<Begin Segment 25>

TI: And so and then after that then you went... then what happened, what was next?

RY: Oh, now we're getting into my military career here. Well, I came back to the States and I figured I'd better get into some other field so I signed up for electronic class, communications. And I went... they sent me to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, and I became a microwave communication technician. And that was pretty nice but then I got sent down to Georgia, that was our assignment in Fort Gordon, Georgia. Come to find out that that was the only communications, microwave communications unit in the United States army, just a little company. And we were supposed to support the 18th Airborne Corps out of Fort Bragg. And when they went on maneuvers, we went on maneuvers and I did this for like two years and I said, "Forget it, I got to get out here." But you couldn't get out of that field because they would send you back to Georgia. If you got out of the army and you went back to California and reenlisted, you ended up back in Georgia.

TI: Because it was a skill that they really needed?

RY: Yeah, it was a skill that was limited to this one company in the United States army. And so I said, "This is crazy," so I got out of the army.

TI: But you stayed in electronics, you went to Hewlett Packard.

RY: Well, I got out and it's hard to find a job because the military, as technical as they're supposed to be, their knowledge of the field was not that good. Because like Silicon Valley was advancing so fast they had different kind of things so I got a job working for Sylvania first and they... I worked there for almost a year and then I got tired of that so I asked the Air Force recruiter, I said, "Can I join the Air Force with my same rank?" And he said, "Yeah, you could get in the same rank if it's less than a year but you lose your seniority." So I said, okay, so by then I had like thirteen years in the military and the people working at Sylvania were mostly retired people and the said, "You're a fool, you go seven more years and then you can retire with an income." And so that kind of turned me onto the Air Force too. So I joined the Air Force and I was going to finish my seven years in the Air Force. And then my first assignment I had to go overseas so I asked for Japan I asked for Germany and I ended up with Morocco. [Laughs] I ended up with Morocco. I told my wife I'm going to Morocco. She said, "Monaco?" I says, no, Morocco.

TI: Now was your wife traveling with you at this point?

RY: She was able to come with me, she came after. I went first but she came in and she stayed with me in Morocco and the kids too.

TI: And were you still in communications?

RY: Yeah, I was in communications but in the Air Force, different kind of equipment. My wife was very happy in Morocco because the cost of living to them was very cheap, and so I could afford to get her a lady to come in and watch the kids and like a maid, you know. And so she was kind of lady of leisure and she liked that you know.

TI: So, Richard, we're almost at eight o'clock so we've been here for two and half hours.

RY: Oh, my god.

TI: And so I wanted to kind of come to an end. But is there anything else that you want to talk about just to end this interview. Is there anything that we... like a story or something you want to talk about or say?

RY: Well, when I was in Georgia, my son was born in Georgia, my youngest son. And this is sort of a comical thing. He was born in the Catholic hospital and he was the first Japanese baby to be born there. And so I had a Jewish doctor from downtown so my son was born in the Catholic hospital with a Jewish doctor. And when I got the birth certificate, I looked at it and I go, it says, "Father: Caucasian, mother: Caucasian, and baby" Caucasian." So I go, that's not what the army calls me. At that time the army used to call us by race, we were Mongolians. So I go down to the registrar's office and I tell the lady, I said, "I have my son's birth certificate here and I think there's a mistake in it." She says, "What seems to be the problem?" So I said, "Well, you got me and my wife listed as Caucasian and my son Caucasian and we're Orientals." And she says, "Down here you're either black or you're white and y'all ain't black." And so 'til this day my son has his birth certificate which calls him a Caucasian.

TI: Well, he better not run for president or anything or something because people will question then when they look at that. That's funny, that's a good story.

RY: Yeah. That's a good way to end this.

TI: Yeah, no that's a perfect way to end this. So, Richard, thank you. You're a fabulous storyteller.

RY: Well, you're asking me the questions.

TI: Well, it's riveting, your story line and what you went through in your life. Really appreciate it.

RY: Well, there's a lot of things happen in my life.

TI: And yeah, it's a good story so thank you very much.

RY: Oh, my pleasure, I hope this helps you.

TI: No, this is tremendous. I think your family is going to like this.

<End Segment 25> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.