<Begin Segment 7>

DM: So how did your family prepare to leave camp once you had found that you were going to be evicted?

BS: I guess the first sign was that people from the metropolitan area had to leave. And so we had a lot of friends in Alameda, Oakland, and the only people that, the only friends that they could rely on were us country people. So my dad did invite all of his friends that can, that we could house in our little home, to vacate their place to come. So that was the first move that the Japanese, like for instance, in Alameda or San Francisco or Oakland, close to the bay, had to leave. And so that was one indication that total evacuation could be happening.

DM: And did, in the cities, oftentimes, you would see the pictures of the notices posted up on telephone poles. How was it out in the country?

BS: We didn't see that out in the country. Well, I didn't, anyway.

DM: So how did the, the officials actually notify that you had to leave?

BS: Well, my brother was heavily involved, and so he would advise us and we would, at that time, the newspaper that he would have thrown on our driveway was the Oakland Tribune. So that, that's how we kept abreast of what was going on. And you know, that one thing that I, that one question I wished that Harry was still here where I could talk to him about it. But when, when we as a family knew that we had to leave, I don't quite know. Because we relied on my late brother Harry to advise us what was going on, and he's the one that really told us, certain date we're gonna have to leave.

DM: Yeah, he was the oldest son.

BS: Yes.

DM: Probably spoke better English than your father.

BS: Oh, yes.

DM: Now, as a farm family, did you have things that would be considered contraband, and were they ever confiscated?

BS: No. That was one fortunate thing, that you know, if my father was a leader in the Nihonjinkai or the Buddhist church, the FBI would be right there. Lot of my friends' parents who were leaders in the community were really crucified. And, but no, as far as I can remember, I remember the sheriff coming to the house and they were friendly, wanted to see whether we had any two-way radios or anything of that nature, but that was it.

DM: Oh, so your family actually in some way benefited from being a very humble farming family.

BS: Yes, yes.

DM: You didn't have any rifles or dynamite or anything like that?

BS: No, no.

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