94-year-old OC veteran shares his life story, experiences to educate future generations

ANAHEIM, Calif (KABC) -- At 94 years old, Nori Uyematsu is reflecting on his life, recalling his experiences as a proud veteran in the U.S. Army.

"Never thought that I would end up the way I did in the Korean War," said Uyematsu, of Anaheim.

Uyematsu had to learn resilience at an early age. At just 11 years old, he and his family were forcibly removed from their home in Campbell, California, because they were Japanese American. His family was incarcerated at Heart Mountain relocation center in Wyoming during World War II.

"Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and that's when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which incarcerated 120,000 Japanese descendants on the West Coast states," said Uyematsu.

Uyematsu and his family spent three years in the camps.

"What happened to the Japanese Americans once they were told to leave the camps and go wherever they wanted to with a one-way train ticket and $25. The Uyematsu family had nowhere to go," said Patti Hirahara.

After their release, the family settled in Brigham City, Utah, where they worked on a farm. Then at 17, Uyematsu enlisted in the U.S. Army.

"At 17 years old, joined the Army, scheduled to go to Okinawa, Japan. But then the Korean War started June 25, 1950, and because of that, I ended up in Korea. But fortunately ended up in the Military Intelligence Unit," said Uyematsu.

While serving in Korea, Uyematsu's role included interrogating prisoners of war. He says witnessing the devastation on soldiers and civilians had a lasting impact on him.

"One of the sad moments for me was to see mothers with small children immigrating from the war zone as well as the adults, women and men, because they were Asian, and they all resembled somebody that I knew in our family and friends. That still sticks in my mind," said Uyematsu.

Uyematsu left Korea on July 21, 1952. Over the years, he has received recognition for his service. In 2024, he donated his war memorabilia to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Now, he's focused on educating future generations about the struggles Japanese Americans faced during the Korean War.

"I am right now writing, so I can give it to the kids to let them know what I went through growing up in the United States," said Uyematsu.