<Begin Segment 7>

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

TI: So let's move from Puyallup to Minidoka and talk about that.

SA: Okay. That was (...) by train. So the funny thing about it was, you couldn't put a lock on the toilet doors because you had to have entry, (and) we went into the trains along with soldiers. So (it was an ordeal), we were so crowded, only the very ill could get the bunks in the back, not bunks, but you know where you have rail cars with suites. So the rest of us (had to sit up) and these were older trains. They were always derailed for the military (because the military) went first. So (we) had all the shades drawn. I don't know the object of that, but I know a little child in one of (the seats) was quoted (as) saying he thought we were going to the moon because at night he could (see) the moon. And I thought, "That is so sad to hear." And like they thought, when we got to Minidoka, (the little children) wanted to get back to America and they thought they were in Japan because (everyone's) Japanese.

TI: That's what this little child felt.

SA: Yeah, this little child thought, said, "I want to go home, I want to go to America."

TI: So did people know where you were going?

SA: No one knew. This is it, I have to hand it to the Japanese for being so disciplined. I'm sure they were, internally (upset), especially the older Isseis, were worried and were anxious, (and) nobody knew (what) the future (held). Nobody knew where were going. And so it's an amazing thing that we traveled as well as we did (without quarrels). The guards were actually in the aisles sometimes. And you've got (...) the toilets jammed because there's too many people. It was a terrible thing for those who were not well, and I keep thinking about the women who were pregnant. I don't know how they handled it.

TI: And so generally, what was the mood during...

SA: Well, I think it was (depressively) heavy. We were all sitting with our parents at the beginning, but we were talking to our friends and yelling, so it was a lot of noise, a lot of confusion, and there was tension always because the soldiers were there. And I think the greatest thing was the lack of privacy and the fact that you knew that the toilets were jammed, and what are you going to do? And trying to step over people to get there, I think the immediate concerns were our biggest worries.

TI: And how long was that train ride?

SA: I thought it was at least (...) a couple of nights, but I could be wrong on the timing.

TI: So let's go to...

SA: But we're sitting up (all that time), you know.

<End Segment 7> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.