<Begin Segment 92>

TI: Something else that you received a while back was, because you were incarcerated at Jerome, you were given a, in the late '80s or early '90s, a presidential apology and a check for $20,000.

RM: Yes.

TI: This came from the redress movement.

RM: Yes.

TI: I wanted to ask how you felt about the apology and the money that you received.

RM: Well, I thought that I receive it, I appreciate, but the people that say that we receive it, but that part, I, well, didn't like that. You see, they think they compensate, but actually the anguish... the reason I joined the army was to try to get out and that bad I felt at the time. But anyway, I tell 'em, well, sure, I received, but compared to my anguish it's a drop in the bucket, given $20,000. That much I felt bad. But I felt good that at least some people admit that they made a mistake so we been exonerated.

TI: Well, one of the organizations that worked hard for redress was the JACL.

RM: Yes.

TI: And I just wanted to know how you feel about this organization?

RM: Well, when the war broke out, they recommend that should follow the government order so the people, some, especially Issei didn't like it to be in, abandon their properties and so subsequently they suffer the losses. And then this redress and $20,000 is a drop in the bucket for them. To me, actually, it is not, see. Because mentally I suffer, but I, financially, see, or as a material I didn't suffer that other than, of course, I lost everything, but, well, $20,000 was okay with me. But it's not to the farmers and they lost farm implement and trucks and not only the crop, everything, couldn't even harvest. So they're feeling, probably, so they didn't like the idea what the JACL at the time did it. But now they want to remedy that so work hard to get this reparation, see. So we appreciate that effort there, but at the time, there's some people say "yes" and some people say "no," but eventually they have to follow the government policy, so...

TI: Right, so when you mention some people saying "yes" and some people "no," I guess that leads to another question where the JACL recently offered an apology to the resisters of conscience.

RM: Yes.

TI: And these were men who refused to serve in the military during WWII because of the unfair treatment they received from the U.S. government. And I wanted to ask you about how you felt about that action by the JACL to apologize to these resisters of conscience.

RM: Well, as far as apology, nothing to apologize. But the thing is, they be... what I meant to say was they been excused. They're pardoned of it. So it's the past so no longer pursue this thing. I mean, that's my feeling, so I'm member of the Military Intelligence Association. Several of 'em, including Hawaii and Northern California and also Java and also this, Seattle chapter but Northwest chapter, but other than military personnel, we decided we don't apologize, we pardoned. That's okay. That's the past and forgive 'em; that's, so I have to go by the majority. So, but personally, I risked my life, then why didn't, but therefore, no need to apologize, JACL don't have to. But if they did it's alright, but not my idea to apologize. Nothing to apologize, I mean, as far as the military veterans concerned, among the JACL.

TI: So you feel for the resisters of conscience, there is, there is no need to apologize to them for what happened?

RM: Uh-huh.

TI: But instead, when you say pardoned, you mean, more like to forgive --

RM: Pardon.

TI: -- or pardon for their actions.

RM: Yeah, forgive, but what they did was, well, their own initiative there and we don't have to apologize, I don't think so. That's individual, my opinion, but we took a vote in the board meeting and as far as the MIS Northern Cal concerned, that's not right to... so we don't, and apologize. Nothing to... but some people probably is right to apologize, but what for? But I'm the member of both sides and JACL want to apologize and MIS doesn't want to apologize, but that was a fact and came out and some, especially VFW in Sacramento that's against it.

TI: Okay, good, Roy, thanks.

<End Segment 92> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.