<Begin Segment 8>

FK: When Minidoka... let everybody leave Minidoka, where did your family go?

IY: [Coughs] I have already left for the military. So, when... see, I was still in Germany, I think. I don't recall right now. But they, after they left, they, my dad and my mother left to Portland. They didn't come back to the island because they didn't have anything to come back to. And they started a hotel there in Portland. Then, I think it was about '45, '46 they got moved out. 'Cause I was still in the military. And that's when I met my wife... got married. In the meantime, I was gettin' transferred from camp to camp, military. In 1953 they left and returned to Japan, 1953. Since they lived there until they both passed away. My dad was already hundred... almost hundred and one when he passed away. My mother died when she was about sixty-eight, something like that.

FK: So did your brothers and sisters, like Harley and your two sisters, did they come back to the Northwest after the war?

IY: Only one that was in camp was my parent and my sister, younger one, and myself. So, the older one, they were in Idaho. They lived in Idaho. The second one, Chizuko, she... oh, I forgot where she went after left camp... maybe they came back here to Seattle, I think. 'Cause I wasn't there when they all got released from camp and came back to the West Coast. But it, overall I guess, to us it wasn't too bad. We were quite fortunate. Like some other people... as life went on... it was all right. I don't have any complaints. Could have been better, but glad that we're still here.

FK: So how did you get around to getting back into Tacoma?

IY: Well, let's see. When I retired in 1971, I guess we had more or less a choice to go to Minnesota or coming up here. And since I was born and raised here on Bainbridge I thought we'll come up this way. We didn't come this far 'cause we didn't know anybody at the time. 'Cause been gone for so long, how many years at that time, almost fifty years I guess, haven't been on the island. So my wife and I decided we'll get started staying at, where was it? Lakewood. Thought I'd like to come here but everything's so expensive. It wasn't like what it used to be. During our time we could walk here and there and know everybody and don't worry about anything. Just be happy and go along from there. But come back after the war, my gosh. Building here, real estate is high... couldn't afford it. So we just decided to stay in Lakewood and still there.

FK: You have any children?

IY: Huh?

FK: You have any children?

IY: I have one, two children. Terry is the oldest one. He works for the Northwest Airline. He's still workin'. And our other, my daughter, our daughter is livin' here at Indianapolis? Indian...

FK: Indianola?

IY: Indianola. Right.

FK: So she's close by.

IY: Right. That's where her husband and her son live there.

FK: Did you ever talk to them about your experiences during World War II or on Bainbridge?

IY: I have. But they couldn't say too much. They liked... they all say, well, should have still stayed here. Would have been nice. I guess they think about it, but I don't think they worry too much about it now. They got their own life and...

FK: Do you ever talk to them about being removed to go to Manzanar?

IY: I have mentioned that. We had mentioned it. It's... well, they think it's too bad it did happen. But that's about all they could think about. I don't know. We're all together, so that was the main purpose I guess. Which... they could think of a lot of things that they wished we had done and so forth, but... all they could do is just think and...

FK: What do you think about the memorial we're working on?

IY: Oh that memorial, I think it's sort of a good thing that's happening. It's keeping others in touch, what happened and hope it don't happen again. The last time we went there, when we saw you, it got to be really nice. The first time we went there it wasn't much. It was just, I think it was just that little rock. This last time we went there they had that little pagoda type building there and... I understand there's gonna be more improvement now at the site there at the... after it's completed I think it's gonna look nice. I hope we'll still be here to be able to see it finished.

FK: Would there be any message you'd like it to give to people or your kids or anybody? Anything you'd hope that it would say when they come visit? That they'd learn from coming to that site?

IY: I suppose they would learn some of the history from going there I'm sure. Just keep it in their thought, I guess, and their memory that this did happen to my parents and it's nice that the memorial is sitting up for them. Hope that it doesn't happen during their lifetime. 'Cause I know they're thinking it shouldn't have happened. But it did and hope it won't happen again. That's all. As far as treatment is concerned, everybody's still gettin' treated same. I guess there's some that's not, but I guess that's up to the individual how they think and act. But, to like us, like me, I have two good kids and a grandson. There's no prejudice to ours. 'Cause I got married to Caucasian and we get along good. For sixty years... must have been something...

FK: Yeah. Is there anything else you'd like to say or add to what we're doing today?

IY: As a project or as the...

FK: Oh, any personal things you'd like to add or anything?

IY: No. I don't think I have. I'm just glad, like yourself, you're puttin' your effort in all these projects. I'm glad someone's doin' it, Proud that you're doin' it. For us, we're so far apart, we can't do it like we'd like to. But as you get older it gets further apart. With your continuing with this project, I'm sure it will be done fairly well and hope people will see that monument and memorial. In other words, just keep up the good job, I guess.

FK: Well, I'd to thank you for coming to do this. 'Cause I think it's just really valuable for us to hear of all your experiences and stuff 'cause the things we know are... I mean, I was so young it's mostly hearsay. So it's just nice to be able to talk to someone who went through it.

IY: Yeah. Well there's a lot of things I could have had said. But to get to get the pieces, pieces. There's a lot of in between that you can't explain because... you could write a book I suppose.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 2007 Densho. All Rights Reserved.