<Begin Segment 45>

TI: So just the final question for, for this morning is, while you were doing this, at some point, you decided to go back to the United States.

TA: Yes.

TI: And wanted to ask you, why did you decide to go back to the United States, and was that hard for you to leave your family there?

TA: Well, see, by then I, I gained employment at Saga military government, which was close to us in Saga city, which was only about an hour on the train. And I got a job there, and it was Captain Gilpin there. He, we were talking about, "Where you came from," things like that, and he introduced the idea, why don't I go back? He says, he says, "You know, you people can go back," and that's when I decided, "Hey, maybe it would be a good idea to go back." He also indicated that, "You could be a U.S. citizen, you could be employed as a, as a U.S. citizen, and earn American dollars. And so, you know, you people would be better off." So I went home and I talked to my father and mother and discussed it with them, and they agreed thought that was a good idea. Now, the reason my brother didn't go was because he caught pleurisy, and he was ill, and he wasn't able to go. So I was next in line, and I figured that I'll go back and earn some money, send it back. But at the parting word, I remember, "Haji o kakeruna, which means, "Don't bring shame to, to us." And, "Benkyo," he says, "Gakko ni ikunoda." He says, which, "Gakko ni ikunoda." He says, "You go to school." So I promised him that I would go to school, and I would not bring shame to the family. And, and I left.

[Interruption]

TI: Okay, so, so Tom, we're now on our fifth tape, so we're going to continue the interview. Where we left off on the last tape was, you had just, you were in Japan, and you made your decision to return to Japan, and you had talked with your father and he gave you some advice in terms of coming back. So let's, let's pick it up there, and how did you get back to Japan?

TA: How did I --

TA: Or back to the United States?

TA: Back to the United States? Well, before we left Tule Lake, there was an announcement that all minor U.S. citizens will be able to return to the United States, provided that you had some documentation, or some birth, birth records. So we made sure that we went to the office, presented our record, and, with the intention of returning to the United States. And then, when I worked for the military government team, again, like Captain Gilpin said, after learning about my situation, he, he sort of helped me out in filling out the papers, contacting the, a sponsor, my uncle, Uncle Frank, and then arrangements were made to, to, for a ship to return. And that's how I came about returning to United States.

<End Segment 45> - Copyright © 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.