Robert Hisatoshi Kitajima

ROBERT HISATOSHI KITAJIMA Passed away peacefully in Union City on March 10, 2005 at the age of 85 of cancer. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii on June 28, 1920, son of Junpei and Sakae Kitajima. At age 14 he moved to Oakland, joined his older brother, Kitao in the family produce business and went to Oakland Tech High School. He was inducted into the U.S. Army on February 26, 1942, assigned to the Military Intelligence Language School at Camp Savage and served in the U.S. Army Air Force at Pensecola, Florida, Hawaii, Guam and Japan in 1945. He was on the Atomic Bomb Survey Team. He went to both Nagasaki and Hiroshima and as interpreter found the epicenter of the Hiroshima bomb, where the memorial is presently enshrined. He was discharged as a Sgt on January 28, 1946. He married Molly Enta of Winnipeg, Manitoba on February 8, 1946 and was prohibited to bring his Canadian born wife into the U.S. because of her ancestry was considered an alien enemy. Eventually the War Bride Act allowed his family entrance into the U.S. Robert returned to California joined Kitao in the produce business and worked in the Retail Clerk's Union. He is survived by his wife, Molly of 59 years, son Robert Keith of Newark; daughter, Lorraine Naomi of San Carlos and son, Scott Hisao of New York and brother, Fred of San Jose and Takanobu of San Jose. He is also survived by his oldest sister, Hisaye Nagafuchi of Fukuoka Japan. Funeral services will be held on Sunday, March 20, 2005 at 6 p.m., Southern Alameda Buddhist Church, 32975 Alvarado-Niles Rd., Union City, CA 94587.