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gky: After the war and after the hospital, what did you go on to do? What career did you follow?

DO: After I got out of the hospital, I -- they said that I could go to school half a day. So I went to Art Center College and they asked me if I'd go up into school half a day. Said no. So I went to Chouinard Art Institute, and they said sure. So I start half a day for maybe like a year, half a day school. Then, after that, full time. In three or four years I graduated. And funny thing was, graduation was -- I graduated at summer school, and this one other teacher was there, said, "See you next semester." I said "No you won't because I'm graduating." He said, "You got a job?" I said, No." Okay, here. Go see such and such, this guy at a company. So I went there. I got a job, and it was, Thursday was graduation. And he said, "When do you want to start?" So I said, "Next Monday is fine." And I got one interview and I got a job, and never gone to an interview after that.

gky: And that was with what company?

DO: Advertising Designers. And they're one of the best company designing local [inaudible]. They won many awards.

gky: Do you think very much about -- you said both of your brothers went in the army and then got out of the army, so no one in your family has made the military a career.

DO: No.

gky: And your younger brother you said was injured?

DO: Yes, uh-huh.

gky: And can you tell me about that?

DO: The one in Okinawa? Yes. He was going to Okinawa campaign aboard ship, troop ship. I don't know from where, Kyushu probably. On the way he was bombed and the ship sank, and he was, somehow grabbed some floating debris and many of them were hanging on there. Then a U.S. strafed the plane. The survivors, and many got killed, but somehow my brother survived and went back to Japan and he didn't do too much after that. He just learned how to carve these bowl and some trays, and he did some beautiful job. And he was working for one of Japan's famous potter and made a container for him to put his ware in. And later that man became Japan's national living treasure.

gky: Anything else you can think of that you want to add about your MIS experiences?

DO: I met lot of friends and, even today, I go to the MIS meeting and I have fun. I mean, I did my part and they're really nice people, and I enjoy going to the meeting.

gky: When you and your brothers and... brothers get together, do you talk very often about the war?

DO: No, hardly...

gky: What about you...

DO: We talk about what's going on and our friends. Sometime war buddies died, or something, and we discuss it. But other than that, we talk about what's going on and some fancy or funny incident, we discuss. Try to laugh more than get real serious with it.

gky: How do you think the MIS influenced redress?

DO: With what?

gky: How do you think what the MIS, and the 442nd, and 100th did influenced redress?

DO: Redress?

gky: Yeah, influenced the apology the government gave to Japanese Americans and the compensation they gave them for sending them to camp.

DO: I think a whole lot, because if it weren't for the veterans, I don't think Senator Inouye would be there, or Senator Matsunaga. Those were two war heroes in Hawai'i. And I think those two senators done more for redress than anybody. Maybe Senator, I mean, [California] Representative Matsui and who's the other guy?

gky: Mineta.

DO: Yeah, Mineta. Those four. Because they had a friend in the right place. I mean, wasn't there a Texas representative that head the Democratic party and he was in charge of those things, and he said he lend them a hand. I think those four would not have been there if it weren't for Niseis, because -- especially in Hawaii. Those two senators, they did a great, great job and still doing it.

gky: Anything else that you can think of?

DO: What?

gky: Anything else that you want to add?

DO: No, nothing. Just thank you for interviewing me.

gky: Oh, thank you for telling us your story.

<End Segment 7> - Copyright © 2000 Bridge Media and Densho. All Rights Reserved.