<Begin Segment 6>

DG: What was it like to return?

FH: Before, my oldest was going to be first grade, so we walked to high school, school and asked the principal, and they told us we were welcome to come back, and they all went to school the first day. We came home in August, so September, school started. But the kids were happy at school, so we were happy for them. But after that, we just took day at a time, somehow, the friends were... we had new neighbors and everything, but it was okay.

DG: So how were you treated when you returned?

FH: We were treated fine, yeah. Out in the country, you know, we went to all the PTA meetings, and we were treated okay. Children, children had a good time.

DG: How was it for Neal being in school now, outside of camps?

FH: What?

DG: Neal was now in school, he was in first grade?

FH: Yeah, Neal was first grade.

DG: And how was that, going to school with other kids from Bainbridge Island?

FH: It didn't seem to bother him. He just, he... we don't drive, so I couldn't do too much to help them. [Laughs]

DG: Yeah. So the mood was, was okay on Bainbridge Island. Do you remember ever experiencing any...

FH: Yes, we, a neighbor, she lives on the bottom of the hill, we left some valuable things with them and they returned it. And my husband used to go hunting so he had a new gun, but he gave that to him, and we got it back.

DG: So you had neighbors that were helping you out?

FH: Uh-huh, so he would go hunting.

DG: What was it like to have to say goodbye to them before the war?

FH: Well, can't help it, we just, the dog was running after the truck, army truck that we left on, but we just have to say goodbye to that, all the pets we had. We had two horses, left everything. Left everything.

DG: And can you tell me more what it was like when you got on the ferry?

FH: Yeah, came home, the house was still standing, so it's okay. And my brother-in-law came home early, so he cleaned up the house and burned everything, I guess. So we came home to a clean house.

DG: What did he have to burn?

FH: What?

DG: Why did he have to burn things?

FH: Well, you know Filipinos and Indians living there, workers living there.

DG: It was just garbage, he was just cleaning up?

FH: Uh-huh.

DG: I see. And what was it like to try to start your life again here on Bainbridge, you and your husband?

FH: Well, it was hard but we took it in stride, and somehow we managed. The kids were a little older, and they all went to school. The boys were Boy Scouts and the girls were Girl Scouts, so we kept busy.

<End Segment 6> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.