<Begin Segment 29>

TI: So at this point -- we could talk for hours -- but we have, in the last few minutes, I really want to get to your time spent documenting the story of the MIS. I mean, when I think of the MIS story, you've probably done as much as anyone else in terms of making sure this story gets documented and told. So I guess the first question is: why? Why do you think the story of the MIS is important to remember and preserve?

TU: Well, the thought came to me that this is an American story. We're not trying to vindicate what happened to us, we're not trying to beat the drums for the MIS with all the war heroics and so on. No, more importantly is to tell this American story that not only the Nikkei community can be proud of, but all Asians could be proud of, in fact, all Americans could be proud of, that this kind of thing could happen only in America. And so as far as I'm concerned, I'm gonna beat the drums on this American story.

TI: Well, and one of the ways that you can do this, the plans are -- and we talked about this a little bit earlier in the interview about Building 640 at Crissy Field in the Presidio, so tell me about that project. Because we're, again, we're May 2011, so tell me where the project is now and your hopes for the project in the future.

TU: Yeah. Right now, there's some structural work done already because it was an old airplane hangar, and it was kind of dilapidated. So for safety purposes they did some of the structural construction and firmed it up. Now, with the signing of the lease agreement --

TI: Which hasn't happened yet. I mean, we're talking, this is just about --

TU: Possibility of Memorial Day.

TI: So just in a few days. So we're talking just like almost at the eve of this signing of this lease agreement.

TU: Yeah.

TI: And explain the lease agreement. Who is between and what's it...

TU: Well, it's between the Presidio Trust, who's the controlling entity of the Presidio there, their mandate is to take over the Presidio, which was an army base, and make it into a self-sustaining project. And they have certain mandates to go by, I don't know exactly how it's worded. But our story fits right in to the mandate, the words of the mandate, there be an education center. And we have this in mind where when Truman invited the 442 boys when they came back from Europe, and he told them that, "You fought not only the enemy but you..."

TI: "Prejudice not only in..."

TU: Yeah, and then he ended his talk by saying, "Keep up the work and make this nation a more perfect union." Well, now our ultimate goal, however impossible it may seem, is just that. We want to use the MIS 640 project for informing the American public, and hopefully it can help to make our nation a little bit more perfect. So that would be our ideal goal, and that's why I kept telling our guys, "Hey, ours is an American story, and we got to pitch it as that."

TI: And what's, I guess, important to note is in a few days there's going to be an important milestone where this lease would be signed, I believe it's fifteen years, and that will then give you the time or the authority to now go in there and renovate this building and make it into a learning center.

TU: Yeah. And some of those plans are already made, architectural drawings have been made. And one of the things that's going to be shown is a replica of what the classrooms looked like at that time, and all the modern gadgets used to tell the story. I think some of the interviews we're doing now could be entered into the computer to be looked at as people pass by. So the blueprints are in, and we have a pretty good idea of what's going to happen. There's going to be a memorial wall where people who donate $2500 or more will be listed on the plaque. All that kind of thing is already thought out.

TI: Well, good. I know this has been in the works for years and years and years, and to now be this far along is a real accomplishment.

TU: Yeah.

TI: So Marvin, with that, I'm going to end the interview and just congratulate you on getting so far. And I hope the stories that you've collected, Densho's collected, all can become part of this, too, especially about the MIS.

<End Segment 29> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.