<Begin Segment 19>

DG: Let me ask you one other thing about the memorial. We're trying to get support for the memorial and let people know it's being built. What would you say to people about why you think it should be built? Why do you think it's important?

FH: Because it's a memorial. We all want to remember what we went through and we don't want it to go through again like that. And I think it celebrates us all coming back and being back on our foot again. Live happy ever after. Life must go on

DG: But you think the story is important to tell?

FH: Oh, sure. Past is important, the future you never know. I think so.

DG: Why is that, why is it important to talk about the past and remember the past?

FH: So not to do it again, if it's bad, I think. It will never happen again. But you see, it was, after you think about it, it's not... we didn't get hurt. I think the bigger the business, they got, they hurt more than... for some people was, like young people, they thought that was fun. You make new friends, you don't have to help clean the house. It's not like when you're home, you had to help cook and clean the house, help with the garden or field. They had a lot of time, they didn't have to... when the gong rings, you just go to mess hall. But you can't do that when you have little ones. But we survived; it was hard. But I think it's hard for the families that had little kids more than any other. They took care of themselves when they're teenage. Suppose the mothers worried about where they are, I guess, but they knew better.

<End Segment 19> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.