<Begin Segment 8>

LH: So, the Bainbridge Island group was the first group to be evacuated by the army?

FK: Right.

LH: In the whole country.

FK: Right.

LH: And...

FK: And my, my feelings about that are that we were a definitely geographically isolated area.

LH: Was there some particular reason why Bainbridge was singled out? I mean, in your opinion?

FK: I think the reasons they gave were that the Bremerton shipyard was across from, from us on the west side, and then, the Boeings was on the other side. And we also had our Naval radio station on the Island. And in fact, it's interesting because that's the station that broke some of the codes from Japan. And, there was also an Army base at Fort Ward, which was on the southern part of the Island. And I think those were all the reasons they gave. But I think one of the compelling reasons for the army was that it was easy to round us up. They could isolate us very easily. They didn't allow Japanese to come to the Island and they didn't allow Japanese to get off the Island, so it was, it was easy for them geographic, geographically to just round us up. And I think we were kind of the practice run or test, test run for the Army. I know at the National Archives, I found an article written by an army official that was, a government official, that was telling the Army next time they do this, don't use your fixed bayonets because it doesn't look real good. So, I think we were kind of the practice run.

LH: Well that's interesting that you say that, because I notice on the wall behind you, you have a lot of photographs of, of that particular day.

FK: Right.

LH: And you were saying, perhaps, because you were the first group that there were a lot of photographs taken.

FK: Right. Yeah, most of the places where the army has gone in afterwards, they had their rifles, but they don't really have their fixed bayonets on top of their rifles.

LH: Because it didn't look good.

FK: Yeah, yeah. I mean to have all these innocent looking people, although some people didn't think we were very innocent, being herded with fixed bayonets. To some people's sensibilities anyway in the government, it did, it looked like overkill, I'm sure.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.