<Begin Segment 8>

MN: The "loyalty questionnaire" was distributed in Topaz, wasn't it?

HM: Yes.

MN: How did you answer the questions 27 and 28?

HM: "No-no." They asked if I was willing to serve in the armed forces of the States. Willing to swear allegiance to the States. Question 27 and 28. Those are the questions. I answered "no-no." Willing to serve in the U.S. armed forces and willing to swear allegiance to the States. I said no-no to serving in the U.S. armed forces. I said I was not willing to swear allegiance to the States. Then Takeshi. Tsutomu was interviewed by FBI. As I said, they questioned if I would be willing to swear allegiance to the States and fight against Japanese soldiers if the Japanese army lands on the U.S. soil. I said "no-no." Takeshi said "no-no" too. We said we would not fight. Tsutomu said the same.

MN: Then Takeshi --

HM: Back then, they had this question and asked us if we would do anything if that was the order from the emperor. We said we would. Takeshi was questioned by FBI, FBI questioned Takeshi. They asked him if he would fight against the U.S. with the Japanese army if ordered by the emperor. Takeshi said, "I would kill you and do anything if ordered by the Emperor." If the Japanese army came. He would fight for Japan. He said that's what he would do. Takeshi did, he said, "I would kill you if ordered by the emperor." [Laughs] I remember that. Your father Nakagawa was like that too. He said he would do anything if ordered by the emperor. After a while, FBI came and put a blanket over those people. They sent those people to Leupp by train. Your father too. If ordered by the emperor. One of my friends said he would blow up Bay Bridge in San Francisco if ordered by the emperor. He said he would bring airplanes. He would blow up Bay Bridge in San Francisco. He said, "I would kill you too." [Laughs] They were rounded up, and a group of fifteen or thirteen people was sent away. Including your father. After a while, those who were disloyal were sent to Tule Lake from Topaz. To the camp there. Then your father left the group and came back to Tule Lake.

MN: Takeshi came back too, right?

HM: Yes, he did. You father too. They left the group behind. Left the camp. They went to Tule Lake. There was a church there. We went to United Church there. Then Miyoko's father came to the church too. That where we met each other. We became friends and hang out with each other. We were sent there. I went to church there. We both went to United Church. Then, I left United Church, and started to go to Seventh-day Adventist Church. That's how we got separated from each other. We terminated our friendship. I didn't know what he was thinking. He told me not to go to Seventh-day Adventist Church. [Inaudible] He told me to forget about the religion. We had a fight and broke up with each other. [Laughs] We didn't see each other because I stopped going the church. We had a fight.

MN: Going back to Topaz again, you had questions about the emperor and so on. His orders and --

HM: In Topaz, right?

MN: Yes, in Topaz. Those who answered "no-no" were questioned individually, didn't they?

HM: Yes, individually.

MN: Who was questioning you, was it FBI or WRA?

HM: It was probably FBI, I guess. I don't know. The investigator was a white guy. A man.

MN: How many white people were there in the room?

HM: How many?

MN: When you were questioned.

HM: No, no. That was one at a time.

MN: One at a time...

HM: We were called in.

MN: How many people questioned you?

HM: One person. One white man. We went to a room one at a time. One by one.

MN: Were they all Kibei Nisei who were questioned?

HM: I don't know. Well, I don't know. Most of them were Kibei Nisei, I guess. There were no Nisei. They were Kibei Nisei.

MN: Was that when Takeshi said, "I would kill you," and so on?

HM: Yes.

MN: Then they put a blanket over him and took him away to Leupp?

HM: Takeshi liked music. There was a music school there in Topaz. He was attending the school. Then, FBI came over and put a blanket over him. They tied him up, took him to a train, put him on the train and sent him away to Leupp. That happened to your father too. Got covered with a blanket. [Laughs] Taken away. They came without notice, and we didn't know where he was taken to. They put him on the train, and he went to a separate camp in Leupp.

We went to the camp, and there were all men. No women at all. All Japanese American, only men. [Inaudible] Fifteen people or so? That is where we were sent. Only men. Even during daytime there, American military policemen, soldiers, were there. It was a prison with barbed wire, and we couldn't go out. American soldiers were on guard on shifts around the clock. They were carrying guns because we were viewed dangerous. Taking shifts, even at night, carrying guns. There were walking around. Because we were dangerous. That was something else.

MN: How did you feel when you saw that?

HM: What?

MN: How did you feel when you saw that?

HM: How did I feel, well, I thought there was nothing we could do. That was such a place, and it was dangerous. Danger. We were separated. There were about fifteen of us. Your father was there too. [Laughs] Just like Takeshi. We all were sent there.

MN: You were strong-willed.

HM: At night. Soldiers were carrying guns, machine guns, and walking around on shifts at night. Soldiers on guard. Even at night. American soldiers were constantly walking around even in the middle of the night in shifts. During the daytime, too. They thought we were dangerous. Very dangerous.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 2010 Densho. All Rights Reserved.