<Begin Segment 6>

FK: Now, I noticed that you had done an interview with one of your grandchildren, and how was that for you?

TO: Oh, well, she wanted to know all about... I don't know. I did couple of interviews, I don't know which, which one are you referring... one of 'em wanted to know during the Depression and one my army service and all that. So, she was the one that's a senior in high school, and it went off pretty good, I thought. She got a good, good grade on it, she said. [Laughs]

FK: So what did you tell her about the Depression?

TO: Oh, I told her about people selling apples on the street, nickel, nickel apiece. And I remember telling her about the Hoovertown in Pioneer Square, down there. You know, during the Depression they had cardboard shacks there. Yeah, that was very vivid to me.

FK: How did, how did that period of time affect your family?

TO: Well, it was tough for us, my mother being a widow. But we were able to get, you know, small jobs. Before, you know, mostly people had mostly wooden stove, wood stoves, and you know, little pieces, we'd split 'em, split the wood for these people. And do odd jobs, cut the grass and things like that.

FK: Now, if there was, you know, anything from your life that you would want to tell future generations, what would, what would that be?

TO: What was... what was that?

FK: If there's anything from your past experience or your life that you would like future generations to know about, what would that be?

TO: Well, I think you should be able to... they have more opportunity now, so I think I'd tell 'em to, you know, be honest. They always told me, parents, "Don't shame your family," things like that. But children nowadays are different, they have their own way of thinking. It just went in one ear and came out the other, I guess.

FK: Well, how do you feel about this memorial we're doing on the island?

TO: Well, you know, I wasn't exactly involved in the evacuation; it doesn't affect me that much, really. But I went to the dedication, I thought it was pretty impressive. I didn't think I would be involved in it because I was gone before the evacuation, so I didn't face all that hardship. And other than what people tell me or read about, to me, it was... I have no desire to go visit those reunions on the camp, things like that. But I went sometimes, just from curiosity.

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