<Begin Segment 20>

MA: Let's talk then about, you graduated from high school in 1948. And that was a time when you work in the pharmacy, after that. When did you meet your husband?

NM: Let's see, right after he came back from Germany. And, I guess he used to come into the drugstore all the time and sit and have root beer or whatever. But I went to school with his two sisters, his two younger sisters. But I didn't make the connection. [Laughs]

MA: So how did you eventually meet, you two?

NM: Well, he came, he was coming to the drugstore off and on. And then one day, he said, "You wanna go to a movie?" And so I said, "Okay." I wasn't very interested in going out, at all. I was more interested in going to Obon practice and, and doing Japanese dancing and all that. Classical dancing, I took lessons. So I was more into that, and going out with my girlfriends.

MA: What would you do when you went out with your girlfriends? Did you go to the movies?

NM: Oh, we went everywhere. To the park, to Elitches, to the movies. And, and they had their brothers too, and they would come along, and we had a good time. We would just walk around and then when we got married, it just kind of went our own way.

MA: And when did you, when did you get married?

NM: 1950. December.

MA: And at that point, you moved out to the east side, you said to the east side.

NM: No, we lived in an apartment not too far from where I lived. But, when we got married, my side didn't approve it, so they didn't speak to me for a whole year. I said this is going to be hurting someone. [Laughs]

MA: Why didn't they approve of the marriage?

NM: I don't know. They thought I was just too young, I guess. And my brother was in the service. He was in the Korean War, he was gone. My uncle was in the Korean War, he was gone. So I was at the house, kind of supporting the grandparents and all that.

MA: And so your brother, when did he enter the army? Was it right after World War II?

NM: No, when the Korean War broke out, I think. And, see he, he was gonna go, they were gonna join the service, my cousin that got killed in the Korean War, they were gonna join at the same time. But my brother decided, well, he better stay and help the family, so he didn't go. But I think he must, I don't know if he was drafted, or if he enlisted.

MA: Did he talk to you about his experiences in the war?

NM: No, he went to Germany. See, my cousin went to Korea. And he went to Germany.

MA: So your brother spent his time --

NM: In Germany, right. Forgot about that. And naturally there was no war going on over there, right. I guess a lot of U.S. servicemen were stationed in different countries.

<End Segment 20> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.