<Begin Segment 9>
gky: What would you say was the biggest contribution you made as an MIS person?
KT: Well, my presence at the office, my ubiquitous presence, I think helped. The Japanese understand that I was fully entrenched in that type of work. The biggest is with the emperor, I believe. When I had a talk with him after the official part was over. He actually went on quite a bit about the Niseis and the importance of a bridge between the two countries.
gky: There's a plane going overhead. Could you repeat what you said about the importance of your meeting with the emperor?
KT: What's that?
gky: There was a plane going overhead. Can you repeat what you said about the emperor?
KT: Oh, yes. After my meeting with the emperor, the official part of it from General MacArthur, the second part I thought was very significant in that the emperor understood what the Niseis were doing here, and he mentioned that the Niseis were contributing as a bridge between two countries and he hoped that we would continue to do so. I thought it was good that he understood what the Niseis were doing, and he made a special part to mention it. I think that's about what I feel about the general.
gky: So were you asked to interpret not only language-wise and conduct these couple special missions you did for the general, but to interpret the Japanese people, who the Japanese people were, what they were like to the general or to other people?
KT: No, there were other people that took care of that, the government section they call it. They took care of the Japanese counterparts. But there was no attempt to give him an orientation on Japanese because he was in Japan many years ago as attache, and I don't think there was any necessity for anyone to give him a Japanese psychology lesson or history lesson, anything like that. I don't recall anybody ever attempting that.
gky: When General MacArthur was fired, what happened to you?
KT: What's that?
gky: When General MacArthur was fired
KT: Yeah.
gky: What happened to you?
KT: Well, he asked me what I wanted to do. I said I need an assignment in Baltimore, counter-intelligence. So he called this G-1, or general, to make that appointment that I go to Baltimore and get my assignment there. It's called the Counterintelligence Corps in Baltimore.
gky: Why did you want to do that?
KT: Well...
gky: Why didn't you want to stay and interpret for General [Matthew] Ridgway?
KT: No, I didn't want to. After that, everything would be different. Because once a general leaves, I didn't feel like staying and I took a job in Baltimore, which is a good thing.
<End Segment 9> - Copyright © 2001 Bridge Media and Densho. All Rights Reserved.