<Begin Segment 13>

TI: But before we go there, describe where you were on December 7, 1941. I want to understand how you, how you heard about it.

ET: Okay. Actually, you'd never believe it, but I was sketching a battleship at the waterfront. And the radio was going on and said, "Hey, don't you know there's a war going on between Japan and United States?" And I started laughing, "You're looking at a program like Orson Welles-type of a show." And then I finished and went back to see Keith. And Keith was working at the Craftsman Press. And he said, "You know, there's a war going on." I said, "Well, I heard about that, but then I thought that was a joke." "No, it isn't a joke, it's, really is the real thing." And I showed him my sketch, and he said, "Wow." He said, "I'll bet you anything that you're gonna be arrested." I said, "Well, I can't help it, it's done now." So I went back to school and sure enough, they come and took all my drawings away. But really didn't do anything. I was just a student, so, you know, didn't think nothing of it.

TI: Oh, what a coincidence. So you're down at the waterfront sketching a, a battleship.

ET: Battleship, yeah.

TI: And it could have been perceived as you somehow doing some kind of spying or something.

ET: Spying, yeah. Army, yeah.

TI: But they, but they came, and who picked up the drawings? Was it the FBI?

ET: I don't know who did, who came. But the school was waiting for me to come, and I had the sketches with me, and that was the last time I saw. It was nothing more than just sketches of whole area, West Seattle, an the docks, and this battleship was, I think it was kind of worked over, being repaired.

TI: So what kind of discussions did you have with your friends about, about the war with Japan? These are before, you're still in Seattle.

ET: Yeah. Actually, it's just hard to believe that Japan did that. And I think that feeling was very mutual around that time. And, you know, how in the dickens is Japan will win this thing here?

TI: Now, were there some who thought maybe, well, Japan has done really well...

ET: Oh, yeah, there were some that, very dead serious about, says, "This is crazy, but then I have to be realistic and become supporter of Japan." "Well, I don't know about you, but I don't feel that way." It's kind of a, I think it separated us in many ways, and I think we really found ourselves in a position to learn about the whole thing. So we had to go back and just exactly what really brought the thing? There are some of the things that make it so reasonable for Japan to do that. But at the same time, it's a big, big gamble that they took, which is very hard to believe.

<End Segment 13> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.