<Begin Segment 19>

TI: And then you said in April 5th, you left, and then why did you leave Minidoka?

ET: Keith and Nobi's wedding was April 7th.

TI: So how did Keith get out of...

ET: Okay, now, Keith was hired. You know, by that time, everything was so loose, we could go out if you have a school to attend, you make sure that you have enough tuition and so forth. And so I applied, there was, there was this thing in the bulletin, says Gonzaga University wants Japanese to work and go to school at the same time. I applied for it, and I, immediately, I got released. And when I came over, that job was filled already. I should have gone maybe the day I arrived, but then I had to wait 'til, wait couple days for the wedding. I don't know exactly what happened, but I didn't have it.

TI: So that you're here for two reasons, the Gonzaga position, but also the wedding.

ET: Yeah, Gonzaga was the main thing, and then the wedding was the second. And then since that didn't work out, there was another commitment that I kind of made, and I don't know exactly what happened, it was a military thing, and it was never really materialized because of the fact that I was hired on a very high command, MIS. And I was only given first lieutenant ranking.

TI: Before you talk about it, let me explain. So the MIS, the Military Intelligence Service, which was a branch that trained in Japanese language and things like that. And so you were offered a position...

ET: It was offered because they tested me, and this was about the time I arrived at Minidoka, then went to a farm security camp. I can't remember, he was a Nisei captain, and he wrote, he wrote somebody, Hironaka or, yeah. And he said, "We're looking for you because you have passed the test," and things like that. Well, I don't remember taking test, I think it was more of an interview, and made me read a book or something like that, so I didn't have any problems reading that. So, but he was too high command, and there was an age stipulation. You had to be twenty-six and I was only twenty-three.

TI: And the position you were talking about is, was to actually train or teach Japanese to other officers?

ET: Right, yeah. It's more of a, my job was more of finding out the ability of where this person is in a more sufficient language capability or that type of thing.

TI: Okay, so this was different than going to Fort Snelling, where most of the, where the MIS training happened.

ET: Yeah, right, this was different. But we were, we were sent to Snelling, Snelling wasn't there when I first went over there, it was just created during that time. And so when that was finished, of course, my job was already terminated because of the fact that they took my commission and everything, and I become a civilian, because otherwise I couldn't even work there. And so I could regain my commission and then go to Snelling. But I don't know, probably I don't even have any record. I was gonna ask Frank Miyamoto about it, this is the person that I couldn't remember when I was talking to you.

TI: 'Cause you were in Chicago, Frank was in Chicago.

ET: Yeah, Chicago, and, well, actually, I heard about this school. So I went to Chicago, some of the lucky thing that happened was the commanding officer was staying at the same YMCA that I was staying. So he said, "Well, gosh, if you're going to the University of Chicago, why don't you just come with me?" And I didn't realize who he was until I saw the car with the two-star general flag on it.

TI: Oh, so he was a two-star general?

ET: He was a two-star general, and he was the head, head person. And Frank was working for him. Well, Frank was in a completely separate, he was a doctor, Frank Miyamoto.

TI: He was a sociology...

ET: Yeah, but then he also was the head of that school, too. Military-wise, this guy, I don't even remember him, but...

TI: And so how long did you -- well, you mentioned earlier that there was something with, about the commission, so you were too young to be commissioned as a officer at that point. So, so what happened? Did you --

ET: Well, so I spent about a month doing some delivery work, like a test material to different schools and that type of thing. And then I went to Fort Snelling, and then when I came back, I was pretty well discharged from duty, and so I was free to go to, back to military. And so I did, but then I never really got a call. So I figured, well, by the following year, we're losing all kinds of people, and some of my own friends were killed in Europe. And it was a crazy time and I thought, "Wow, I think I should do my part in the volunteer, 442." So I did volunteer, but really never got called after that. So in a way, there were about eighteen of us in Spokane same way. Just overlooked, I guess.

TI: It sounds like, yeah, you almost, the term "fell through the cracks." That probably because there might have been some confusion with your paperwork, because based on your training, I'm pretty sure the MIS would have wanted you really, really fast.

ET: Oh, yeah. In fact, after that, war was over. Then still they came after me.

TI: Yeah, so I think your records might have been sort of --

ET: Yeah, so record was there.

TI: -- misplaced or something.

ET: Only thing was by then I was married, so, and it was the first wife.

<End Segment 19> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.