<Begin Segment 8>

TI: Okay, so let's talk about Cleveland. So you decided to go to Cleveland with a buddy, and what do you find in Cleveland?

TO: Well, I think it was, we stayed in a hotel, old hotel, it was on a place called Prospect Street if I recall. And we were working the night shift, and one thing I do remember, there was a maid, this black maid that come and knocked on the door, she didn't realize that we were working the night shift. And so I got up, and I had my pants on but no shirt, and I opened the door and she got very, very upset that I was, I wasn't dressed and I was inviting her in, you know, or something like that. [Laughs] I definitely recall that. I remember it was cold and those sidewalks were really slippery. There was a little Greek restaurant right close by and we'd have most of our meals there. And he was a real, real nice man, he didn't know what was going on, that we were Japanese, but he didn't know who we were, but we paid our, paid our... so he liked us and we liked him. One thing, he always had these hot dogs with lots of chopped raw onions on it and we always enjoyed that.

TI: And were there very many other Japanese in Cleveland?

TO: Yeah, there was some Japanese at that time. I think there was, I think they were just starting a JACL there. I think I might have gone to a meeting, but then I wasn't there long enough to get to know, other than my buddy that was there. Then I got drafted, and that was the end of my stay in Cleveland.

TI: Before we go to that, so what kind of work did you do in Cleveland?

TO: Oh, it was a defense, what they call defense plant that really was a plant that made these collapsible water tanks that they used on the army, or, I guess, out in the fields. They were this heavy canvas, rubberized heavy canvas and we'd cut 'em, cut it and sew 'em together and then that was... I was in the cutting room, so I was cutting this fabric up to a particular pattern with a big, I don't know, power knife, I guess. That's all we did all, all night long, night shift.

TI: So because this was defense work, did you have to get a special clearance?

TO: No, no. Absolutely not, I don't know. It wasn't anything real critical, it was just making these canvas, these collapsible water tanks.

TI: But before you went to Cleveland, did you know that you were going to be working at this plant?

TO: Yes, yes.

TI: Okay, so you had, they had it arranged.

TO: Yeah, I guess so, whatever. I don't recall any particular, having to go through the process of getting clearance.

TI: And before we go to draft, you mentioned a buddy. Do you recall the name of your buddy?

TO: Yeah, it was... hmm, boy, I don't... I know he lives in Spokane and I see him once in a while.

TI: Okay, that's okay. [Laughs]

TO: Norisada, Norisada. John Norisada, I think. It's kind of an unusual name, Norisada.

TI: Norisada.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 2009 Densho. All Rights Reserved.