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Interview with Merrill's Marauders Commando Grant Jiro Hirabayashi, June 29, 2005

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Video: Part 1 (Part 2)

 

Courtesy of Library of Congress, Hirabayashi, Grant J., "Interview with Grant Hirabayashi [6/29/2005]," Veterans History Project, 29 June 2005

Description

This video interview is with Grant Jiroo Hirabayashi, who was one of the famed commandos of Merrill's Marauders. This was a unit of soldiers who slogged their way through the Burmese jungles to overcome the Japanese occupiers, and consisted of a number of Japanese Americans, or Nisei. Hirabayashi also served in India and China. In the late days of World War II, he interrogated Japanese prisoners of war (POWs), one of whom accused him of betraying his people.

Condensed Transcript of Interview with Merrill's Marauders Commando Grant Jiro Hirabayashi

Transcribed Excerpt from Grant Jiro Hirabayashi Interview

Source-Dependent Questions

  • Why was this target important to continued operations in the Pacific?
  • How did the geography of the region influence tactics and strategy?
  • How were the soldiers' condition described at the end of the engagement?

Citation Information

Hirabayashi, Grant J., "Interview with Grant Hirabayashi [6/29/2005]," Veterans History Project, 29 June 2005. Courtesy of Library of Congress