<Begin Segment 22>

AI: Well, you were just saying that perhaps not talking about it, but just quietly and inside, people had some bitter feelings. What were your thoughts about the U.S. government at this point?

AO: I didn't blame solely on the government of this situation, even to this day. And I do feel bitter about the General DeWitt. He was the commanding general of the 4th Army. And I saw in the paper when he passed away that he was not even on the first page, not even on the second page or the third page of the newspaper. It was way in the back and it was a uneventful situation that he demanded that the, all Japs were no good Japs that they should be eliminated, excluded -- not eliminated, but excluded. And he was very anti-Japanese. And there were many of the, even the Chamber of Commerce, they wanted to take away all the wealth of the Japanese that were in business. And I think you probably have read different stories about successful farmers who were booted out of their corporation and when they came back to their farm, have gone so they had to start all over again. And it was political, very political. Even, I believe Chief Justice Earl Warren, at the time, he didn't care about the Japanese. And so there were quite a few high-ranking government officials that I do not respect. You know of Walt Woodward? He sacrificed his newspaper to help the Japanese that put their things on the island. Yes.

AI: Right. Quite an example.

AO: Yes. There were very, very few people of his caliber to stand behind to protect the property of the Japanese.

[Interruption]

AI: Before our break we were talking about some of your experience in Tule Lake, you and your family members. And I wanted to ask you, was your younger brother also involved with the Hokoku Seinendan?

AO: Yes.

AI: He was younger than you were.

AO: Yes, he was about, about maybe two and a half years younger than I was.

AI: But were you together most of the time in the group activities, the training and the schoolwork?

AO: Yes, but he --

AI: With your brother, or separated out because of your age?

AO: I was in one age group in the learning Japanese language and he was in another group. So we were all divided according to our age in the language school.

AI: And then I think you mentioned earlier that each ward had its own group?

AO: Very possible. I'm not really familiar with the different group or organization that was in the camp. I'm only familiar with the ward in which we were living in and that group was the Hokoku Seinendan.

AI: Well, you know, I also wanted to ask you about this time in Tule Lake. I guess it was in 1944, fairly early in 1944 that the administration announced that the Nisei were going to be drafted into the U.S. army. Do you recall hearing about that?

AO: Not particularly. The only time that I had to answer the loyalty question 27, 28 was in Manzanar and so most of the boys who answered "yes-yes" to the questions were definitely, would volunteer for the military.

<End Segment 22> - Copyright © 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.