- One Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, SIX Purple Hearts... and a court-martial. Convinced that he had been unfairly convicted, fellow veterans and Kash's wife began the process to have his court-martial expunged from his Army records.
- This 67-minute documentary profiles Shiro "Kash" Kashino, one of the most storied soldiers of the famed Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
Born and raised in Seattle, Washington Kash volunteers in the U.S. Army while incarcerated in an American concentration camp in Idaho. Described as having pupule guts (crazy guts) by his buddies from Hawaii, He is quickly promoted to staff sergeant, leading his platoon through major battles in Italy and France. Kash emerges from the war a battle-scarred hero with an amazing record: one Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, Combat Infantry Badge, SIX Purple Hearts. . . and a Court-Martial.
Staff Sergeant Kashino returns home as a buck private.
Some 40 years later, convinced that Kash and two other Nisei soldiers had been unfairly tried and unjustly convicted of charges related to a dance hall brawl in southern France, fellow veterans in Hawaii and Kashs wife, Louise, press him for permission to begin the process of expunging the court-martial conviction from his Army records. Kash would rather keep the stain on his records in the past, but he is swayed by Louise to proceed with the investigation . . . for the sake of our daughters.
But the quest for Kashs exoneration at once meets a series of obstacles, complicated by the lack of key witnesses and the loss of his Army records. Meanwhile, he is diagnosed with terminal cancer.
When all hope is lost, a remarkable twist occurs thorough a chance encounter of two strangers attending a bankers conference in Hawaii. During a friendly chat over drinks, Kashs former 1st sergeant, now a banker, happens to tell a visiting colleague from Puerto Rico about the dance hall brawl that led to the court-martial of Shiro Kashino. It turns out that the banker is a close a friend of the only surviving key witness to the incident.
At last, when it has become a reality that Kash would live to see his rank restored and his court-martial conviction expunged, efforts are again stymied because of yet another legal technicality that only the adjutant-general at the Pentagon is authorized to reverse.
Encouraged by her friends in Hawaii to not give up, Louise writes a personal letter to the adjutant-general. Louise states in her letter, If the application is once again denied, my only consolation will be the fact that he died not knowing that he had lost his last battle.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content