Mitsue K. Matsui

Mitsue (Kono) Matsui was born on November 3, 1918, to Michio and Fusayo Kono in San Francisco, California. She had four brothers (Masami, Yoshio, Minoru and Nobuo) and one younger sister, Hisae.

Mitzi went to Hamilton Junior High and Girls High School as well as Kinmon Gakuen (Japanese Language school). She continued on to San Francisco City College and received her Associates of Arts, graduating with honors in the Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society.

In 1938, her father took the whole Kono family to visit relatives in Japan. While in Japan, she learned Japanese culture-the tea ceremony, flower arrangement, and learned to play the shamisen and to use the Japanese typewriter.

After Mitzi returned to San Francisco, she accepted a position with the Japanese Chamber of Commerce. She took an active role in Buddhist circles, serving as President of the YWBA in San Francisco.

In May 1942, the Kono family was evacuated from San Francisco to Tanforan Race Track Assembly Center. In September 1942, they were relocated to Topaz Relocation Camp, Utah.

In September 1943, Mitzi was granted leave clearance from the relocation camp for a job with the Military Intelligence Service Language School (War Department) at Camp Savage, Minnesota. At Camp Savage and Fort Snelling, Minnesota, she was personal secretary to Major John F. Aiso, Director of Academic Training.

In spring 1945, Mitzi married Master Sergeant Takashi Matsui, an instructor in the Military Intelligence Service Language School. Their wedding took place in Topaz Relocation Camp.

Their first child, daughter Kazue Florence, was born at Fort Snelling Station Hospital in January 1946.

In June 1946, Tak received orders for duty with the U.S. Occupation forces in Japan. In November 1947, Mitzi and Kazie joined Tak in Japan.

In September 1950, they returned to the States. In 1952 their second child, Stanley Michihiro, was born. Mitzi returned to the workforce in 1960 at Sandpoint Naval Air Station where she worked until retiring in 1976.

In 1995, they celebrated their 50th anniversary on the Spirit of Washington Wine Train. In 2005, at a family reunion they celebrated their 60th anniversary at the Four Seas Restaurant.

Mitzi spent many hours helping to prepare for the MIS National Reunion in Seattle, commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the end of World War II. In 1996 she helped compile and edit the panel discussion material which covered the history of the MISLS and the MIS linguists as well as the Occupation of Japan. This material was published in a booklet, "Unsung Heroes".

For the past 35 and one-half years, she enjoyed her five grandchildren (Hidekazu, Miye, David, Steven and Mark) as well as great-grandson, Kenzo.

She kept busy taking classes at Nikkei Horizons on computer topics, sewing, knitting, sumi-painting, printmaking, pottery and playing the koto.

She also enjoyed traveling with Tak to Japan, a cruise through the Panama Canal, Washington D.C, Europe, Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore.

Mitzi was an active member of several community organizations including Maple Leaf Elementary PTA, the Seattle Buddhist Church Fujinkai and Gojikai, MIS Northwest, Cherry Blossom Festival Committee, Japanese Community Service, and the Women's Auxiliary of the Nisei Veterans Service.

As one of her friends said, "She was a real sweetheart" and she will be greatly missed.