<Begin Segment 33>

AI: Well, the other thing I wanted to ask you about during your time in the service is, of course, this is in the 1950s and the fight against Communism was a pretty big thing for the United States. And I'm just wondering, from your point of view, as a, just a regular person drafted into the army, did you have any sense that you were part of a war against Communism?

AS: No. In Germany we didn't have too much trouble with that.

AI: So that really wasn't a big focus or big emphasis --

AS: No.

AI: -- at that time for you.

AS: The only thing is that... no, I was there sixteen months. And I only fired my rifle once, so if, if something happened, we were kinda, we were kinda afraid, because we, because they didn't take us to the driving range often enough.

AI: So you didn't have regular training with your arms?

AS: No, not after, not after I left basic.

AI: Well, did you ever consider continuing on, signing up with the army?

AS: No. In fact, our CO, who was a lieutenant in, he was a lieutenant colonel, so he was the same rank as the post commander. He tried to get me to reenlist, but I said, "No," I said, "I want my civilian life." In fact, he, he was so high he was same rank as a post commander, so, all the time we were there we never did KP or guard duty. Because actually, since we only had forty-two men, and nine of 'em were sergeants, so actually there was only thirty-four of us, I mean, thirty-three of us. And so, because sergeants don't pull KP, and so actually he, he didn't have enough men to send for KP or guard duty.

AI: Oh, so you had a, your duty was kind of unusual, then, it wasn't, not typical.

AS: Right. Because not only we had a lieutenant colonel, we had one major, four captains, and one second lieutenant, one warrant officer, one air force major, air force first lieutenant, so, plus the nine sergeants, we had more chiefs than Indians.

AI: [Laughs] Well, why was that that you were, wanted to get back to civilian life, that... some people saw, thought, well they could possibly have a career in the army. But what were you thinking about?

AS: Well, you know, because and another thing is, Korean War was on at that time. So, a lot of us didn't want a part of that.

AI: That's right, 'cause there's always the chance that if you stayed in --

AS: That you might be sent somewhere else, yeah.

AI: Right.

<End Segment 33> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.