<Begin Segment 20>

TI: And so you come back to the United States, and what was that like? Where did you go?

TT: Well, the group I was with that was going home, we went up to Bremerhaven and caught the ship called the Rosen Victory. And we landed in New York, it took us ten days. In fact, that was the same ship on the next trip that went to Europe, picked up the 442, and they brought back the colors. And later on, it was renamed the U.S.S. Munemori.

TI: That's interesting.

TT: You know, the Congressional Medal of Honor...

TI: Yes, uh-huh. You know, I'm curious. When you were with the paratroopers, did you ever hear about the 442 and what they were doing and their activity?

TT: Well, I was corresponding with a few guys, so I knew where they were, more or less.

TI: But how about, like, through the Stars and Stripes or Yank or through word of mouth? Did you hear...

TT: No. In fact... no, not really. I didn't know much. In fact, I didn't even know where my brother was. Well, I found out afterwards, he told me when the war ended, he was sitting in Czechoslovakia. [Laughs]

TI: That's interesting. So you're back in the United States, and then what happens next?

TT: Oh, I'm on my way home. [Laughs]

TI: And where's home at this point?

TT: Huh?

TI: Where would home be? Because did your parents come back to Seattle?

TT: Yeah. I'll tell you, I got on a troop train, started across the country. 'Cause I was gonna get discharged at Fort Lewis. But then all the guys I was with, they were happy to be going home, this one guy says, oh, the family's having a party for him and stuff. In fact, there was one guy says he was from, I think it was Youngstown or somewhere in Ohio. His dad had a big auto agency, so he says, well, he's going to get a new car and going to work for Dad. So going home, the guy says, "Oh, aren't you happy to be going home?" I said, "Yeah, yeah, yeah." Hell, I didn't even know where I was going. Because last I heard from my parents was they were headed back to Seattle. So where they were staying, I didn't have any idea. What they said was maybe they'll stay a short while at the parsonage at JBC, Japanese Baptist Church, and go on, keep going. So when I got to Fort Lewis, "Now what?" I took a bus to Seattle, got off the bus, I said, "Well, where shall I go now?" [Laughs] So I thought, well, maybe I'll try the Baptist Church. So I got on a taxi and went up there, got out, went to the church, tried it, door was locked. Now what? So I thought, well, maybe I'll go next door and maybe they'll know where the minister or somebody is. I went knocking on the door and this Japanese lady come out. I told 'em who I was and that I was looking for my parents. And it happened that was Mrs. Homma. I don't know if you know her. She was the daughter of Reverend Homma -- I mean, Reverend Wada.

TI: Is that Mutsu Homma?

TT: Yeah, Mutsu Homma.

TI: Okay, yeah, I know Mutsu.

TT: [Laughs] So she told her dad who I was. Well, they knew my parents. So Reverend Wada took me to where my parents were staying. They were living in an apartment on East, Fourteenth and East Fir. That apartment building is gone now, but I carried a duffel bag and went down there. When I got there, my dad was out working, I guess, or someplace, but my mother was home.

TI: And what was the reaction of your parents when they saw you?

TT: [Laughs] Well, you know, Japanese, they're not that emotional. Not like the Niseis or Sanseis. I'm sure they were happy.

TI: How did you feel seeing them again?

TT: Huh?

TI: How about you? How did you feel seeing your parents?

TT: Oh, happy to be home, I guess.

TI: And at this point, was your brother, your brother was still in the, in Czechoslovakia?

TT: Yeah. So I wrote him to let him know where we were staying. Actually, from there, we moved to another place, so I let him know, so he had no problem.

TI: And so how had Seattle changed after these years? After you came back, did it seem different?

TT: The city itself hasn't changed. 'Cause, you know, during the war there was, no new buildings went up or anything.

TI: But how about the community? How had the community changed, the Japanese community?

TT: Well, I guess the first part, they were more concentrated in this area.

TI: Okay.

<End Segment 20> - Copyright © 2009 Densho. All Rights Reserved.