<Begin Segment 11>

TI: Okay, so we're gonna start the second hour. So the first hour we got up, pretty much to the prewar time for you. So let's pick it back up, and where we left it was we had just talked about going to Puyallup. So why don't you describe what Puyallup was like when you got there. What can you remember about Puyallup Assembly Center?

KT: We were in Area A, and I guess that's one of the parking lot. We were kitty corner across from the big stadium lot, and that was Area D, and we were in Area A. I just remember going there, and we were given a cotton bag and told, "There's the haystack, go over there and fill up the cots, mattress." They were, make your deal, I remember doing that. And we had metal cots to put those things on top of. Aside from that, to me, it was a lot of fun. I mean, it was a new experience for me, and it didn't affect my schooling or anything like that, so I kind of enjoyed, I enjoyed the camp. Being inside with all my friends, you know, it was really an enjoyable time for me. We didn't suffer.

TI: So you were eighth grade, so you were, what, about fourteen years old, roughly?

KT: Yeah.

TI: About fourteen. Let me ask you about the family unit. So at this point, who was sort of, what was the family unit? I know your oldest sister was in Japan. But who else was there?

KT: Oh, my oldest brother, sister, myself, and my younger brother, and then my parents.

TI: Okay, so three boys, an older sister, and then your parents.

KT: Yeah.

TI: So there were six of you.

KT: I don't remember when Tosh went into the army, whether he came to Hunt... no, I guess he was in Hunt with us, and then he went into the service, yeah.

TI: Okay, with six of you, how large an apartment or room did you guys have?

KT: Well, when we, I just remember the facilities in Hunt, because we were given the Unit B. The Unit A was for a couple or less than three people. Unit B was five to six people, and Unit C and D were meant to be four people, and Unit E was a replica of Unit B. And then the other unit was a smaller, yeah.

TI: So Unit B and E were the larger units in a barrack.

KT: Yeah. A and the last one was the two small ones, then the two five to six people unit and then a four people unit in the center, yeah.

TI: But so going back to Puyallup, you can't remember kind of your room there?

KT: It was just one great big barrack, and did we have a wood wall between, partition? I think we had a wood partition between units, and that was it. And then the ceiling was open, so you could hear everybody from one end to the other. [Laughs]

TI: So we, you mentioned earlier, you were fourteen, and some aspects were, you said you had a lot of fun. Describe some of the activities. What are some fond or fun memories that you have of Puyallup?

KT: Most of my fun, I guess, would be in Hunt. There were, in Hunt, Idaho, there was seven of us kids that was, our age group were all within two years of each other.

TI: Okay, so we'll get there. Let me go back to Puyallup --

KT: I don't remember too much about Puyallup.

TI: Like the grandstands? Do you ever remember going up to the grandstands or the old amusement park area? Anything like that?

KT: In the Puyallup area, the only thing I remember is my brother, younger brother Mas got sick, and he had to go over to Area D for the medical facilities. So I remember being able to go from Area A to Area D just to go visit him. And aside from that, we weren't allowed to go from one camp site A to B to C or D. It's only your area to Area D which had the medical facility and that was the only back and forth I remember. And only because my brother was in the hospital over there.

TI: Okay.

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