<Begin Segment 32>

TI: When, when you, you mentioned the bombing of the, of Hiroshima, the atomic bomb, I mean, what did you think when you heard about that? Because when you heard about the, initially the stories from the Japanese about this, this tiny matchbox bomb, did you think it was true?

GH: No, I couldn't believe it, no.

TI: And so then later on when you heard about the atomic bomb...

GH: Well, it was very difficult for me to visualize, a small bomb like that could destroy a city was beyond my comprehension. Yet I knew the person I interrogated was sincere. He was trying to get it across to me, but I just couldn't comprehend.

TI: What I'm surprised about when you talk about the Japanese, the interrogation, I'm surprised how much information you were able to get during these, these interviews. That it seems that especially something like this would be highly classified information from the Japanese side, but they freely gave this, and you said very earnestly.

GH: See, the Japanese have never been trained for secrecy. They thought the Japanese language was, was encoded to begin with, because the language is so complicated. So, and of course, they never thought that the Japanese would become POWs. They were told to, they were never told about the Geneva Convention, they were told to destroy themselves before they were captured. So there was, they had no sense of security. So they all spoke very freely.

TI: That's interesting. So, because, because they weren't trained, in case of capture, they gave up a lot more information than they needed to.

GH: Yeah.

TI: Okay. So, yeah, so going back to your reactions to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, what were you thinking?

GH: Yes, well, when I heard bomb, I said, "Well, my gosh, that's what he was trying to tell me." So I, I got on a jeep and I went to the POW camp, and I looked up the man and I said, "You know, we just dropped the bomb." And he covered his face and he says, "The war must be over." I says, "No, the war isn't over, but I guess it won't be too long." And they all give you false names, they never... and they had a farewell party for me at the POW camp consisting of tea and two crackers. But I made a little speech, and then on my way out, they all lined up and he says, "My true name is such-and-such. If you come to Japan, look me up," or something to that effect. And I wanted to remember this fellow's, the POW who gave me the information, and kept on repeating it on my way back, but when I got back, I lost it.

TI: That's interesting. That's a good story.

<End Segment 32> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.