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JN: Think back to December 7, (1941), Pearl Harbor Day. What do you remember about that day? Where were you? How do you, how did you feel, and how did your family react?

NO: Well, I think that was Sunday. And we were home, and I, my father and his friend were in Bellevue visiting a family, and when they heard about Pearl Harbor they hurried back because they thought they might be stranded in Seattle, you know, if they take the late ferry so... I didn't know where Pearl Harbor was. You know, I know, because I knew where it was big, but I had no conception of how big it was. And if it took fourteen days for the, you know, Mom to come to America, I said, "My, Hawaii must be far, too, you know." So, but I had no association with the people in Japan and actually, it scared me. It shocked us. I think we were all scared because they said Japanese are "Japs," see. And being of Japanese ancestry, I was really -- at my age -- I was really scared.

JN: How did the rest of your family react?

NO: Well, the Isseis were kind of scared, because they weren't citizens. So... but the Issei had a conception that Japan is a strong country, many Isseis did. I don't think my father... but I heard many Isseis felt that Japan cannot lose. So they had kind of, little confidence in it at first, but later on it turned out differently. But we were very... I think I was more on the scared side, because I didn't know how everyone will react.

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.