<Begin Segment 32>

EBA: It, I went, I had another, I took another trip, too, about six years later.

TI: Now, why did you take this second trip?

EBA: 'Cause I wanted to go back again.

TI: Again with your wife?

EBA: Yes, with my wife and just wanted to see it again. And it was interesting when we, we had just pulled up again to the same entrance to the, to the guard station and to the camp and so forth. And up comes the road, this van and following it was a car. And I just referred to this as a gift from God that this happened, that this was happening. They came up and stopped where we were and out from the van and these cars came these Niseis. And I'm sure they wondered what I was doing there, being a hakujin, you know. And so we started talking and told why I was there and my history. And they said, "Oh, Andy, Andy." They knew my father. And one of the -- I don't remember the family's name -- but one of the families had been a part of Japanese Baptist church years ago. They were, had all come up from California. But it was just a great time of picture taking and talking back and forth and we spent quite a while there and then got in the cars and they were gone. It was almost like it was surreal almost, and did this really happen? But it did. These cars coming up and we had this great conversation.

TI: And it was even, do you think that the intimacy of that conversation was because of this shared experience you all had at that place? I mean, was it --

EBA: Absolutely. Yeah, 'cause they, they, I think all but one or two of the families had been in Minidoka. The others had been in Tule Lake or some other place. But yeah, the intimacy of that moment came from sharing stories and there was almost a non-verbal understanding. I mean, you didn't have to use words to explain the connection or what was going on, because we were there.

TI: And how does that make you feel? Does that, to be, sort of part of that, that, in some ways understanding or... so when you see people that were at Minidoka and they know of you and your history, is that a special feeling whenever that happens?

EBA: Oh absolutely, very special. I, it's a warm feeling and it's a feeling of being privileged, I guess, is the best way I can put it, being privileged to have been a part of that, part of history because it was a huge part of history. I mean, it was, I mean, to deny American citizens their rights, that's unprecedented. And to have that influence of my father, even, even spread into the continent of Japan and being recognized by the emperor for his efforts, yeah, I feel very privileged to have been part of that.

TI: And yet the powerful part, these intimate moments of people sort of who shared this common experience.

<End Segment 32> - Copyright © 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.