He eventually became an instructor at the club and with head instructor Masao Yamashita taught hundreds of judoka in the Treasure Valley. He eventually worked at Campbell Tractor in Nampa and retired at the age of 75 working 50 years on the John Deere brand.Īfter the war, George returned to judo training and competition at the Boise Valley Judo Club in 1946. At the age of 25 he got a job as a bookkeeper at Homedale Tractor, a John Deere dealership, and worked with them as it expanded and changed ownership. He utilized the “GI Bill” and attended and graduated from the Nampa Business College. He returned to the family farm after military service. In 2013, he was presented the Congressional Gold Medal for his service in the 442nd. He also was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in WWII. He saw battle in France and Italy and received the Purple Heart after suffering wounds inflected by an enemy grenade while advancing on a machine gun nest. After basic training, George served in the 100th Battalion – Company A of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. He was inducted into the service and sent to Camp Blanding, Florida for basic training in September 1944. He attended the College of Idaho and the University of Idaho before being drafted into the United States Army. George attended Roosevelt Elementary School in Nampa and graduated from Nampa High School in 1941. He began his lifetime practice of judo during his youth in 1938.
George also enjoyed playing sports including boxing, football, golf and baseball while he was growing up. His childhood was filled with memories of working on the family farm, fishing, hunting, and rockhounding throughout the Treasure Valley and beyond with his family and friends. The family resided in Caldwell at the time, but moved to Nampa shortly thereafter where George and his brothers and sister grew up. George Koyama was born on Januin Caldwell, Idaho to Sashichi Koyama and Otsu Sasau.
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