<Begin Segment 35>

TI: Okay, so let's go. So now you're back in Tacoma, the government puts not only travel restrictions but curfews are in effect for Japanese and Japanese Americans, Shizuko's living in Seattle and you're living in Tacoma, and now you realize that people are going to be removed from both Seattle and Tacoma. So then what happens?

HH: Well, what happened was that she somehow, I don't know whether, who brought her out to Tacoma, but... that's right. She did come on the bus.

TI: So she got a pass or something to go from Seattle...

HH: Just before the five miles was imposed, but then I brought her back.

TI: Well, wait a second. So she came to Tacoma from Seattle on the bus, and what, why did she come to Tacoma?

HH: Because she thought that maybe if we're -- by that time, you see, Puyallup, "Camp Harmony," Puyallup, they were already, I think some of the Seattle people had moved in there, but before that, the Fife people were already occupying that area. And so, but it wasn't all complete yet, but when they announced that there's going to be a camp for the, established in Puyallup there, that there would be possibly, we might not be going to the same camp. But we thought that surely Tacoma would be in there, because they were building in the parking area some additional barracks. But she decided that maybe it would be better for her to be in Tacoma with me, but I did bring her back because I was still able to drive her over.

TI: But why did you bring her back? Why didn't you...

HH: Because, well, we weren't married yet, and, you know, I said, "No, no. Don't worry, we'll all go to the same place as Seattle."

TI: Okay, so I understand. So she came because she was worried that the two of you might be split up, but you said, "Well, the Seattle and Tacoma people will all probably go to 'Camp Harmony,' in Puyallup, so we'll just meet there," is what you said. So you decided to bring her back to Seattle.

HH: Yes.

TI: And then what happened?

HH: Well, she went back into the house after I parked there, and I was waiting for her because I figured, well, I brought her back, but she was in there a short while, so I thought maybe I better go in and find out what's happening.

TI: No, I'm sorry. So why were you waiting for her?

HH: Because I said I'm going to bring her back, and so I didn't go in, I just figured that, I just said, well, okay, I'm going to leave, but she didn't come out.

TI: So she didn't really come back to say goodbye yet, so you were kind of waiting for her or something.

HH: Yes. But all these years, I didn't know why, or how she made the decision to not stay in Seattle, and she told me, "My father," just not too long ago, finally she said, "My father told me to go to Tacoma."

TI: Because when she went back --

HH: Go with me back. So I brought her back. [Laughs]

TI: Because she came out of the door with her suitcase?

HH: Yes. So she was packing up a few things.

TI: And so she came out with her suitcase, and what was your reaction when you saw that?

HH: Well, I was... but nobody else came out, father, nobody. She just came out by herself and said, "I'm going back with you."

TI: Well, so were you a little surprised?

HH: Yes, I was surprised, but I said, "Okay," so I drove her back with me.

TI: And so she decided that she was going to be with you. That she wasn't going to trust that you would sort of connect...

HH: Until we do get evacuated. As it happened, that's what happened. And so by April, which is the date that, April 4, 1942, is that we decided to get married because we found out, we didn't know exactly where we were going. But we were not sure yet, even at that time, that we'll be going into...

TI: Oh, so that's a good story. So it's kind of interesting, so behind all this was your father-in-law. Her father said it was, that she needed to go and be with you, and so she first came down, took a bus, you convinced her and took her back, and then she got her --

HH: Not the bus, but my car.

TI: Your car, you drove her back, and then she got her suitcase and just came back out and said she was going to go with you. And then you went back to Tacoma...

HH: Stayed with me until...

<End Segment 35> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.