Grandpa and the 522nd Field
Artillery
Battalion in World War II
My grandfather, Mamoru "Spud" Masuda, served in the U.S.
Army in World War II. He was drafted before the U.S. entered the war and
was stationed near San Francisco when Pearl Harbor was bombed. He was
moved inland after that and ended up at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he
received artillery training. Spud was assigned to the 522nd Field
Artillery Battalion which was part of the 442nd
Regimental Combat Team.
During the war, the 522nd fought in Italy, France, and Germany
and earned a reputation as one of the most effective artillery units in
the European Theater. Along the way they supported their comrades in the
442nd and other units, participated in the rescue of the 36th
Infantry Division's Lost
Battalion, and helped liberate the concentration
camp at Dachau.
Spud achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant and was in charge of
2nd Section of Charlie Battery of the 522nd. He was awarded the Bronze
Star Medal for meritorious service during the 522nd's European
campaign.
In 1991, the 522nd's Charlie Battery held a reunion in San Francisco.
A booklet was published containing photographs, newspaper articles, and
other mementos of Charlie Battery's service. Here's a collection of
photos of Spud's 2nd Section out of the booklet. You can click on it to
see a larger version. 
In this photo, Spud receives the Bronze Star Medal from Colonel John M.
Hamilton of the 30th Field Artillery Group. August 24, 1945, Donauworth,
Germany. You can see the citation letter here.
In January 2002 I visited the Museum of American
History in Washington, DC.
One of their exhibits was about the Japanese American experience in
WWII. To my astonishment there was a life-size exhibit of a 522nd
artillery crew executing a fire mission.
There are quite
a few web sites on the 522nd FABN. Here are a few:
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