Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Roy H. Matsumoto Interview
Narrator: Roy H. Matsumoto
Interviewers: Alice Ito (primary), Tom Ikeda (secondary)
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: December 17 & 18, 2003
Densho ID: denshovh-mroy-01-0048

<Begin Segment 48>

AI: Well, tell me, how did you hear about this? You were in Jerome and how did you hear about this opportunity to get out?

RM: No, no, I mean, my get out so that I could --

AI: Yes.

RM: -- movies or, you know...

AI: Right, right, no, how did you hear about this opportunity to join up --

RM: No, I didn't. So I'm thinking --

AI: You didn't hear about it?

RM: -- all of a sudden the recruiting officer come around and, well, at the time, obviously, they now it's Veteran's Day but then in November 11th and come out. So after that was a holiday so next day I was inducted, twelfth of November I definitely remember. And so what happened is, boy, they give me chance to join because I know I will pass because I understand the Japanese. Other people just whether come or not then they trainable or not, know enough or not. But they a brief test to see. But since they already knew that my record show that I was attending Japanese school, so they had an eye on me. I don't know who mentioned, but I was picked already. But just a formality, I volunteered.

AI: So what happened? Did someone come to Jerome and come and, come to you directly and talk to you?

RM: Not directly, but I mean is they announced that army is looking for soldiers. They didn't say exactly where but then some people said, "Don't go there, that's a spy school," and things like that, Issei, and also Kibeis say, so they refused to do. But some Kibei came, too. But that's pathetic some Kibei didn't speak good English. So the hard time, especially, reading part could do it but when it come to translation, especially then the people from Hawaii, they were 100th Battalion and all sergeant already but they needed more people so they asked 'em whether they want to volunteer go. But the things, lotta people, I didn't know exactly what the motivation, but I don't know what they told about, but they join because they don't have to go Europe to fight. So at least there may be a desk job or something, so the easy way out. They're volunteer to go National Guard and then 100th Battalion sent to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, and start training. There opportunity. Some people mention that oh, glad came here, then, of course, they didn't know we're gonna go, but they didn't take all of 'em, only took fourteen of us, seven from Hawaii and seven from the mainland. And the mainland guys mostly from the camp, about five guys from camp and I was one of 'em.

<End Segment 48> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.