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AI: Well, so then, after being in Pinedale for a few months, then how did you find out that you were going to be transferred again?

PB: Well, they told us that we would be moving soon, to get ready to go to Tule Lake. And of course, we didn't know what to expect in Tule Lake, but anyhow, I think we were in Pinedale three or four months. But anyhow, we were notified that we were going to go to Tule Lake, so then we got ready and we got on the train again, and we went by some other camp where there were Japanese, I don't know exactly what camp it was, but as we went by, the Japanese came up to the fence and they yelled and waved, and we yelled and waved back from the train. And we finally got to Tule Lake, and of course, there was a welcome committee there. Bunch of Seattle people were there, and a lot of the other people, of course. Any new group that came in, why, they had a welcome committee just to see who was coming in, and we signed in to Tule Lake. And that's when I met these two fellows that were, they were so much taller than the rest of the Japanese, and that was the two fellows that later on, I had so much fun with, because we went, they were in the orchestra, one of 'em was in the orchestra, and he was, well... he led the marches when they had marches, he was what they called a drum major. And they were so much taller, and I thought, "My, those are handsome two men." [Laughs] 'Course, I never thought that I would get to know them so much, later, and one of 'em would become my escort or friend, boyfriend. But it was fun meeting all the different people, because they were people from all over in Tule Lake.

AI: Well, and Tule Lake was quite large. It was one of the larger camps.

PB: Yes, it was huge. You looked around, and all you could see was barracks and more barracks. Then there was a firebreak in between, and, of course, we were at the far end, way down. It seemed like we were in another town, and so far away from the administration area. But I asked to be moved up to the ad area, because I wanted to work in the hospital, since I had worked in Pinedale. So they moved me up to the ad area.

AI: And again, was that you and Jim and Pat were moved up together?

PB: Let's see... you know, that's the funny thing, yes, we did move together, but we were so separated, more or less, in camp. I was busy working in the hospital, my daughter and son are supposed to be going to school and everything, but my daughter was working in the mess hall. She wanted to work in the mess hall, and it was a help because we did get a little pay. We got... oh, I don't know whether it was twelve dollars a month, something like that. Anyhow, minimum wage, and some were getting, I guess the professionals were getting sixteen dollars a month or something. But it was kind of a help, because we didn't have that much money, and with my daughter working in the mess hall it helped, because at least we got a little money that we could spend. Otherwise we didn't have that much money.

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