<Begin Segment 1>

gky: This is the 8th of January, 2001. We're talking with Don Okubo, O-K-U-B as in boy - O, in Honolulu. Now, Mr. Okubo, you were born on January 22, 1919?

DO: Yes.

gky: And how many years were you in the MIS?

DO: From 1943 -- oh, the MIS club changed, but twenty, thirty years.

gky: I know, but when did you first go into the MIS? What were you...

DO: After I was discharged, see, I don't know exactly what date, but...

gky: How about when were you first inducted?

DO: MIS?

gky: Uh-huh.

DO: That's our own club here. That's Military Intelligence Service club.

gky: No, not the club, but the years that you served.

DO: Oh, in the service.

gky: Yes.

DO: Oh, military service. It was 1943.

gky: Until when?

DO: I got discharged in 1946.

gky: In what month?

DO: January.

gky: January of '46?

DO: Uh-huh.

gky: And what month did you get inducted in?

DO: That was 1946. Oh, I think June.

gky: Okay. You volunteered for the army.

DO: Yes.

gky: First, will you tell me about volunteering first for the 442nd?

DO: Well, actually, at that time, that's when they had announcement to that, after the 100th Battalion made such a good record in Italy, our government trusted the Japanese, so I guess they wanted Japanese boys to volunteer that time for this group. So without asking anyone, I just volunteered for the group. But three days prior to my report to the precinct, I had, I received a card not to report because they had enough boys already in the precinct. So the second time when they ask for language, people with language background, and they're recruiting them, so I said, "Well, it's time again for me to volunteer and serve the country." So I volunteered again without consulting my parents or anybody on my own. And I had to go and get, take a test to qualify. So one day I was going to go to YMCA and take exam. Of course, I had Japanese background, so I had no problem taking the test. I was picked out as one of the boys to go to the mainland for military training and for intelligence, Japanese language.

gky: Where did you learn Japanese?

DO: I learned, actually, in Hawai'i after the English school. My parents sent me to the language school on Fourth Street. And from 3 to 4, or 3 to 5 o'clock every day, we learn Japanese language from the beginning, from elementary to twelfth grade.

gky: What was Camp Savage like?

DO: Camp Savage was just, to me, was just way in the sticks up in the mountains some place, and it was just like another camp. And was okay. I think it's much better than some other places.

gky: What did your parents finally say when they heard about you volunteering?

DO: Well, you know, they are first generation and they're from Japan. So, they didn't say anything to me. You know, since you volunteer, that's okay, you know. And they didn't say I did the right thing, or whatever it is. So I said, "I'm going to fight for the country."

gky: Why did you volunteer?

DO: Because I strongly believed that as an American citizen, is time to prove to our country that the Japanese can be trusted and we are just as good as any other citizen in the United States and [inaudible].

gky: And had you been feeling any kind of discrimination as a Japanese American?

DO: Oh, yes, in fact, even in my uniform, I was discriminated all the time.

gky: Will you tell me about that?

DO: Well, you see, we translate and all important documents from the -- you see, we used to do all the translation in Hawai'i, we were shipped back to Hawai'i. And all that they boxed it and then we get, and then the information we get -- one day, I delivered top secret, marked top secret on the envelope, I deliver to the navy, and I was in American uniform and I couldn't get through the gate over there. The sentry would not let me get in. And maybe I was Japanese. And I think that's discrimination.

<End Segment 1> - Copyright © 2001 Bridge Media and Densho. All Rights Reserved.

<Begin Segment 2>

gky: You were with, you were first assigned to JICPOA here in Hawai'i. What did you do with JICPOA?

DO: Well, we had a job to do, translate a lot of information coming in from the front, the diaries, you know, the prisoners' diaries and some technical documents, books, and whatnot. Whatever they can pick up from the front, they'd send it to us and we would translate it. And that's why we got a lot of information that the military can use which helped a lot in occupation, in operation.

gky: When you were at Camp Savage, and then later when you were with Admiral [Chester W.] Nimitz's headquarters, you worked with mainland Nisei as well as Hawai'i Nisei. Were there any differences between the two of them?

