Henry had to avoid detection by some internees at the Poston internment camp in order to join the army.

Henry Sadao Izumizaki was born in Watsonville, California on May 20, 1921, to Kanetsuchi and Fumiyo Izumizaki. In addition to Henry, the Izumizaki family included two other sons, James and Arthur. He attended local schools in the Pajaro Valley and entered Watsonville High School. During his high school years, he played on the football team and was a member of the Block W Society.

Henry, who was described as a quiet and shy person, worked as a farm hand in the Pajaro Valley for the Bronson vegetable farm after graduating from high school. Following the US entry into World War II, the Izumizaki family was moved to the Salinas Rodeo grounds in April 1942 and later relocated to the Japanese-American internment camp at Poston, Arizona. While at the camp, Henry worked as a carpenter with the school construction crew. In 1943 the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) made a request to the government to create a special army unit made up of Nisei (second-generation Japanese-American) men. He wanted to enlist in the army, but fearing retribution from the camp's pro-Japan element had to sneak out of the camp to enlist.

Henry Izumizaki enlisted in the US Army on May 26, 1943. Following training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, he was assigned to Company F of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The combat team members boarded a troop ship bound for Italy on May 1, 1944, and arrived at Naples, on June 2. Company F participated in the fall of Rome and in the pursuit of retreating Germans up the boot of Italy to Livorno, which was captured in July 1944.

In the fall of 1944, the 442nd was transported to Marseilles, France, to clear the Germans out of the Rhone Valley and recapture French border towns. Mas Hashimoto, a Watsonville historian, shared the final episode in the life of Private First Class Henry Sadao Izumizaki and his role in assisting a trapped Texas Battalion.

“During the Battle of the Lost Texas Battalion in early November of 1944, Henry was the Fox Company's runner. The Texas battalion was completely cut off in the Vosges Forest and was destined to be annihilated by the Germans. Several battalions fell short of the rescue operations. A very tired but game 100th/442nd was ordered to rescue of what remained of the Texans. The fighting lasted four more days. Tree bursts from German mortars and artil- lery filled the sky, and shrapnel rained on the men of the 100th/442nd below. The Germans, who had commanded the high ground, lobbed hand grenades down the hill. No one remembers who called it first but with "Go For Broke!" the men of the 100th/442nd charged. When the hand-to-hand combat ended, the Germans surrendered and 211 Texans were rescued.
Henry sprained his ankle during the steep hillside battle, but he refused to seek medical aid or rest because so many of his comrades were being killed, and there were no replacements! Henry was one of the 184 killed during that battle. A sliver of shrapnel entered his side and had pierced his heart. Another 600 of the 100th/442nd were badly wounded. Several rifle companies were reduced to less than 10 men.”

Henry Izumizaki died on November 2, 1944, and was initially buried in Epinal, France. In 1948, his remains were returned to Watsonville for interment in the Pajaro Valley Memorial Park.

(NARA2; WRP November 24, 1944 1:5, Mas Hashimoto, Re-enactment http://www.watsonvillesantacruzjacl.org/reenactment/lessons2.htm [16 September 2008]; Pajaro Valley Cemetery Headstone 5/12/08)