<Begin Segment 4>

TI: And this was during a time when the Congress was very conscious of budget deficits and they were trying to save money. How do you go about convincing congressmen -- and oftentimes congressmen who are much younger than you are perhaps don't understand the war experience -- that they need to do this?

RT: Well, the way I would, I used to explain it to them was: they put us behind barbed-wire fence. And like with some of 'em, I used to tell 'em, "Now, we in this country, all the whites and whatnot in this country, complain about Hitler puttin' the Jews behind barbed-wire fence. But you did the same thing here, in this country." Now, and what I used tell 'em that, "It really aggravates me to think that you people think that you can put American citizens, without a trial, just pick 'em up and throw 'em in a concentration camp. No trial, no nothing." Years went by, they never tried anybody. And to me, it was terrible because I had left Japan, thinking I was an American. You know, sure, I was living in Manchuria and Japan but even all that time I was there, I always believed that I was an American.

TI: In addition to that, you had your war experiences also. You were a veteran and there was a conscious effort or strategy to bring in veterans. How did that come into play?

RT: Well, you see, we felt that if the veterans would come in to Washington, D.C., to lobby, a lot of these congressmen and senators could not talk against us, that we weren't true Americans. Because what more true Americans can you find? You know, our outfit was made up of all volunteers. You don't find an American outfit made up of all volunteers. So, what more can they ask for to show loyalty? 'Cause, there's... our loyalty was willing to put our life on the line.

<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.