Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Masao Watanabe Interview
Narrator: Masao Watanabe
Interviewer: Tom Ikeda
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: June 19, 1998
Densho ID: denshovh-wmasao-01-0043

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TI: Coming back to Seattle, I mean, did you have any, can you recall any feelings when you came back to Seattle after a long period of time, and what you were thinking? Or how had Seattle changed when you came back?

MW: I don't recall any special feelings or anything. I felt comfortable. I felt comfortable going back to school. And our funds were limited to army discharge and things like that, and so we didn't do anything special. But there were some Seattle boys, or veterans, back already. So I felt at home. We came back to Jackson Street and fooled around.

TI: How about you? How did, do you feel like you had changed, from the last time you were in Seattle? You had gone to Puyallup, to Minidoka, you had served in the military, and now you're coming back, so you went through a lot of different experiences. How do you think that changed you?

MW: I can't rightfully say it really changed me. You know, you're coming back to a place you grew up in, and some of your friends were around, so... I don't know, there's a certain comfort zone. So I went directly to school, so I didn't feel anything really different.

TI: What was the University of Washington like when you returned? Were there a lot of returning vets also at school?

MW: There were quite a few returning vets, and I think there was a lot more maturity on campus. I think the average student was older, and more settled, and more anxious to get back to school. So, if anything, I think there was maturity.

TI: How about places like the Market? Did you go back there after the war?

MW: No, I didn't. I don't recall much... I don't recall going back there much. And I did go back and see a few guys that I knew, but it was an afterthought rather than going to look for them.

<End Segment 43> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.