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MN: When you entered college what was, what did you major in?

LW: My major was history and also English, English literature.

MN: Now, at this point in your life, were you already thinking about going into the ministry?

LW: No, I wasn't. I was only in college to get a new experience but also eventually, when, to return to our homes when we were able to, after the war, so at that time I was just in college to, as a new experience for me.

MN: So after the war you were gonna go back to your farm life?

LW: Yes.

MN: Now, I think you arrived at Asbury College in the summer, and most of the time school is out. What did you do?

LW: We were, they had summer school, and in order to retain my draft status I had, we had to be in college the year round. That's why I could, could start in summer and then finish the quarters and then go on to the next summer school, so we were in college the year round.

MN: Now you mentioned you had, because of your draft status, what was your draft status?

LW: I was 4-C, at that time ineligible to serve in the armed forces because, I forgot what the name of the status was, but, I used to have that in mind, but anyway, it was one that declared us to be unfit for U.S. military service.

MN: During your second year at Asbury College you were elected as chaplain of your class. Now, can you share with us how you got elected?

LW: Well, by that time I was, well, I was well acquainted. I think most of the students knew who I was. I participated in extracurricular activities. I had some close friends who were part of my extracurricular activities, so they, that particular, every class in college had officers, and I was, and almost all of them had a chaplain, so they asked, they elected me to be chaplain of the, of that particular, I guess it was the sophomore class.

MN: So as a chaplain, what did you do?

LW: I was to schedule speakers and programs once a week when the whole class got together in the chapel service. That chapel service was, was not mandatory. It was, whatever you call it, if they wanted to attend they could attend. So I was responsible for setting up the programs for the, for the chaplain's service.

MN: Now, during this time, did you ever get a chance to share about camp or have someone from camp share about their experience?

LW: Not, not publically. Not to the campus. It was only when I was asked to, by the father who was a minister of one of my classmates. The father was a pastor in Indiana and he wanted, he was responsible for one aspect of a youth camp for the Methodist Church. They had a Methodist youth camp, and he was responsible for one aspect of the program, so he asked, through his son he asked if I would attend the camp, the summer camp for one week and be a resource on that camp, at that camp. So I said okay, I'll go to the camp, so they made arrangement, they picked me up, they made arrangements for me to be a participant in that one week summer youth camp. So at that time he, I was to share the experience as a Japanese American in one of the ten relocation centers.

MN: And how did the youth take your story, experience?

LW: They were, it was a new story to them. They were very interested, and I did my best to share that experience. The interesting thing about that particular camp was that the keynote speaker to the youth was an African American pastor, so it's, I think that was good in that he was there so that that created a certain atmosphere for the camp that helped them to be open to something new and something different. And so I felt like, alright, so we're able to share and be accepted by the youth.

MN: Do you think it made a difference that, well, your college was below the Mason-Dixon Line and this camp was above the Mason-Dixon, north of Mason-Dixon Line. Was that a reason why this father was more open to having that kind of speaker?

LW: Yes, I think definitely. He was a pastor in Indiana and the pastors north of the Mason-Dixon Line had a, had a more open attitude. I think some of the pastors south of the Mason-Dixon Line, even though I think they, if they had some more progressive attitudes they couldn't be too vocal about it because that, the sentiment was still very, very strong.

<End Segment 15> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.