<Begin Segment 24>

AI: Well, speaking of that busy time, when people were rushing around trying to get ready, I wanted to ask just a little bit before you actually knew, before the actual order came out that you were going to have to leave.

EH: Uh-huh.

AI: I think you had mentioned earlier that at one point it wasn't clear, you didn't know for sure that you were going to have to leave. And in fact, you mentioned that your mother had rented a house so that some friends' families, who lived much closer to the coast --

EH: Uh-huh.

AI: -- could, there was a period where they could so-called "voluntarily" evacuate and voluntarily leave the coast, come further in with the hope that they wouldn't have to completely leave California.

EH: Well, I think... I can't remember when that edict -- you know, there was just a celebration recently, the what? Sixtieth anniversary, and so, see, it's this, this time of the year. It was probably March or April when, when that came out. And I think --

AI: Oh, are you talking about the executive order?

EH: (Yes).

AI: That was... I believe President Roosevelt actually signed the executive order February 19th.

EH: Okay.

AI: But it wasn't until the last day of March, 1942, that's when the Bainbridge Islanders from Washington state were the first group that were forced to leave their homes.

EH: But see, once that order was signed, we knew that it was imminent. There was no escaping. The problem was we didn't know what kind of place. My mother insisted we get jeans 'cause she was sure we were going to be farm laborers somewhere, because immediately, food shortage issues cropped up. And the Japanese farmers were, they were... that was just really pathetic. The farmers just worked until the last minute, long hours -- for instance, strawberries -- so sure they were going to be able to sell their crops. And in Sacramento they, they should have been, except that if you're busy packing and, and you're losing your house, you don't have the equipment anymore or, or the labor. In Sacramento, I think strawberries get ripe in March, and the evacuation wasn't until April or May. But I know that that was very trying. The other thing is it's such an emotional issue, because farmers just really love their fields and fruit orchards, grapevines, and things like that. That was hard coming through from Walerga to Tule Lake. We... the train went through orchard countries of north Cal-, Northern California, and they were weeping. We, we were supposed to have our shades down, but it's hot, and so we gingerly peeked through, and that was, that was hard. But --

AI: Well, tell me, let me --

EH: I think we compared notes among our friends. When we were commuting by bus, for instance, we would, we would get into discussions, particularly those who had brothers in the service. It was a really frustrating time. Some of them thought they were going to be shipped back to Japan for some reason, and I --

AI: Some of the families?

EH: Yes. That, that probably wasn't beyond expectation, depending on what the family did and that kind of thing. Because it was, it was amazing how quickly they took the male community leaders. Mr. Inai, who just owned a grocery store across the street, was taken to the city jail, and it left the wives so desperate. Mrs. Inai didn't know what to do about the store or how she was going to close it. You know, you have produce, products in there that will rot or people will steal or... and so just from her experience, I know how desperate, she had four kids and... little kids, but...

AI: And I, I think you had mentioned earlier also that your mother tried to help some of her customers who were in the outerlying areas and explained to them what the orders were?

EH: Uh-huh. And she wouldn't come back by curfew time, and that was, that was worrisome. I, I think I left the home that I was staying in and decided it's time to leave and pack and, and sort and stuff.

AI: And --

EH: The Garrittys that I lived with were good enough to come up to Tule Lake to, to visit and bring gifts and things. And, and that was hard and emotional, because we couldn't... we still had a fence between us. We couldn't sit together to talk, and it was hot. There was no cover area. But to me that always kind of remained inhuman. We would have... we were so eager to hear about what was happening in Sacramento and, and I would have loved to hear about friends that I knew, the neighbors that I knew around there. He was a dentist. But anyway, that, that was trying when --

AI: Well, let me ask you also -- excuse me, but as you're rushing around getting ready to, to leave, what was happening with your father? Were you able to communicate with him, because wasn't he back in the sanitarium at this point?

EH: (Yes), (yes). We didn't, and I don't know whether my mother did. If, if I were older I think I would have thought to call him long distance. I'm not sure how available a telephone was for him, but, (yes), for my father it was tragic in many ways, 'cause we did very little communicating. I, I, I don't even remember writing. I must have written a letter or two, but we were so preoccupied with what was going on in camp, and...

<End Segment 24> - Copyright © 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.