<Begin Segment 17>

MN: And then you were continuing your education. You said you went to L.A. City College and then you also went to UCLA, right?

IH: Yeah. I think I got my AA degree at LACC, and then I... the educational program is a very mixed one. I went to UCLA, I think, for one year, and then my father had an accident with the car, and so I felt I better quit education and go and help him. So I did go down and live and work down in Imperial Valley, his store. And for some reason, I don't know, at some point in time, I went to Occidental College for another year. I still don't have a degree. And then after that I went back down, I must have gone into the military at that point, 1953. I was drafted after getting a couple of years of deferments because I was helping my father. But they finally drafted me.

MN: And where did you do your basic training?

IH: At Ford Ord, California.

MN: Was it in an integrated unit?

IH: Oh, yeah.

MN: How did the other non-Japanese American soldiers treat you?

IH: Like anybody else, no problems.

MN: Now after basic training, you had sixteen weeks of advanced infantry training.

IH: Yeah.

MN: Was this common?

IH: Well, usually when you start off with basic training, about half of 'em go into this advanced training. I don't know why I was chosen to do that, but it was just as rigorous and difficult as the first half, first eight weeks.

MN: So those who show promise, is that, they get into this advanced training?

IH: I didn't... I hope not.

MN: Now you were sharing that when you were in basic training, the cease fire was declared in '53.

IH: That's correct.

MN: So why weren't you all sent home?

IH: Well, at that point, I guess once you're in the pipeline, they needed troops there anyway, after the cease fire to maintain things. So we were sent over, like we were going to, for combat, but we didn't.

MN: So when you arrived in Korea, were there still some fighting going on?

IH: There were some scattered incidents, so we were, we had our rifles and so forth. We had to guard over facilities, 'cause there were some incidents.

MN: What were your responsibilities when you were stationed in Korea?

IH: Well, I was rather fortunate because the way the army works, I went over to Japan on a ship, took that rickety old train down to the Port of Sasebo, and at that point, during one of the assemblies, they asked if there's anybody here that can type. So I held up my hand, and so afterwards I had to report to the orderly room and they said, "Okay, how much can you type?" I said, "Oh, maybe fifteen, twenty words per minute." Said, "Fine." So at that point they changed my military occupational specialty to "clerk typist." So when we boarded the ship, sailed over to Pusan, Korea, and we were all coming down, they put me aside to, put me on a train rather than send me up to the front, and from then on I was a clerk typist. After all that infantry training. So anyway, that was fortunate because I got to work and live in Seoul, even though it was decimated by the bombings and all, at least it was better than living way up in the front lines. And so I got a job as working in the labor office, I mean, labor office, where we hired local Koreans for the military, work in the mess halls and did all kinds of work for the military. I enjoyed that experience.

MN: Now Japan occupied Korea for a number of years, and you're an American but you have a Japanese face.

IH: Yes.

MN: How did the native Koreans treat you?

IH: They treated me well, oddly enough. In fact, they kind of sided up to me because I was of Japanese ancestry. It was really quite amazing that I didn't get any negative remarks or feelings, and they considered me to be an American, but an American of Japanese ancestry. And so it was good to know that. Of course, I felt very sorry for the Koreans 'cause they were having a very difficult time. Right after the war there wasn't enough food, and they had a hard time just to make a living. So I give 'em a lot of credit for their endurance. I remember little groups of orphans would come by and sing to us. I really saw some human suffering. I remember going to the Port of Pusan, I never saw such human suffering. People just... they were desperate. No food, clothing. I remember... boy, how lucky it is to be an American.

MN: Since you were in uniform, an American uniform, did you get propositioned a lot by women who were desperate for money and were selling their bodies?

IH: Uh-huh, yeah. Very common.

MN: Now while you were stationed there, did you get an opportunity to meet your, visit your relatives in Japan?

IH: I did.

MN: What was that --

IH: 'Cause they had what they call the R&R, that was seven day trips to Japan. Just about everybody got to get that opportunity. So I did visit some relatives, my father's relatives. But I did do a lot of sightseeing, some major cities. I saw my father's former friends (who) moved back to Japan. Yeah, really... but in those days, even Japan was, they were still recovering. There were still occupational forces there. They were still rebuilding.

MN: How did this experience in Korea affect you?

IH: Well, I think I got a broader outlook on life, the world, (a) broader understanding of human nature and the effects of war. Just... I think it led me into a greater interest in international affairs, international politics.

MN: And what year were you honorably discharged?

IH: 1955.

MN: Now once you were out of the service and you came back to Los Angeles, I think it's shortly after that your father died, is that right?

IH: Well, I finished college first. I finished my last year of college, got my degree, that was '56. He died in '56, so it must have been right after I graduated.

MN: Did you take over your father's business?

IH: Yeah, our family had a little discussion about what should we do? At that time, the business wasn't that bad, and it took a long time for Father to build it up to where it was at, and we had a customer base. And (we decided), "Well, that being the case, I think I'll just take over and run the business, keep it going." So I did.

MN: And then you also got married, too.

IH: 1957.

MN: To Ruth.

IH: Ruth (Mikiko Hirotsu).

<End Segment 17> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.