] personnel. While there, a Japanese soldier was captured by Chinese farmers. He was brought to the OSS people in return for a reward. Matsumoto was kind to the prisoner to gain his trust. The prisoner thought Matsumoto was Chinese because he spoke to him in that language rather than Japanese. [Annotator's Note: The audio is disrupted at this point.] Matsumoto was surprised when the atomic bomb [Annotator's Note: nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, 6 and 9 August 1945] was dropped on Hiroshima [Annotator's Note: Matsumoto's family lived in Hiroshima, Japan and he had lived there with his grandfather in the 1930s]. He has visited the city with his children. He thought his relatives who lived there were instantly killed. He was sorry that they were gone but at least they did not suffer. He subsequently discovered that they had left Hiroshima ahead of the atomic bombing of the city. A cousin told Matsumoto after the war that his relatives were safe. After the war, Matsumoto's brother worked on MacArthur's [Annotator's Note: General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area] staff during occupation of Japan. A year after the end of the war, Matsumoto went to Japan and saw his family there.

Roy H. Matsumoto saw the city of Hiroshima [Annotator's Note: Hiroshima, Japan] after the war. It was flattened and destroyed but still had vegetation starting to grow when he saw the city. He took a prisoner to the proximity of the city. He viewed the city and was relieved to find out his family was not wiped out [Annotator's Note: Matsumoto had lived in Hiroshima with his grandfather in the 1930s and had relatives living there during the war]. He returned to Shanghai [Annotator's Note: Shanghai, China] afterward but his job of escorting prisoners ended. He returned to Japan and MacArthur's headquarters [Annotator's Note: General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area]. He walked around to try to meet people he knew. He found an officer who knew him. He thanked Matsumoto for what he had done. Matsumoto was wearing his ribbon for the Legion of Merit [Annotator's Note: the Legion of Merit is awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for exceptionally meritorious conduct and outstanding service]. He was offered a job by the Chief of the Counter Intelligence Corps, or CIC, Lieutenant Colonel Wayne Holman [Annotator's Note: unsure of spelling]. The Chief said he could definitely use a man with Matsumoto's skills. He generated a letter of acceptance indicating he needed Matsumoto to change assignments without red tape. Matsumoto returned to China and his orders there were rescinded. He was to train Nationalist Chinese troops which would have been a problem considering the communist take-over of the country. Matsumoto probably could have been captured during that time. He had sufficient points [Annotator's Note: a point system was devised based on a number of factors that determined when American servicemen serving overseas could return home] to return home or be assigned to Tokyo [Annotator's Note: Tokyo, Japan]. When he arrived at the general headquarters in Tokyo, Matsumoto was assigned to the translation department but reported instead to CIC and assumed the role of a civilian with the appropriate dress. He attended CIC school part-time and worked surveillance at the same time. Matsumoto assumed the role of a Japanese citizen and successfully worked undercover.

Roy H. Matsumoto was successful in his covert work against the communists [Annotator's Note: he had been called into duty with the Counter Intelligence Corp or CIC]. He was compromised on one occasion by a staff officer from China. His job was to find Chinese enemy agents while posing as a black market operator. He was close to identifying an enemy spy but being compromised made his job risky. Matsumoto was compromised by the Chinese officer. The officer said Matsumoto was American, and not Japanese as he was posing. Matsumoto's intelligence officer told him that it was to risky for him. He had to immediately return to the United States. After waiting a few days, he caught a ship back to the states. Things were too dangerous otherwise. He was working on classified work and finally did identify the targeted individual as an enemy spy. He was told by a friend that it was a good thing Matsumoto left because an American enlisted man was stabbed and his body dumped in Tokyo Bay. That could have been Matsumoto had he not left.

Roy H. Matsumoto returned to the United States and decided to stay in the Army. He extended his term of service only to find he was being considered to return to Tokyo [Annotator's Note: Tokyo, Japan]. The Army needed a translation specialist in Tokyo in 1947. He would not be attached to CIC [Annotator's Note: Counter Intelligence Corp] but serve in the Army in CID, Criminal Investigation Department, with the Provost Marshall's office of the 8th Army. With his experience in China, Matsumoto was qualified and transferred to CID. He was back in uniform as an MP, a Military Policeman. He became an agent for CID because of his prior CIC background. Matsumoto got into trouble due to a missing pistol. MacArthur [Annotator's Note: General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area] did not want any Japanese carrying weapons for fear of shooting him. Matsumoto was placed on the case and investigated it. He found the supply areas were very secure. It was claimed that a guard stole the weapon. Matsumoto did not agree because of the high security where the arms were kept. He thought it was an inside job. When he would not agree that a guard took the weapon and instead maintained that it was an inside job, he got into trouble. When a court order resulted in a search of a supply officer's quarters, a pistol was discovered. Perjury charges were made against about 17 men involved in the case. Some men were busted in rank and some kicked out of the Army. Fear that Matsumoto would testify in court resulted in him being transferred to Okinawa [Annotator's Note: Okinawa, Japan]. MacArthur was happy that the pistol had not made it to a Japanese civilian. Matsumoto always felt it was best to tell the truth.

Roy H. Matsumoto returned to the United States and served five years in each of two separate locations. He had a good job as a master sergeant in an escort detachment. He escorted Nisei [Annotator's Note: first generation Japanese-American] troop remains back to their homes. He saw many places as a result. He retired in 1963. He had a well organized job in the Oakland post office. He had little to do because his organization did things well. He had time to go fishing. He looked with an understanding eye at the way his men did their work and filed their reports. Others asked Matsumoto to do their work because of his efficiency. When he was assigned to Transportation, he felt it did not fit his skills. He was a veteran in intelligence and combat. His efficiency reports were always good until he was transferred. He refused to do the work of others. He did not feel comfortable loading and unloading ships either. He ended his career supervising mail distribution. He decided against going to Vietnam because of his family plus he had already served in the tropics. He does not regret not going. He retired and has been happy.