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TL: You've mentioned that Clarence may have been one of the very first Japanese American lawyers. Do you remember what law school he attended?

YB: Here in Seattle.

TL: So at the University of Washington?

YB: Yes, yes. And every year they would have a reunion of his class, and I have all the pictures that they've taken. And he went to the very last one too, as long as he was well enough to go.

TL: How did he become interested in law? What made him --

YB: I wished I asked him, which I never had. And I think there must have been a reason for that, and his father encouraged him to do so. However, he's the only one that really went to college. I think his brother might have gone and never specialized in anything, stayed with the Brownells. Which, Mr. Brownell, who is the head man of the Seafirst Bank up until he died. Very nice family.

But Clarence, I think was the first in many things, in organizing the first Boy Scout, Troop 53 at our church, and also one of the first reserve officers. And there was quite a bit of problem at the U when he wanted to join the ROTC, but the officer there was very much interested in getting Clarence to join because he was a Japanese, and was wanting to be an American and join the American army. So he did go into it, and every summer he would go to Fort Lewis for his annual get-together where they have to go through the whole routine. He'd come home all exhausted, he says, "That 'around the corner' is sure not around the corner," [Laughs] had to do a lot of walking and tramping. And so he continued up until the outbreak of the war, and he says, "Now is my chance to go and serve my country."

But, poor fellow, he had high blood pressure. And his friend, who was also in the army with him, or in the reserve with him, was anxious to have Clarence join him and go together, but -- he had a bad heart, but he passed his test. Clarence couldn't pass his, because of his high blood pressure. And he was really down and out. And when he came home, he says, "We're gonna' go on a diet, and you're all going to help me." So his mother and I worked day and night, trying to get that blood pressure down. And the more he tried, the worse it got. I think he got so anxious to try to make it somehow, the boys would say, "That's okay General," -- that was his nickname, General, and -- "we'll go do the fighting up front. Why don't you stay home and do the fighting here on the home grounds for us, and hold the fort here until we come back." And they wrote letters to him so that he wouldn't be down and discouraged, but finally he was able to get a job through Washington D.C., and he had a message saying, "We finally found a place for you. Perhaps not in the army itself," I mean, up front, you know, out in the front, "but we have a very good position for you in the..." oh, whatever it was. Something in security department, because they trusted him and in his experience they felt he could do it. So he went to bed just as happy as a lark, and the next morning we got up, turned on the radio; the news we got was V-J Day. He almost fell through the bed. Happy in one way, but was so sad to think he never made it.

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.