<Begin Segment 20>

AI: Well, soon after New Year's of 1943, in January is when the government and the administration wanted everybody in camp, the adults to sign these questionnaires, to answer the questionnaires and sign the so-called "loyalty oath."

BS: Uh-huh.

AI: And so that would have affected you grandfather, your parents, and your older sisters and your --

BS: Brother, Paul, uh-huh.

AI: -- brother Paul, right. So do you recall any discussion of that or what at that time?

BS: All I knew were the adults would say, well, they answered "yes-yes" or "no-no" or "yes-no" or they're varying, and everyone's like, "Oh if you said 'no-no' you're disloyal." But the questions were phrased that it was difficult to answer. And, but my father said that he had to answer according to his children, 'cause he wanted to remain with the children. And so that's why he said "yes-yes" and I'm sure he, that's why my brother probably answered the same way.

AI: Well, that's so interesting because some families had some real disagreements and trying to figure out how they were going to answer.

BS: Uh-huh, because they would, the way that one question was phrased, they could, like my father, who couldn't, was not allowed to become an American citizen, would be a man without a country. But he, for our, he said for his children's sake he would answer that way.

AI: So then also, your brother, he was draft age by then.

BS: Uh-huh.

AI: So do you recall any discussion of that? About, because also in 1943, that's when, they weren't drafting Japanese Americans yet, but they were calling for volunteers into the army asking the young fellows in camp to volunteer for the service.

BS: Uh-huh.

AI: Do you recall anything about that, discussion of that?

BS: No, because my, I think my brother Paul was drafted in Minidoka. And then our -- well, we call him our cousin, Frank Hachiya, I don't know if he was, I don't know why he... he must have been drafted before we went to camp, 'cause he was older. I think he was drafted. 'Cause he was, I think he was going to college and must have been drafted because in Tule Lake I remember him coming to visit his father and he was in uniform and he was with the MIS but, of course, we didn't know at the time. And I don't know why he was on a furlough, I don't know if he was being sent overseas or whatever, but he was on furlough and he came to visit his father and I remember saying goodbye to him. I remember going out to the railroad tracks, so I'm assuming the railroad tracks were just right out of the gates of camp, and saying goodbye to him.

AI: So, that's interesting, because while you were in Tule Lake you had a couple of visitors then, Frank Hachiya came on his furlough.

BS: Uh-huh.

AI: Your second grade teacher came.

BS: She came... oh that's right. Yes, she came. Uh-huh.

AI: To Tule Lake.

BS: Uh-huh.

<End Segment 20> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.