DO: No. Of course, we got along very well, and it's the first time we work with Nisei boys here. Mostly they were from -- they're Kibeis and they were in Japan before, too.

gky: Was there a difference with the Kibei?

DO: Well, they were -- not too much difference, but I can understand their parents were interned and not like us. Their parents were interned like a prisoner in the United States and they still have to fight for the country. So I really have respect for them.

gky: Sometimes when you worked with people, you worked with people, sometimes you worked alone. What was it like to have to work alone as the only language specialist?

DO: Well, was nothing like -- I just have to do the job. That's all, you know.

gky: How were you treated when you went to the marines? You went from Admiral Nimitz's headquarters, you were assigned to the marines?

DO: Yeah. Then, well, since I was the only language specialist on the ship, I was treated very royally. In fact, I was so -- I was treated like a petty officer, so I'm enlisted man in the army.

gky: You went from JICPOA to what islands overseas?

DO: Well, from JICPOA the first time I went is with the 1st Marine Division and, actually, because I was attached to the unit and I went to Guadalcanal and Bougainville.

gky: But what did you do?

DO: Well, at that time, I went to the, I went and stayed at the [inaudible]. 1st Marine Division was getting ready to, for the next assignment which, as far as we're concerned, we were just standing by until the marines were ready to go.

gky: Were you the only language specialist with them?

DO: No, we had a few others too, four or five of us.

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 2001 Bridge Media and Densho. All Rights Reserved.

<Begin Segment 3>

gky: When you all invaded Palau in September of '44, what was that like?

DO: Well, it's actually hard to say, you know, because when we left Bougainville and Guadalcanal, I mean, and then on the way we had -- I don't know, actually, maybe twenty days left to travel. And the exact word, the Japanese submarines and whatnot, and every -- one thing I like about our military, we had chaplain aboard where we go and we have services on the boat. And one thing, my impression, never forget is during the time we were on the way, not too many would go up on the deck for services. The day when the captain of the ship said, "Tomorrow, boys, tomorrow's D-Day and Godspeed." And so when we get a service, practically everybody was on the deck, polishing the guns, whatever it is, waiting for the next morning. And up on the deck early in the morning, and I saw, my vision, I saw on the horizon, I saw hundreds of ships line up. And as I see over the horizon, you can see the islands that we're going to invade, and the first grass I saw was nice and green, [inaudible] and everything and we saw the Air Force started to bombard that place. We really saw the Air Force to get through bombarding it, next thing, I ship on the islands. Then the first wave start going in. And the first, and the second, and by the time I went in on the third wave, by the time I started going in with marines on the third wave, I saw already some of the boys are wounded coming back to the ship. And what a tragedy, I thought, battle like this, especially with top fitted, double A physical young boys, and you see them already wounded, and I saw some of them on the beach.

gky: When you saw those first bodies pass by you, or you passed by them, how did you feel?

DO: Oh, feels very lousy to be -- I feel so sorry that all these young boys have to be injured like that.

gky: And, I guess kind of another thing is, this is your first battle.

DO: Yeah, and so when I saw those boys, sure I want to take revenge for them, you know, get after those enemy.

gky: Did you have escorts here?

DO: No. Oh, on the island? Yes. Because, I was only, at that particular group, I was the only language specialist, so wherever I go, I was escorted by maybe two, three marines, because I was more afraid of the marines than the enemy, because I being a Japanese, and Marine people as a whole are trigger happy. Anything that they see moving, they shoot and before they say stop.

gky: Was that scary?

DO: Yes. So, one time I went around to look for souvenir and I got a scolding from the commanding officer. [Laughs]

gky: Because you didn't have an escort?

DO: At that time, I just went on my own.

gky: Gee, didn't it scare you?

