<Begin Segment 21>

MN: Now, your brother Ted, when did he join the U.S. Army?

RW: He was drafted in early 1941, like February of 1941.

MN: So he was already in the army when you went into camp?

RW: Yes. That's how I have, the pictures I have were taken by him when he came to camp. He brought a camera because soldiers were able to bring cameras into the camp. Other people did not have 'em, although some people had cameras or like in Manzanar.

MN: So Ted is already in the army, and then when the government started to ask for volunteers, how did your parents feel about your brother Frank volunteering?

RW: Well, my parents were not about to tell any of the boys not to go in the service, so when he said he's gonna volunteer, well, they're not exactly jumping up and down with joy, but they, in a sense they are. They are feeling a sense of pride. They're happy that they're gonna go do their share. My mother told me at one time not to say anything, and I know it was true because she'd never say if it wasn't true, she said that some people had come to her and told her that, don't let your son go or something's gonna happen to your family. It was a threat to her. Now I don't have any proof of that. I just know that she told me, and I know that she would not tell me something like that if it was not true. But it did not stop her. My brother Hank, in 1947 wanted to join the Marine Corps, but he got turned down the first time because he was Japanese. When the Korean War started and I decided to go and told her I'm going, she didn't say no. A very stoic woman for having so many boys in the service in the wars.

MN: How did you feel about having two brothers in the military?

RW: Oh, I was very proud of them, especially they were in 442nd. And I wanted to be like them, but after the war, after World War II there was no more war, so it was kind of a disappointment, but I didn't think much of it. Although, I did decide to join the Marine Corps reserves in high school because I always wanted to be a Marine, but then there was no war so I didn't see any reason to join.

MN: Poston had a parade for the 442nd men. Did your Boy Scout troop participate in it?

RW: Yeah, we had a little drum and bugle band, and it was a small band. They had a parade in the camp for those who were leaving for the 442nd, and so they had a parade and we were leading the parade with the "colors," and the Girl Scouts marched in the parade. They had a ceremony and a send off to them. There was a lot of pride in the camp to be having those guys going to the service, going to 442nd, volunteering, 'cause they were all volunteers.

MN: I know Poston also had over a hundred draft resisters. Do you know any of the draft resisters, or was that an issue?

RW: Yeah, I knew a few of 'em. One of 'em was in our block, and when that came up then they were arrested, I think they were taken to Phoenix. They were jailed in Phoenix for a short time, and then they were back again, and then when they appeared before the judge I think he fined them all a penny or something like that and then they were back out again. The judge didn't feel the government had a right to draft them if they'd taken away their citizenship rights. Today there's a lot of discussion about it, and in my opinion I think they did what they thought was right, back in my mind years ago I used to think, I wonder if those guys really kind of regretted doing that, not because of what's happening today, but I wondered if they regretted it because all the other guys that did serve, they came home, got their GI Bill, went to any college they want, went to USC. And so I really think, personally, that's what helped with the success of the Japanese Americans, was they served, got the GI Bill, and were able to go to college, get degrees. I know guys like Edwin Hiroto and Hank Nakabayashi who become an architect, and all through the GI Bill. To me in those days too, I was just out of high school and, oh man, I can't afford to go to college. But then when the Korean War started was a chance to get the GI Bill, and so I think the GI Bill was responsible for a lot of the success of Japanese Americans.

<End Segment 21> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.