<Begin Segment 5>

EG: And where were you being taken?

PT: We were taken to Puyallup. And there (were) four camps there: areas A, B, C, and D; and they were located in various areas of the Puyallup fairgrounds. And we happened to settle in Area C, and I still remember my address, which was C1-55. And I also remember, the number that was assigned to our family, which was 11423.

EG: Did that number stay with you throughout whole internment or just...?

PT: Yes, yes, yes it did.

EG: ...Throughout the whole time?

PT: Yes, but for some reason, I remember those numbers.

EG: I know my Army serial number so something similar, but not the same.

PT: Yes, right.

EG: What were your quarters like?

PT: When we got to camp, it was just a bare room, and I remember some steel frames in the room. There were three of them. And there were some bags on top of the steel frames. And what my parents had to do was open -- they were actually mattress covers -- and they had to fill those mattress covers with (straw). I still remember my dad and mother scrambling around for lumber also, so they could somehow maybe make some shelves in the room. And I think they were looking for some apple carts, or crates rather, to make some makeshift tables and chairs, for our family. And I remember, there was about a two foot opening at the top of the partition, between the rooms, so that we could hear the conversation that was going on with our neighbors. There really wasn't much privacy. And we all had to share a common bathroom. And there was a mess hall I remember. I don't remember if there was a recreation hall at Puyallup, but I do remember the mess hall.

<End Segment 5> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.