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HK: Well, while we were in Tule Lake, for, I don't know, we got special dispensation to leave the camp. And we went with the, the reports officer. And he drove us, and he gathered up a few of us who were supposed to entertain. So there were some people who played musical instruments and somebody who sang. And then they asked me to go along, but I didn't do any of those things. So I took along a joke book. I memorized some of the jokes; Little Audrey jokes, or some corny joke, and that was my contribution. So we drove and we went to Tule Lake, I guess. And man, it really felt different being out of camp, and walking along, you know, free. And I don't know, I guess we bought a pack of gum or something, just to buy something, when we got, stopped in Tule Lake. And then we rode and rode a long way through Modoc County. And it was a place called, it was a small town. It was way up high, so they had a lot of snow. But it was a very small town high school and we entertained there. And it was a special odd call, or program for these kids. [Laughs] It was like a date for them, you know. They would be paired in couples and they would be kind of necking and stuff. [Laughs] And we were up there and we were entertaining and we were Japanese and they probably never saw Japanese Americans before. And they played the music and that was great. And then I told my jokes and these jokes went over so well, it was really hilarious. [Laughs] They loved them. And so the whole program went very well. And we made a good impression because we were as American as they were, you know.

And then we were invited to the Lions Club, which was meeting for lunch. So we went there, and we were fed whatever they had, chicken or something. And then we did the same program to these, these guys. They were farmers and businessmen, and they were as hillbilly as the kids. And we did the same program, and they roared at my corny jokes again -- [laughs] -- the same jokes. But that was great, you know, and we felt really as though we were like them, as American. You know, in camp, you feel that you're Japanese; not Japanese Americans but Japanese. But here on the outside, you feel go up and then you feel like you're American again. And so that was a great experience.

And then on the way back, it was quite late, because it was a long distance, it was about eight or nine o'clock when we got back. And this man, I guess, felt good about the whole trip. He bought steaks, thick steaks for all of us, and there were about five or six of us. And his wife cooked the steaks for dinner and we had it, and that was another great experience. [Laughs] So that was really nice. If we had had a chance to go out like that, I mean, registration, loyalty, it wouldn't have been any problem at all. But being confined, you know, as I said earlier, you forget to think. And then, I don't know, people told us, "This is very crucial. It'll determine your future so that you have to really give serious consideration." Well, our minds were made up already. You know, we weren't going to budge. So, yeah.

And then when we came out of camp, we were in, we took this old train, and it came as far as -- I guess it came to Sacramento. And then we were going to take a bus from Sacramento, I think, to Loomis, which is about 25 miles. So we got off in Sacramento, and we were walking outside, and we met this guy who was in Tule Lake not very long ago. And we were going to say, "Hi," to him, someone we knew, and he turned the other way and walked past us. And I never forgot that. And I've seen him around, he's still around. But I remember that moment, I'll never forgive him for that. I don't know why he did that. Maybe he was trying to find his way, himself, and he didn't want us, to be seen talking to people who just came out of Tule Lake. But that's another example of the kind of pressure that we had. But as soon as you come out of camp, you experience that, and I haven't forgotten that. And I see him once in a while, and he says, "Hi," to me, and I say, "Yeah, hi." But I let him know I remember that incident. But...

CO: You didn't confront him?

HK: I didn't confront him, no, but I think he knows. Yeah.

<End Segment 12> - Copyright © 1992, 2003 Densho and Emiko Omori. All Rights Reserved.