<Begin Segment 3>

[Ed. note: This transcript has been edited by the narrator]

TI: So, let's, let's go back to the trip to Puyallup now.

SA: Okay (...). Anyway, we boarded (and followed) the instructional sheets, as you know, that went up on the wall, on the telephone poles and on the sides of the houses, where we should meet and the time (...). So we went down, we walked there with our suitcases. Actually, I think some of them, the heavier (bags) were picked up by truck, I think. Because we certainly didn't board with (them) in our hands, so it could be they were picked up prior to that (...). By then we were registered and we had our (family) numbers, and they were (pinned) on us like (...) little children. Some (children wore tags) with the family number because we (could lose the youngest ones). And then what happened, actually, as (I) watched my mother through all this time, and it's really to her credit, she (...) was quite stoic throughout this whole (time).

And when we got to Puyallup, (...) we were vaccinated (and had) our typhoid shots. (I was) impressed (that) there were two Caucasian (doctors in charge). And because we were under the army (command), as you know, it was (doctors from) the United States Public Health Department. One Caucasian from Washington (and) one from Tacoma. The one from Seattle was Dr. Thorburn McGowan, and he was a young doctor. And to my amazement, (after the war ended and) I returned (and saw him, Dr. McGowan) never mentioned it, and I never even knew (he was the camp doctor) 'til years later. (...) He knew all about the evacuation, (and) he never mentioned it. (When I) came back after the war, and (...) walked up to the United States Public Health Hospital, which was the Marine Hospital. (I was) assigned (...) to surgery, and I thought, my goodness. I didn't have any specialty, (but) I reported up there, and (Dr. McGowan) was the chief surgeon. He never mentioned (the evacuation), but he was unusually kind to me, (and) I wondered why. Because when my father had an operation (at Providence Hospital) and he didn't wake up from the anesthesia, they called from Providence (Hospital's OR), Dr. McGowan said, "I'm going with you." And I said, "They may not allow you to go into surgery." And he said nonetheless, he's coming with me. And so we went, and he actually told them to give my father picrotoxin (a stimulant drug), and you know, he pulled the (intubation) tube out (to awaken him). (He saved my dad).

TI: So this was an interesting connection. So this was a surgeon that you worked with after the war.

SA: Yes.

TI: When you were a nurse you worked with him, and you found out later that he was the same doctor --

SA: Found out much later, it was...

TI: -- who was overseeing the vaccinations at Puyallup.

SA: Isn't that an amazing thing? And I didn't know that 'til after he retired and I was looking at (...) the Puyallup Assembly Center letter, and there it was, Dr. Thorburn McGowan, he was (the same) public health (doctor who oversaw the initial vaccinations at "Camp Harmony.")

TI: And he never talked about it?

SA: He never once mentioned it, but he always had me scrub with him, and he's the chief surgeon, you know. And I was amazed, 'cause I was new, and yet, for every visiting consultant or anything, he'd always say, "Step up here, little lady," 'cause I'm too short for the (surgical table), and they always had to kick in a stool for me to stand on. And I always had him, and he always looked for me. And I thought, "How strange."

TI: That's an interesting story.

<End Segment 3> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.