<Begin Segment 5>

FK: Did they tell you why you were being moved to Minidoka?

IY: What I could recall is I heard someone mention that anybody that had relative or friend from Seattle that... cause that's where they were. And if you wanted to move there with the other group, they'll transfer you there. I mean, we didn't have to. But everybody else was, so we went too. There, I think there's a couple families that stayed behind. I guess because of no relative or so, they had some relative come from California so they, I think those families decided to stay behind and be with them. But we didn't have any relative in California so we went with all the Bainbridge Island group. They were the one that got transferred, the Bainbridge Island group... maybe relatives in Seattle and all the Seattle group was in Manzanar, I mean, in Minidoka.

FK: So did your father rejoin you...

IY: Yes, he, I think he was there in Missoula about six months, maybe a little more. And then I know there were other men with him. 'Cause when they came to Manzanar they came on a bus and about three or four of 'em came off the bus. I figured came from the same place. That's when Dad was there. He stayed with us for about three or four months in Manzanar. Well, he looked good. I guess they must have been treated fairly well. I don't recall if he complained or not. I did a lot of complaining, but I don't know if he did.

FK: What kind of complaining did you do?

IY: Well, I had all kinds of complaints. I mean, you know, facility wasn't good. We couldn't do this, we couldn't do that. Especially when we got to Manzanar, there's not much you could do. Especially the weather. It was hot and dusty. After we got settled and we were able to find jobs... they had jobs in the camp. Like my first job was a messenger. I transferred papers to another office from here to there, from administration to other areas. After that it got to where... you get a little bored when you're young like that. They started the new job opening there in camp. They had two big warehouses that they built camouflage net warehouse. They had two of 'em. The smaller one, the small one was all burlap, different colors. They wanted people to work there. They, in fact, when I inquired, they needed someone to handle the burlap. They call it a stripper foreman. For a foreman you had to have at least six strippers. It's not a stripper where you take your clothes off, you know. It's where they cut the burlap in strips. I have six working for me and I was the foreman of that group. Then I'll go around the other two warehouses... they had nets, camouflage net. Those burlap strips, take it to the net and on one net they have four person with each net. We carried the strips there so they could make camouflage net for the military. I worked that until we were ready to be transferred to Minidoka. It was a nice job 'cause it was nice and cool 'cause it's in an open area. Got to know a lot of people. Course, a lot of... I think it was where if you make so much net, the camouflage, you could quit and go home. I think it was maybe four a day. And a lot of people liked to... even they did get paid, what $16 a month. Instead of just hanging around eight hours or whatever, they could finish their net within half a day, which they took whole day on it. They put in their quota, they could take off, so... we made friend and enemies. Yeah, 'cause when I walked around, I mean, I'm the only foreman. I have to walk to warehouse. When the strip is gone or mostly gone, then I have to yell for the stripper to bring, "Stripper to net number so and so." While they're waiting, well, it kind of slows them down. So they get mad and say, "Send your stripper more strips so we can go home." Some of 'em would take their time and make friends and enemies too. But it was, it was kind of enjoyable on that part of the operation. It was adventurous I guess.

<End Segment 5> - Copyright © 2007 Densho. All Rights Reserved.