Thomas Takao Kobayashi (1916 - 2018)

Born 4 Sep 1916 in Seattle, King, Washington, United States

Died 4 Jan 2018 at age 101 in Seattle, King, Washington, United States

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Biography

Thomas Kobayashi was a centenarian, living to age 101.

Thomas Kobayashi served in the United States Army in World War II
Service started: 13 May 1943
Unit(s): 442nd Infantry Regiment
Service ended: 1946

Thomas was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal

Takao Kobayashi was born in Seattle, Washington on September 4, 1916, the first son and eldest child of Japanese immigrants Masuichi Michael Kobayashi and Kumayo Mary Emi. He resided in Seattle with his parents and siblings according to the 1930 United States Census. Sometime before the Pacific War, Takao was baptized into the Roman Catholic Church as Thomas.

Tom graduated from Garfield High School as a member of the Class of 1934 and then obtained a bachelor's degree in from the University of Washington in 1938. In 1942, during the war, he and his Japanese American family were forcibly removed to Puyallup Assembly Center and, from there, to Minidoka War Relocation Center. While interned at Minidoka, he volunteered to serve in the United States Army during World War II, having enlisted on May 13, 1943. Tom served with the 442nd Infantry Regiment and then the Vint Hill branch of the Military Intelligence Service during the war.

After his discharge from the Army in 1946, Tom returned to Seattle, where he worked for the Veterans Administration, the Military Sea Transportation Service and the port of Seattle, retiring in 1979. In 2000, he was recognized for his services with the MIS and was awarded a Presidential Unit citation. He recounted his experiences with incarceration at Puyallup and Minidoka as well as his subsequent war service through an interview with Densho on April 30, 2009.

In recognition for his services in World War II, Tom was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in October 2010. He died at the Providence Mount St. Vincent in Seattle on January 4, 2018 at the age of 101; he was unmarried, and he had no children during his lifetime. He was buried at Holyrood Catholic Cemetery in Shoreline on January 27.

Sources

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XC3N-8GL : accessed 29 July 2019), Takao Kobayashi in household of Masiuchi Kobayashi, Seattle, King, Washington, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 175, sheet 2A, line 42, family 30, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2500; FHL microfilm 2,342,234.
• "United States Japanese Americans Relocated During World War II, 1942-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KX2P-RT1 : 12 December 2014), Thom S T Kobayashi, 1942-1946; citing Minidoku (Gooding), person number 11442A, file 500148, NARA NAID 1263921, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
• "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K85C-RJF : 5 December 2014), Thomas T Kobayashi, enlisted 13 May 1943, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
• Find A Grave: Memorial #186752331
• Thomas Takao Kobayashi | Japanese American Military Experience Database, http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/resources/military/225/ (Victory Medal WWII; Good Conduct Medal; American Theater Ribbon; Asiatic Pacific Theater Ribbon)
• Obituary, https://www.harveyfuneral.com/obituary/4544590