Herbert Sasaki, 84; Served With WWII Japanese American Unit

Herbert Sasaki, who dedicated himself to preserving the legacy of the famed Japanese American military unit that he fought with during World War II, has died. He was 84.

Sasaki died during heart surgery May 13 at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, said his daughter Beverly Yamamoto.

He served with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which fought in Italy and France from 1944 to 1945 and became the most decorated military unit during World War II. Sasaki would later help spearhead efforts to erect monuments to the regiment in Hawaii; Washington, D.C.; and Camp Shelby, Miss., where the unit was formed.

“He wanted to make sure that no one would forget that the 442nd fought for freedom at a time when their families were incarcerated -- and to prove they were Americans,” his daughter said.

After earning a Bronze Star in the war, Sasaki settled near Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg, Miss., returning to Arnice Dyar, whom he had met at the base laundry and married before shipping out in 1943. The Ku Klux Klan reacted to the interracial marriage by burning a cross in her grandparents’ frontyard, Yamamoto said.

Sasaki was active in the 442nd Assn., which is composed of veterans of the regiment and provides major funding for the Armed Forces Museum at Camp Shelby. He served on the museum’s board for 12 years, helping it grow from a small classroom to a $4.5-million facility.

Herbert Masaru Sasaki was born and raised in Pomona, the son of a grocer who was also a lay Christian minister. His mother died when he was 8. He joined the Illinois National Guard before his family was detained in relocation camps through much of the war, then he and a brother volunteered for the Army.

After the war, Sasaki worked in the poultry business before serving another four years in the Army and seeing action in the Korean War. He spent the rest of his career as a broker for International Paper Co.

In October, Sasaki was presented the Mississippi Distinguished Civilian Service Medal for his work at the museum.

In addition to his wife and daughter, he is survived by another daughter, Sylvia Heidingsfelder; a son, Kenneth; and two grandchildren.