<Begin Segment 41>

AI: Well, I wanted to back up a little bit, because another thing that I understand that you and Art were involved in was one of the very early pilgrimages to Tule Lake.

BS: Oh, yes.

AI: And I wanted to ask you about that. Because you and your family had been in Tule Lake, and how this came about that you went to visit --

BS: Well, it was 1979, it was the 1979 pilgrimage and when I heard about it, well, our friend who was actually the younger brother of my brother-in-law, my oldest sister's husband, it was Harry Kaneko. He was in Tule Lake, too. So he was, and he lived in San Jose. And he was saying, "Hey, let's go." And then there was his friend that Aki Sasaki, he was in Tule Lake, also. So we were saying, "Oh, let's go." So, and I wanted to go 'cause I was just curious, hoping to see other people, maybe, who, friends from camp that I might see. And I just wanted to see the place again. Because in Tule Lake there was this mountain that was called Castle Rock. And that was like a landmark. And then there was another mountain that looked like an abalone so it was called Abalone Mountain. And so I said, "Okay, let's go." So we decided to go.

AI: And you took the bus, is that right, from San Jose?

BS: Yes, to Tule Lake. And there were several, there were several buses because there were, I think there was a bus from Placerville, and I guess maybe from Oakland. I can't remember how many buses. And then some people actually drove themselves there. But that was quite a group there.

AI: And so tell me about it, once you got there.

BS: Oh, well, it was, well, there's no barracks or anything, but, well, we did see a guard tower that was kind of laying on its side. And they still had the stockade, was concrete. And what else? Well, seeing Castle Rock really, the mountain Castle Rock just, I said, "Oh, we really were here." And it reminded me of the times that we were given special permission and allowed to hike up Castle Rock. But it was, but there wasn't any, I didn't see any foundation or any... well, you saw buildings which were barracks that I guess people bought for, residents of that area bought for ten dollars or something. And they were using it for maybe a warehouse or maybe even a residence or shed or... so you'd see a few buildings around there. But I was disappointed not to see very many Niseis. And it was more, I think the people who were sponsoring the group were mostly Sanseis and there were Isseis, there were Isseis there, too. But very few Nisei.

AI: So what was your main feeling that, as you were there in that same location, even though it looked so different?

BS: Glad I'm not living there anymore. [Laughs] And that it was something in the past.

AI: 'Cause at that point, that was, if that was 1979, that would have been a little over thirty years.

BS: Uh-huh.

AI: And you had never been back there since you had been in camp?

BS: No, that was the first time.

AI: And then have you gone to other, to Tule Lake again, other pilgrimages since that, that first time?

BS: No. Art's been, Art went after that and, because they had something special for the, they wanted Peruvians to speak, so Art spoke, spoke there. But I, was planning to go but I had fallen and broken my shoulder so I wasn't able. It was, it usually is around the Fourth of July weekend and I had just broken it a few days before that so I wasn't able to attend.

AI: Ouch. That sounds painful. Oh dear.

<End Segment 41> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.