German WWI Veterans In The United States Armed Forces Fighting Against The Japanese Empire

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Edward L. Hsiao
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German WWI Veterans In The United States Armed Forces Fighting Against The Japanese Empire

#1

Post by Edward L. Hsiao » 11 Sep 2019, 06:46

I'm getting to be pretty curious now. I think there were German WWI soldier veterans serving with the US Armed Forces during WWII. A few not many. Most of them had served stateside during WWII. But I wonder if there were few of these WWI German veterans had wanted to volunteer to fight in the Pacific and Asia against Japanese aggression? They don't want to fight against their own countrymen in Germany during WWII. Maybe there were WWI German veterans that fought against the Japanese while serving in another countries' armed forces such as the United Kingdom and Holland. WWI Germans against the Japanese during WWII is something I put in the question today.

Edward L. Hsiao

Sid Guttridge
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Re: German WWI Veterans In The United States Armed Forces Fighting Against The Japanese Empire

#2

Post by Sid Guttridge » 11 Sep 2019, 11:52

Hi Edward,

My girlfriend's great-grandfather was an Austrian who served in that country's army at the end of WWI and in the British Army Royal Engineers in Burma in WWII. He was killed there in March 1944. So it is very likely that there were Germans in a similar situation, particularly in the US.

Cheers,

Sid.


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R Leonard
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Re: German WWI Veterans In The United States Armed Forces Fighting Against The Japanese Empire

#3

Post by R Leonard » 12 Sep 2019, 02:12

Pretty much once you were/are in the uniform you went where you were told to go and did what you were told to do. There was no "I'm willing to fight those guys, but I won't fight these guys." Instant court martial. Part of the oath, "with no reservations . . ."

Sid Guttridge
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Re: German WWI Veterans In The United States Armed Forces Fighting Against The Japanese Empire

#4

Post by Sid Guttridge » 12 Sep 2019, 11:21

Hi R Leonard,

The US authorities were clearly not insensitive to the problems of expecting recent immigrants to fight their cousins. The Japanese American regiment was deliberately sent to Europe.

However, I know of no such sensitivity regarding German- or Italian-Americans.

Cheers,

Sid.

stulev
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Re: German WWI Veterans In The United States Armed Forces Fighting Against The Japanese Empire

#5

Post by stulev » 12 Sep 2019, 13:41

But there was the NOT SENDING JAPANESE TO THE PACIFIC FRONT - The was the governments decision - Japanese solders were all sent to fight in Europe -

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R Leonard
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Re: German WWI Veterans In The United States Armed Forces Fighting Against The Japanese Empire

#6

Post by R Leonard » 13 Sep 2019, 02:44

Except for the Nisei who were sent to the Pacific as translators. As far as the 442nd, for example, they did not get a vote, they were sent where the US Army wanted to them to go, whether a rational decision or no, and that's where they went . . . period. Once in the uniform, one does not get the opportunity to pick and choose one's opponents.

The premise of the OP was that there may have been some opportunity to pick one's adversary . . . no, there was no opportunity, one went where one was sent, for whatever reason, period.
Last edited by R Leonard on 13 Sep 2019, 02:47, edited 1 time in total.

Sid Guttridge
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Re: German WWI Veterans In The United States Armed Forces Fighting Against The Japanese Empire

#7

Post by Sid Guttridge » 13 Sep 2019, 11:14

Hi RLeonard,

What you say is true, but it remains the case that governments are often sensitive to the problems of setting their own ethnic minorities against their cousins.

Apart from Japanese Americans, between the wars the Poles deliberately sent German conscripts to divisions in the east of the country, the Czechs sent Ruthenes to divisions in the west of the country, and in WWI Austria-Hungary preferred to use Slavs on the Italian front.

While an individual cannot pick and choose where he served, on many occasions their collective origins led their governments to be selective as to where they posted them. Thus in these cases the individual was not confronted with any conflict of loyalties.

Cheers,

Sid.

LineDoggie
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Re: German WWI Veterans In The United States Armed Forces Fighting Against The Japanese Empire

#8

Post by LineDoggie » 14 Sep 2019, 05:21

stulev wrote:
12 Sep 2019, 13:41
But there was the NOT SENDING JAPANESE TO THE PACIFIC FRONT - The was the governments decision - Japanese solders were all sent to fight in Europe -
News to the "Marauder Samurai" that they werent there
http://marauder.org/nisei01.htm

Nisei Interpreters in Burma with Merrills Marauders like Staff Sergeant Roy Matsumoto
"There are two kinds of people who are staying on this beach: those who are dead and those who are going to die. Now let’s get the hell out of here".
Col. George Taylor, 16th Infantry Regiment, Omaha Beach

Edward L. Hsiao
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Re: German WWI Veterans In The United States Armed Forces Fighting Against The Japanese Empire

#9

Post by Edward L. Hsiao » 19 Sep 2019, 05:00

From what I know right now a few of former German WWI pilots that became US citizens were employed in the defence and aircraft industries during WWII. I yet to hear about a German former German WWI pilot that served in the US Army Air Corps during WWII against the Japanese.

Edward L. Hsiao

Sid Guttridge
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Re: German WWI Veterans In The United States Armed Forces Fighting Against The Japanese Empire

#10

Post by Sid Guttridge » 19 Sep 2019, 10:58

Hi Edward,

You are at it again, claiming knowledge without providing any facts, or sources.

You posted, "From what I know right now a few of former German WWI pilots that became US citizens were employed in the defence and aircraft industries during WWII."

Who? When? Where?

Cheers,

Sid.

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