<Begin Segment 10>

MW: When, about the time that the camps were going to be closed, the war was winding down and the people knew the camps were going to be closed, there were a couple of people on the island who suggested that they not return to Bainbridge, and actually be sent to some island in the Pacific, was the "Live and Let Live Society," I think it was called. Did you know of that?

EH: Oh, I knew of it.

MW: How did you hear of that, of Lambert Skyler and Major Hopkins, how did you hear? Did you read it in the Review, did people tell you about it?

EH: Well, I know it was in the Review. And I didn't know that Major Hopkins was against the Japanese until just a few years ago. You know, Major Hopkins, we thought, was a fantastic guy. He funded us in the Boy Scout camp. Well, I think they called it Major Hopkins, didn't they? And boy, Jerry was one that wanted that changed.

MW: Wanted the name changed from Camp Hopkins?

EH: You bet. You bet. And I told him he's got my hundred percent support on that, because that was, that was just bad.

MW: He had been Jerry's Boy Scout leader?

EH: No, Mr. Foss was Jerry's Boy Scout leader.

MW: So it was a different troop?

EH: Now, there could have been... he lived out around here someplace, I believe, didn't he?

MW: I don't know.

EH: Exactly where he lived on the island, I don't know. But they had a Sea Scout troop, and the Sea Scouts would let us take their boat out, and Major Hopkins would pay for the gas. 'Cause it was parked down at the old Winslow dock, and well, Elmer Necdole and some of those guys were in. If we needed gas, we'd go up to Hank Anderson's and get gas, five gallon can, pour it in the tank and take off and putt-putt-putt around Eagle Harbor. [Laughs]

MW: So when they were, when they were organizing their meetings and there was all that in the Review, you read about that?

EH: Oh, yeah.

MW: You were in the service at the time?

EH: Yeah.

MW: What was your reaction? Do you remember?

EH: Well, I wasn't very happy with them. I'd never met Skyler, I had no association with him, and I wanted nothing in the world to do with him.

MW: Did your parents, did you ever talk with your parents about that whole situation?

EH: Well, I'm sure we discussed it. Our parents were... I don't know of anybody in Eagledale that was against the Japanese. I don't think there was anybody, none.

MW: That didn't get, I mean, their whole campaign didn't last very long.

EH: No, no.

MW: Very short-lived.

EH: But, see, being in Alaska, I went to Alaska for, all summer long for seven years up there. And I wouldn't come back until September or October.

MW: Did you ever talk about that situation with Jerry or Sada or any of your other friends?

EH: Well, when I really talked to... Jerry and I talked about Major Hopkins, and boy oh boy, he was adamant against him. He was campaigning to change the name of...

MW: Camp Hopkins to Camp Yomalt.

EH: Yeah. Well, we would discuss it. He would be working, mainly up at, I believe at that time it was up at Market Foods. No... yeah. Because it wasn't too many years ago.

MW: No, it wasn't. Maybe five years ago.

EH: Yeah.

MW: So he probably was at Central.

EH: Yeah.

MW: Did your class ever, as close as your class was, at any of your coffee meetings, did you ever talk about the exclusion? Did you ever talk about how it affected the class?

EH: Well, no, I don't think so.

MW: Jerry said that at one of your official reunions, that Sada, as president, said something, made some speech where he broached the subject, and Jerry thought that was the first time that there had been any discussion like that.

EH: Yeah.

MW: Do you remember what Sada said?

EH: No. But I know he did talk about it, and I think it impressed everybody.

<End Segment 10> - Copyright © 2007 Densho. All Rights Reserved.