<Begin Segment 17>

BF: So now back to the period following the bombing, there's a bit of a, a few months go by, and then the evacuation orders.

AS: Right.

BF: You talked about that. Now, do you remember there, do you remember witnessing anything directly or indirectly on the, during that period where people were being removed...

AS: Yeah, being evacuated?

BF: ...do you notice a change?

AS: Well, the, I do remember this one Japanese American store that was in our, on Cherry Street was suddenly gone, or closed up. There was a Japanese restaurant across the street from my father's store on First Avenue, and I remember it because of the music that kind of blared out, and it was the same song over and over again. It was a Japanese, I suspect a popular song. And all of a sudden, it was quiet. And then I realized, well, they, they had to leave. And my brother Sydney had, has a lot more memories about seeing people being evacuated than I did.

BF: Was it something ever talked about in the Jewish community? Do you remember your parents, or was it sort of in church, sort of mentioning, "Oh... it's happening."

AS: You know, I really don't remember, because... okay, I was married in June. Was it, I can't remember how many months it was.

BF: Well, it sort of happened at different times...

AS: Different times?

BF: ...sort of depending upon what area...

AS: Oh, is that right?

BF: ...you were in. Bainbridge Island went first, I'm not sure what timeframe would be the neighborhood sort of closest to that area.

AS: Yeah.

BF: But there was a, there was a period of delay after the bombing when people were given options of moving inland, and then they decided, "Nope, nope, nope, that's..."

AS: That option is gone.

BF: But you, but you were probably pretty occupied at the university.

AS: Well, I was, yeah, yeah. And so I really, except for what I observed close to me, I wasn't aware of others, but I knew they were, had to leave, and, of course, there were pictures and stories in the newspapers, so I knew what was --

BF: Now, do you, do you remember how you felt when you heard? You said that you felt that it...

AS: It was wrong. I was angry. I was angry at the government, the president, and I was just very angry because it was so wrong. I just couldn't... I mean, it was, for a democracy, this was just unbelievable. So, yeah, I thought it was just horrible.

<End Segment 17> - Copyright © 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.