<Begin Segment 8>

BN: So you were about three months...

SI: Three months we was stay in the jungle, and no more food, no more food, and so more, each days we're going to be more inside, more getting to the deeper side, deeper side. So one day, okay, this is... American soldier, he was high-ranking, he was looking for our group. This is Shima Kiyoshi-san, now he came the really, Japan moved to the senator, but those days, he take care of our group. He was carry something, Japan soldier asking to him, just give to me because they don't have food for, he wanted that. But he said, "No, this is for my family, we cannot give you that." They give gun to Mr. Shima-san, wife come scared, oh, he's so beautiful lady, she came from Tokyo. She's standing, husband, "Oh, you kill my husband, you kill me," she stand like this in front of the husband. "You kill my husband, kill me," like this. And the soldier came scared, she's so pretty. After that, soldier came scared she's going make like this, and he realized that, what he's doing, and then after that he came to really friend with Shima-san, they shake hand together. Get really good friend, just like brothers, close together. After that, they always take care of us, lead us, go to that, always where the safety place where dangers, they check first and move to the, which side. The safety place, they're looking for the Shima-san, him always looking for that.

After, I think, three months, long time, everybody, whatever we carry, the saving, is not enough. Everybody, not enough food. So Shima-san, soldiers, two, they said, "We stay over here, and not enough food. Instead of you die in this kind of jungle, the camp, so safety over there." They went and check all which side the camp is good. We went to Ishikawa side, safety there, so safety, so we're going to the, down the, surrender ourselves. Nobody come to our, because surrender was, have to go all mountain, whole high mountain. Two of them, to check where the safety side, so high mountain, we got one each to slide from mountain to slide one. So safety side, one, one, one, they check in, "Okay, you go down, you go down." Over seventy people, one head, one head, all down. Went to the Ishikawa side, all group together. So when reach to the camp, American soldier come to all the, so hard, so they're sorry for us, so they bring the water. Oh, big tank, carry the whole heavy, "Oh, go drink water," they put inside a paper cup, bring the water. Old man said, "Oh, no, don't drink, that's poison, you know, don't drink. That's poison. No, no, no, don't drink." And American soldier, he know already, so, "Oh, okay," then he going to drink like this. Everybody, "Oh, okay," because so hot and thirsty. Everybody, "Thank you, thank you," old man said, "Arigato gozaimasu," like this after that. "Thank you, thank you," we were so happy that time. Because when... why they, the teaching was that's so bad, and they're making to us, so nice, so the old man said, "Oh, arigato, arigato, arigato." Teaching, and they're doing complete different way. So everybody's so happy.

BN: It's like the American soldiers knew that you were scared of them.

SI: Teaching, and that is a really complete different way. So everybody, "Arigato, arigato gozaimasu." Oh, how come they're so nice? Thank you, thank you. After that they go like this, "Thank you, thank you." They so appreciated, teaching to, all complete different way. All complete different way. The teaching was so bad, everything scared kind. [Laughs]

BN: So the place that you went to -- this is like...

SI: Ishikawa, middle of Okinawa, long like this. But middle, Okinawa is long like this, middle. Ishikawa, we went and stayed there.

BN: And this was like, had been made into like a camp, like a refugee camp?

SI: It was camp, yes, tent kind camp, tent.

BN: Just to back up now, when your group left your village, you said your father stayed behind.

SI: Oh, my father was behind. We went to the Ishikawa... we went to the, come down from the mountain Ishikawa together, and the camp, they give us the tent, all one family section, small, but the one section all each other. So we know where we're living over here. At that time, my father come to visit us. Oh, my sister was so surprised, "How he knows we stay over here?" Because we think the father stayed up Shimajiri, but we stayed Nakagami, middle of Okinawa. "How come he stayed over here," and then have here, be in the POW, over here. What is that? [Laughs]

BN: So he was captured.

SI: He was, the leaders was over there. So taking care of all, this group. But we didn't know that way until come. So Father was more, already, than us, when he was there.

BN: And then you were reunited.

SI: Yes. I said, "How he find out we stay over here?" That was a surprise. That's the time the family all come together.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.