<Begin Segment 25>

TI: But before we go there, because I'm trying to make this linkage, when you were a young boy, you lived in Japan for two and a half, three years...

HH: Yes.

TI: ...in a location not too far from where this survey was being taken. A little further, I think, a little further south?

HH: You mean from Hiroshima?

TI: From Hiroshima.

HH: Yes.

TI: And so while you were down there, did you get an opportunity to go back and visit where you spent some time as a boy?

HH: Yes, I did get an opportunity, but it wasn't planned because I was on duty to go down to Hiroshima. But I knew where my parents' family and relations were, not too far, but I had to take a train to go to that area, because it's on an island called Oshima. And so at the time that I was supposed to leave with a group from Hiroshima that I was with, this sergeant was in charge of our group because he said, "Why don't you," after I told him where my grandmother and the rest of my wife's family... but down there is mostly my family, that I have an aunt and grandmother on my mother's side on that island. And also my father's family was just on the same island.

TI: Oshima.

HH: Oshima. And so he says, "Well," he says, "I'm going to tell the headquarters that I'm going to have you help me dispose of all the equipment and everything else, jeeps and whatever, and bedding and whatever, supplies, that I'm going have you help me." So he's not going to come back with the others on the train, and he said, "Then you could go down," he didn't know that I was going to stay, maybe just a day just to go down and take another train back to Tokyo. Because I had to go south and then had to go north to go back to Tokyo. Well, so I was able to go there.

TI: So this sergeant was being really nice, he was doing you a big favor by saying...

HH: Yes, yes, he knew.

TI: "So everyone else goes back on the train, so they'll go back to Tokyo right away, but I'll just say that you're helping me so that you'll have an extra couple days or so before you're expected back at Tokyo, which will give you the time to go visit your family."

HH: Yes.

TI: Okay, so then, so you go down.

HH: Anyway, it was to get into Oshima...

TI: Before you go there, I'm thinking a lot of families in Japan during this period after the war, there's rationing and they didn't have very many things. I'm thinking, did you bring them anything from the army or anything?

HH: Oh, yes. We had to return all these equipment and everything else, blankets and whatever. Anyway, this sergeant says, "We have some food, canned food, army canned food, things like that. Why don't you take some of these things?" Also we had cigarettes and candy and things like that. So I was able to take that with me, but before I can get on the train, I had injured my shoulder while I was up in the Okayama area just before I went to Hiroshima. So I had my right shoulder dislocated, I think. And so I had the arm in a sling, and I had to carry my things that I could bring over as presents or whatever, I couldn't haul it. So at the station in Hiroshima, I saw a group of young men playing around by the station there, and so I asked them, "Can you help me take this onto the train? Load it on for me?" They said, "Okay," I gave 'em cigarettes and candy. Anyway, when I got to there, the station... but before that, they said, "We'll go and help you unload it," go on the same train with me.

TI: I'm sorry, these young men?

HH: Yes.

TI: So the young men not only were going to unload the jeep, or get your stuff on the train, they were going to stay on the train with you, they said?

HH: Yes, so that, because I told them I had to go to Oshima. They knew that I had to go on a ferryboat, there was no bridge at the time. So they said they would help me, so okay, so I had them go -- it wasn't that far, really, but I think it took an hour or so on the train. And then when I got there, I saw the ship, the ferry, and so they said, "Well, we'll help you load it and unload it," going with us. These are small boats, ferryboats, but they also...

TI: So they went onto the ferryboat, too, and they went across.

HH: Yes, and they unloaded it for me. Because I didn't know, but it was getting dark by that time, and I was worried about what kind of transportation I'll have, bus or streetcar or what, I didn't know. Anyway, I also gave them some more little goodies, and they took it over and then they left me over there and they went back with the ferryboat. And then when I got over there, this is a town on the other side where the ferryboat lands. Anyway, it was almost getting dark because they don't have streetlights or anything like that. And so I had to go into one of the places over there to see if there's an inn or something like that that I could stay. And they said yes, there are, but then I said, "Is there a way that I can, bus or something, train or whatever, because this is on the other end of this island, and I have luggage and everything else." He says, "Yes, there's a taxi that you could, maybe if you could locate." So I asked this person, "Can you help me locate it?" Pretty soon, here comes an old Chevrolet charcoal-burning taxi, Chevrolet car, sedan car, it was equipped with charcoal, and that's how I was able to go into my mother's area first, little village. And it was already dark, but the only light I could see was a little vegetable stand which had one light on. And I inquired there where my uncle's place is, and it was just up the street, the same street. So I went, I left all my stuff there and I walked up there, and I found the house and I knocked on the door and my uncle came. And here I'm in uniform and everything else, but the first thing I asked is, I'm from Seattle, he knew who I was after I introduced myself. And I asked how my, I wanted to see my grandmother. And he said, well, unfortunately, she had passed away a year before, so I stayed with them and then I had the kids go down and pick up all my things and I stayed with them.

TI: So they must have been somewhat surprised to see you.

HH: Yes. And that was Christmas Eve, and then I stayed, not realizing... I knew I had to go back to Tokyo, because by that time, my sergeant would be already going back. But a day or so I thought may be okay. So I stayed there, and before I knew it, I had stayed until New Year's Eve. And they said, "Why don't you stay for New Year's?" And I said, "No, I got to get back to Tokyo." And so I left on New Year's Eve, and so I was actually AWOL, because I didn't have permission. So when I got back into Tokyo...

<End Segment 25> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.