Roy Hiroshi Matsumoto was born in Laguna, California back in 1913. When he turned eight his parents sent him to live with his grandparents in Hiroshima, Japan. He returned nine years later graduating from Long Beach Polytechnic High School in 1933. His parents, brothers and sisters moved to Hiroshima but Roy stayed in Long Beach.
With the attack on Pearl Harbor Roy was interned with other Japanese-Americans in Jerome, Arkansas. In 1942, he volunteered for the United States Army. He died in May of 2013, he was 100.
What you may not know about Roy is that he served as a Japanese-language intelligence specialist with Merrill’s Marauders in Burma. He earned the Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit. He remained in the Army for 20 years retiring as a Master Sergeant. In 1993, he was inducted into the U.S. Army Rangers Hall of Fame, just four year later he was inducted into the Military Intelligence Corps Hall of Fame.
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