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TI: I want to move on the reaction of the Japanese American community to your decision, because I've, I've read a lot of the newspapers, the community newspapers, and your decision has been very controversial in the Japanese American community. So what kind of reactions have you personally received from the Japanese American community about your decision?

EW: Well, I'll give you an example. When I went back to Hawaii the other week to speak at a Company K, 442nd. And there weren't many surviving members left, but there was a good number, and a lot of wives and widows and friends. And you know, a lot of the wives and the widows were very supportive, and came out to thank me. And there were about four or five veterans who came out, and were almost tearing, and they were very thankful and supportive. And then there was a good number who, of veterans, who just simply turned and walked the other way after the event and they didn't come up to me at all. And so you're right, the Japanese American community is very split, and I don't know if it stems back from what happened in World War II or if it's just the nature of how people think, and the facts behind this war. A lot of soldiers, or a lot of people just say, "Well, if it's your duty to go, you go." And there's a lot of people who say, "Well, it's not a draft, you volunteered for it." Well, there were people during Vietnam who were saying, "Once your drafted, that's your duty to go." So people change it as a, to fit their beliefs. And the fact of the matter is, it doesn't matter whether you volunteer or that you're drafted, we all take an oath to defend the Constitution, and when we have leaders in government who are betraying their oath and deceiving and betraying the American people, it becomes the responsibility of all Americans, whether you swear an oath or not, to stand up to that and speak out against it, especially when the vast majority of Americans aren't doing so. But going back to the Japanese American community, a lot of them say what I've done is shame them, or that I'm being, I think one Japanese American man said that I was acting like a spoiled brat. [Laughs] But it all, it's, to me, it's not looking at what the issue is, and the issue is of the war. Do you believe the war is wrong, and if you do, what are you doing to put an end to it? Are you just relying on those within government, who are not fulfilling their responsibility?

TI: Okay, good.

<End Segment 26> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.