DO: Oh, yeah. Well, I thought I was already secure, quiet.

gky: You know, someone like me will never be in war. Can you describe it a little bit to me so I can understand it?

DO: Well, it's the first experience to be in the war, so I just have to change my mind, get my mind that I got a job to do for the country. And actually, I had no idea whether I was going to come home or not, so I'm one of them. So, it's all your mental attitude, at that time. The situation there, that's all you had to accept your condition and do the best in the situation.

gky: Did you expect to be in battle?

DO: Well, I expected that, but not actually hand to hand because we were more in the intelligence and they wanted, we get vital information for the units so we can save a lot of American lives. And that's what we did, and I'm very proud of that. Because of our vital information that we extracted from a lot of the prisoners, and the information from the translations that we did, that our military had much more easy to set up the operation because of the intelligence information.

gky: So you feel that what you were doing was pivotal in the war?

DO: Well, in fact it was very, very vital, so I honestly feel that we really did a very good, loyal duty to the country by translating. And it's very important that we translated correctly, too. Past tense and future tense, that's all very important. And because of that, our boys' lives were saved on many battles because they can set up the command post, and set up the prime operation.

gky: When you were at sea, or when -- after you had invaded this island and come back, some of the sailors were, Japanese sailors were buried at sea, and the American military gave them full military...

DO: Yes. This one experience I had is before I really got on shore, we had one Japanese sailor brought back that was wounded by our boys. And I stood by him while he was being treated, and I saw his low part of his abdomen, that machine gun bullet hole right through on the lower part of the stomach. And, you know, I saw our own boys give blood to this prisoner, try to revive him. American blood is going to through this -- we tried to save his life because we wanted to get some information from him. But eventually he passed away, and then we gave a royal military service on the ship. And I was very, very proud to be an American and saw the way we do things.

gky: When you all went to invade to Palau, what was that like? Just describe the island to me.

DO: Well, actually, it was nice and clear. To be honest, I was kind of scared, too, because we're just on the beachhead. And as we reach the beach, we had to... Toni Sunomoto, which is the buddy that I was with, he and I dug our own foxhole and slept on the beach for a couple of nights. I was kind of scared because seemed like the enemy's rifle sound from a distance away.

gky: Palau is one of the Solomon Islands, correct?

DO: I beg your pardon?

gky: Is Palau one of the Solomon Islands?

DO: Solomon Islands? No, I don't think so. I don't know.

gky: No? Okay. Did you do any cave flushing on Palau?

DO: Yes. I ran into one of the Marines, and we went from cave to cave, flush those -- because the Japanese, they don't come out easily. And one of them came out and I saw the skin all peeled off because of the flame, and he was taken back to our medics.

gky: Gee, that sounds kind of gross.

DO: Oh, yeah. Because all the body, on the arms, all the skin was already -- just like a chicken curry. It's a surprise he still survived.

gky: Do you remember what it smelled like?

DO: Well, actually, at that time you don't... it's not dead so you don't smell it, but I smell a lot of dead bodies, yes. You can smell at a distance. When the wind blows, you get all the smell coming. Because it's hot, too, so he rots fast, too.

gky: Did you see any -- did you all flush civilians out of caves as well?

DO: No, I have not seen no civilians.

gky: So, civilians weren't involved in...

DO: Not in those islands, yeah. There's no civilians on those islands; it's only military.

<End Segment 3> - Copyright © 2001 Bridge Media and Densho. All Rights Reserved.

<Begin Segment 4>

gky: Do you remember what your first interrogation was like?

DO: Well, it was pretty hard at the beginning, but after I talked to him in Japanese, they felt more relaxed and then they started to... in the beginning, the kind of hesitate to talk. But I told them that this was for their own good and, "Help us to save you boys, too, so give us all the information." And he started to give me some information and we asked whatever we wanted to know.

[Interruption]

gky: Would you describe an interrogation?

