<Begin Segment 11>

TI: Okay, so let's talk about that. Let me do this more chronologically. So let's first talk about December 7, 1941. How did you hear about the bombing of Pearl Harbor?

MO: I was watching, in fact, radio, they announced it on the radio. "This morning at teiko fujikugun, rikukaigun, shinjiwai itte," they bombed so many warships, and that's what I heard over the radio. And I was saying, "Oh, no, what's going to happen to my family? Because that's very dangerous for.... Japanese bombers went to Hawaii to bomb. And they said, "Seikan gekichin, juuyokan gekichin." That means, "gekichin" means to, sank. So they kept on announcing it, and they would repeat and then the national anthem would play and everybody in Japan was so proud to hear all that. I still remember that very distinctly, I was watching that.

TI: And while people in Japan were really proud when they heard this, how were you feeling?

MO: I felt terrible. I felt terrible because I said, "Now, what's going to happen to my family in Hawaii?" My brother Akira and my mother was all by herself teaching school. So I was starting to worry about them. And sure enough, they, my mother was taken and interned right away because she was a teacher and she knew, she worked, supported the Japanese consulate. So she was on the blacklist.

TI: And so your mother was picked up by the FBI or somebody?

MO: Exactly.

TI: And actually interned on the mainland, so she went from Hawaii to... Texas?

MO: Texas, Crystal City.

TI: But, of course, how did you find out that your mother...

MO: Well, one day on the Red Cross newsletter, I mean, the Japanese newspaper mentioned that all the Isseis and Niseis in America were... what did, we used the word... they were not captured, but there's one word that they used. And then they named people who were, the government took over. Not kidnapped, but...

TI: Well, I guess, imprisoned or...

MO: Yes, uh-huh, something like that. And then, sure enough, I got a... in fact, I have a copy of that. But the Red Cross, according to the Red Cross, there were so many people taken by the American government, and then my mother's name was listed. And so I said, "Oh, no, what can I do now? So it was really worrying me for a while. Then the Red Cross sent me a news report that your mother is, "Ha ha buji, shinpai suru na." "Don't worry, she is well." "She is safe." That's the first time I ever, such a relief to hear that, to get that Red Cross newsletter, Red Cross report.

TI: And before you received that Red Cross report, what did people think was going to happen to these...

MO: Well, nobody knew what had happened. Maybe they were kidnapped, or they were gonna be killed or something, shot to death. Because they were hearing about Adolf Hitler being, shooting people. So we thought about the same situation, my mother, too. And then my brother called and he said he heard that she was in the camp, so he went to visit her, and she's fine. So I got the news from my brother.

TI: And this was during the war? Your brother...

MO: War had just started.

TI: So he was able to get you a letter or something?

MO: That's right. In fact, as I said, I have a copy of that.

TI: Well, so while we're talking about your family, so your mother was interned at Crystal City, which was kind of a family Department of Justice Camp. Talk about your brother. What happened to your brother during the war?

MO: Well, I think he was taken, but... no, he was going to the University of Hawaii, and then I think they were called. And I'm not sure exactly, but that place was very good to me.

TI: Okay. I think what I've read is, so your brother, Akira, later on, joined the army, U.S. Army.

MO: Yes, uh-huh.

TI: And was part of the Military Intelligence Service, the MIS, to help interpret or translate documents.

MO: Well, he didn't, I didn't think he translated, but I don't know exactly what he did. I think he said he went to Okinawa, he was sent to Okinawa to do some research over there.

<End Segment 11> - Copyright ©2009 Densho. All Rights Reserved.