<Begin Segment 31>

BK: You know, my mom has talked, my dad never talked about the conditions under which you were under, when you kept on being thrown back into the stockades, stockade. Were there any times in which the situation wasn't just letting you out so you can go see the movie or to go have a drink? I mean, what was the worst scenario in which...

FM: Oh, while we were in the stockade?

BK: ...you found yourself, when you were in the stockade?

FM: Yeah, they made us dig six-by-six hole, Kash, and I, and Hayashi. Three of us digging six-by-six hole, you know, right in the company area. Everybody's around us, watching us, we digging away. So then we finished digging it, cover it up. Cover it up.

TI: So they just wanted to keep you busy?

FM: That was kind of embarrassing, yeah.

BK: And they wanted to kind of disgrace you.

FM: Yeah, yeah. Orders from Colonel Pursall. Because our company kind of commanded, they were on our side. In fact, the MP lieutenant that -- this Matsuda kid hit -- he didn't press any charges. So he was surprised that we got court-martialed.

BK: Were there any other situations that come to mind in terms of dehumanizing, like the digging the hole?

FM: Yeah, uh-huh. They put us on garbage detail. We go to each company on a garbage truck, slop, all of, full from the mess hall. Pick it up, put 'em in a big gallon, go each company. Pick up slop, put 'em in. Kash, I, myself, and Hayashi, three of us. I don't know why that Matsuda kid wasn't around.

BK: Right?

FM: Yeah. I don't recall seeing Matsuda kid at all. But the three of us, we were doing that all.

TI: The men in your squad, it must have been hard for them to see you do this, because here the leaders were having to have to do this. I would, I mean, I imagine the men in your squad...

FM: Yeah.

TI: ...didn't like to see that at all.

FM: No, I don't think so.

TI: And people like Kubota, too. I imagine it was very hard for him...

FM: Yeah.

TI: ...to see it, also. Now, do you ever feel as if people like Kubota, and say the lieutenant, well, Lieutenant Kubota and others, could have done more to perhaps plead your case or do something different?

FM: I don't think Lieutenant Kubota could have done too much, because he's a junior lieutenant at that time. So even though he might say something, then they're gonna give Kubota a hard time, too, now. But I'm sure he did his best.

<End Segment 31> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.