<Begin Segment 39>

TI: So after the war crimes, your stint doing the war crimes trials, how long did that last?

GH: I went there in November of '47, and I returned in May of '51. Now, in response to your question, I think it went for about three years. The other two years I worked with the attorney on certain investigation, as well as I served on the parole board. So when I served on the parole board, I said to myself, "My gosh, I interrogated him, apprehended him, took him to trial and here I'm sitting on the parole board." I knew it was full circle, and it was time for me to take advantage of the GI bill. So I had to come back by June of '51 to take advantage.

TI: When I'm... I'm curious, while you were living in Japan during this time right after the war, what was Japan like?

GH: Oh, it was, it was terrible. I did visit Hiroshima, and it was just flat. I, I recall it was on one of my investigations at, in Kyushu Imperial University, on the way back I dropped in on Hiroshima, and I asked for a tour. And there was a jeep driver took me around, and then all of a sudden he stopped, and I looked and he has his eyes closed, and I said, "What happened? Are you feeling all right?" He said, "This is where my family perished." Yeah.

TI: It must have been very difficult.

GH: Yeah.

TI: Were you able to connect with your family while you were in Japan?

GH: Yes, yes, uh-huh.

TI: And what was that like?

GH: Oh, it was, they greeted me, and my elementary school students came in, we had a party, my high school students, they, I've been back there about four or five times after the war, and each time, they used that as an excuse to get together. And last time when I took my two daughters to Japan, they gave me a big welcome party at a hot spring.

TI: Now, did you ever share with them the work you did or the fighting with the United States Army and that time?

GH: A little bit, yeah, because I've been interviewed by a graduate of my high school.

TI: Oh, so they interviewed you in Japanese, for the Japanese, for a Japanese project?

GH: Yeah.

TI: That's interesting. How about your, like, your wife's family? Did you also...

GH: Yes, uh-huh.

TI: And so how were, what's their reaction? Were they sort of surprised to see sort of Japanese Americans there?

GH: I'm sure there was, quite a few of 'em were quite surprised. But I think they were, many of 'em were very appreciative to the fact that there were Japanese Americans who knew the culture, knew the language and the customs, and I think the MISers served as a good bridge between the U.S. and Japan.

<End Segment 39> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.