<Begin Segment 23>
TM: And I got to Japan in September of '46.
EG: Where in Japan were you stationed?
TM: First -- I forgot the name of the place -- but I believe it was Zama. People used to call it camp Zama, but there wasn't a camp Zama. Anyway, we were all sent there for assignment. And some of the people that went with us from here to Japan were calling their friends in Tokyo and Yokohama. And well, I found out that I knew some of the people in Tokyo and Yokohama, but I didn't, certainly didn't know their phone number. But because they telephoned from Zama, so, I said, "Well, let's go to Tokyo and see how it looked like." [Laughs] So we went out. But after about a week I was assigned to MacArthur's headquarters in Tokyo, so-called G.H.Q. And then after that, we got further assignment. But every time we go someplace, we wait to see what they will tell us, and after I went to Tokyo, assigned to Tokyo G.H.Q. First thing they asked was if we had any friends or relatives in Japan. And I said, "Yes, I have a family, the parents." And they said, "Well, we'll give you ten days' holiday, go out and see them." I thought, "Gee, how nice the American army was." You know, so generous. And so I took advantage and went down to Kyushu and saw my parents.
EG: How did you find them? How were things for them?
TM: They were relatively well-off. They were living on a farm. My father had an orchard there. That place was good for peaches, pears, figs, and whatnot, and persimmons. Not apples. Apples were good in the northern part of Japan but not there. So they had big enough land they were able to raise their own vegetables, so food-wise, I guess they didn't have any trouble.
EG: The war hadn't destroyed the area where they were?
TM: Oh no, no, no destruction. In fact, my father said there was a small airport built not too far from there. And maybe the airport was attacked because he said he used to see American airplanes flying over. But no, our, our house was intact.
<End Segment 23> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.