<Begin Segment 10>

TI: So you go to Merced and what are some of your impressions of Merced?

RH: Well, I don't know. It was a makeshift army camp like because the barracks were laid out like an army camp. Latrines and the washing areas were very little. The places, they had the mess hall and we just sat around and waited for time to eat, time to go to bed and stuff like that. There was nothing to do although there was a field that we played baseball, we used to play a lot of baseball there. And then later on we said it would be good if they could open up... we were right next the baseball stadium, so they opened up the stadium for us to play baseball.

TI: So that was a really nice baseball field.

RH: Yeah, it was. It was the area, big baseball field. I mean, there was a big grandstand and everything.

TI: Nice grass and everything and a real infield.

RH: And then they had regular fence for the outfield, it was a minor league park is what it was. And Modesto had the Modesto Reds, I don't know what they were called in Merced, but Modesto Reds is a Yankee minor league team.

TI: So they would play against Merced.

RH: Yeah, all around the area.

TI: Now when you were in Merced, earlier you talked about how sometimes you would sort of get in trouble or you'd like to do things. Did you ever get in trouble or do anything rowdy while you were --

RH: Not in Merced, we were good boys in Merced.

TI: We'll talk about the next place and see what we can find. During this time, was your mother able to communicate with your father?

RH: Just through letters and the letters that we got back from him were cut out because of location or things that they were doing. And the... what do you call it?

TI: Censors.

RH: Censorship, they cut out a lot of sections. They didn't black it out, they just cut it out. So you really couldn't make out too much about what was happening.

TI: Now how was camp life for your mother? I mean, I was thinking in some ways it might have been easier for her because right before she had to worry about the business and all these other things. But tell me what was it like for your mother?

RH: In the camp it was much easier, all she had to do was take care of the family and then she worked as a waitress in the mess hall so that was her job. And that was our only income. I finally got a job as a dishwasher later on, part time dishwasher.

TI: At Merced or later on?

RH: In the permanent camp, Amache.

TI: Okay. And when your mother worked who took care of your youngest sister?

RH: You know I really don't remember but I think it had to be she came to the, went to the mess hall with her.

TI: So she kind of just tagged along with your mother?

RH: Yeah.

TI: And while your mother was doing that what would you do? I mean you had all this time.

RH: That's when I got into trouble because there was nothing to do. We played a lot of cards, okay, 500, Old Maid and Pinochle.

<End Segment 10> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.