James M. Oyadomari
Bio
James M. Oyadomari was born in Koloa, Hawaii, on November 30, 1931. He was drafted into the United States Army in late November 1951 and assigned to the 176th Armored Field Battalion, a National Guard unit from Pennsylvania. He came from a family where all four of his brothers also served during the Korean War era; some served overseas, including one brother who also served in Korea, while others remained stationed stateside. While on the front lines, he helped build bunkers before being transferred to a radio relay station located two miles behind the front lines. During his service in Korea, he learned Morse Code, although he primarily used voice radio transmissions. He felt grateful for having served in Korea and for returning home safely.
Video Clips
Brothers Served During The Korean War Era
James M. Oyadomari shares that he has four brothers who also served during the Korean War era, either in Korea or stateside. He notes that three of his brothers volunteered after he was drafted. He describes how both he and his oldest brother were drafted, and that his oldest brother served after returning to the United States. He expresses gratitude that they were all fortunate enough to return home safely.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8YCsbCZQQg&start=252&end=472
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/james-m-oyadomari#clip-1
Embed:
Arriving in Korea
James M. Oyadomari recounts his journey to Korea and the travels to his station at headquarters, located about four miles behind the front lines. He remembers taking a slow train from Busan to Incheon and then to Seoul. From Seoul, he traveled by truck through the West Gate to Chuncheon and ultimately reached headquarters near the Kunson River. For the first couple of months, he worked on building bunkers before transferring to a radio relay station closer to the front lines, known as Hill 949.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8YCsbCZQQg&start=536&end=801
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/james-m-oyadomari#clip-2
Embed:
"I Couldn't Even Imagine" — Returning to Korea
James M. Oyadomari mentions that he has been fortunate to return to Korea on two occasions. While his memories of his time there are limited, he is amazed by how much the country has been rebuilt over the past 50 years. He expresses pride in Korea's success and the role he played in it. He hopes to see the war officially come to an end and a unified Korea in the future; however, he questions how this will be possible given the current leadership in North Korea.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8YCsbCZQQg&start=801&end=1011
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/james-m-oyadomari#clip-3
Embed:
I Just Accepted What I Had to Do
James M. Oyadomari recounts his experience as a radio operator assigned to a relay station just behind the front lines during the Korean War. He remembers that most of the incoming fire passed well over their heads, but one round landed nearby. Although he admits to feeling somewhat afraid, he emphasizes that he did not panic. He reflects on the struggles faced by many younger soldiers during their service in Korea. While he found the experience challenging, he accepted it as part of his duty.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8YCsbCZQQg&start=1148&end=1415
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/james-m-oyadomari#clip-4
Embed: