Nisei Servicewomen in World War II

Former US Cadet Nurse Aiko “Grace” Obata Amemiya spoke about her experiences serving in the US Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II at JANM on May 18, 2013. Born and raised in Northern California, Grace was a student at the University of California School of Nursing when the US declared war on Japan. Like over 110,000 other Japanese Americans, Grace and her family were forcibly removed from their home and incarcerated at the Turlock Assembly Center and later at the Gila River Relocation Center. She continued to work as a nurse’s aide at both Turlock and Gila River. In February 1943, Grace was able to leave camp and continue her nursing studies at St. Mary’s University in Rochester, Minnesota. She was then able to enlist in the US Cadet Nurse Corps and served proudly for six months at Shick General Army Hospital in Clinton, Iowa. Amemiya spoke about her service in this very special program.

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