<Begin Segment 36>

JA: And did you know your destination, what your destination would be?

MH: No one knew, not a thing. Just get on this ugly train and get, we'll be going.

JA: And what were you feeling at this time?

MH: We thought, "Oh, my gosh. Where are we going?" because nobody will say anything and they said we can't look out the windows, got to keep the shades down because the enemy might attack us and so we just went along. And every night or every day it seemed like we were always stopping at a station or stopping someplace on the siding, they call it, was always stopping someplace somewhere. And it seemed like we'll never get to California or wherever they were taking us. We were going south so we knew that at least, but they never told us where were going until we got closer to the area, is what it was. Then they told us Pinedale and we never even heard of Pinedale. But we knew it was hot when we got out of the train, I'll tell you that. [Laughs]

JA: And so this trip took more than twenty-four hours. Is that correct?

MH: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. I'm sure it did. I think it took a couple days.

JA: Couple days.

MH: Uh-huh, couple days to get that far because it stops too much.

JA: Because the train would yield to military...

MH: Other traffic comes first, yeah. That's right.

JA: I see. And what kind of meals were you provided?

MH: That's what I couldn't quite remember. What kind of meal...

JA: If they were so bad you don't want to remember. [Laughs]

MH: I don't want to remember. It must have been government ration food or something like that, I have a feeling, but I haven't the least idea what was it was. I just can't remember.

JA: I imagine most people were so anxious they didn't feel like eating anyway.

MH: No, they didn't feel like eating. I don't think so, and they didn't feel good anyhow because of the fact they left everything. You're depressed. Everybody is depressed. No one looked happy except the young people or something like that because they think oh, good a train ride, and they thought that was a thrill, that part of it. But older people and them, they looked all so depressed that it just wasn't there.

JA: Very stressful time.

MH: Uh-huh.

JA: Was there much conversation on the train?

MH: No, it was quiet. Like I said, the only people that were really talking were the young people, young teenagers and things like that, but otherwise it was quiet. They just looked like they were saying "Oh, God. I wonder where they're taking us now." And they were very depressed and was wondering, which I can't blame 'em.

<End Segment 36> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.