DO: The first thing I asked was the troop information, the troop, who's the commanding officer, and how long they been there, and also any kind of sickness there, and about how many men, in your opinion, were in the island, in other words, how many soldiers were camping on that island. And whatever they know, of course, not accurate, but they get some idea about the strength of the troop over there and how long they been there, and any kind of sickness that happen, any kind of sickness there, too. Most primarily, where they landed, when they came, what boat, and how long they've been there.

gky: Did the nature of the interrogation change after a while, or were you trying to get different information?

DO: Depending on the condition or situation, too, yeah.

gky: So you were mostly getting tactical information?

DO: Yes, for that particular time, our troop can use that immediately, that information was the vital information.

gky: Where were you when the war ended?

DO: War ended, I was in Kwajalien taking care of several hundred prisoners. And I was in the prisoners camp when the emperor said on the radio, said, announced that Japan was surrendering.

gky: And, what was that like?

DO: Well, to be honest, I'm glad, I was happy, but a lot of the prisoners were really sad and some of them were crying.

gky: Was it because they were hearing the emperor for the first time or was it because they --

DO: Yeah, that Japan surrendered after all they went through.

gky: How did you feel about the prisoners now and Japan?

DO: Well, I thought, frankly, the prisoners, they were very cooperative, you know. So I can very proudly say that our government, as far as those prisoners under my jurisdiction were treated well according to the League of Nations prisoner of war rules, and they were treated real good. And they were very happy to be with, that they were prisoners of Americans than of any other country, prisoner of any other country.

gky: Would you describe psychological warfare?

DO: Psychological warfare, you see, the Japanese, as a whole, they were already trained not to go home alive, so they don't give up too easily. So we try to psychologically, well, make them feel like homesick and love for their family, and they want to go home, and we told them that already that the war has, the fighting has stopped. But then again, they don't really believe until they get an order from the command post. So it's very hard to convince them psychologically -- and we set up, they're used to loudspeaker, a loudspeaker was set and Japanese music, and all that thing make them feel homesick. And we had a few Japanese soldiers that escaped from the group and joined our, and came to our ship. So I used their service and had them announce to the buddies on the island and telling them that they don't have to worry, that, "We are treated well and medical treatment," and whatever is necessary, so to come out, but lot of them didn't come out. So we weren't too successful in psychologically -- we hardly got anybody. And we drove out around the island for many hours just protesting to them and giving them all the info, you know, make them homesick.

gky: Do you think -- you said you didn't think you were too successful. What did you measure your success by?

DO: Well, we expected a lot of them to come out. But only two or three came out.

gky: How about civilians?

DO: Well, there are no civilians on those islands, only military.

<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 2001 Bridge Media and Densho. All Rights Reserved.

<Begin Segment 5>

gky: This is tape two with Don Okubo on the 8th of January, the year 2001, in Honolulu. Mr. Okubo, can you tell me how you felt that your Japanese background helped you understand the psyche, the Japanese psyche, and helped you in interrogations?

DO: Well, first of all, when you, when these prisoners saw me and I was Japanese, and we can communicate, which was very important. It meant that they felt a little more comfortable. And so whatever question I ask, they did reply. Because I have a Japanese culture and background, I told them about, I tried to put them at ease and that, "You'll be treated the best way we can treat you so you don't have to worry, and all you need to do is cooperate with me and help us shorten this war." So, in the beginning, he was kind of hesitant, but he started to give us, give me more and more information because it's for their own good. And because -- I know, the Japanese are very hard to convince them, but at that time, I was able to do that because of the information that I got from them. Other things -- I just talk to them about where they come from, and how many, if they're married, or if they have any families. I tell them I'm sure they'll be waiting for you to come home too. Since you're a prisoner, that you're able to go home. But, they said, actually, that they had no intention of going back to Japan alive. So I had to change their thinking.

gky: And how did you do that?

DO: Well, I told them, "If all you boys go back, doesn't go back, how Japan is going to rebuild?" Japanese government need young boys like that, you people to come home to rebuild the country." That makes sense. "You die for the country, but you die for nothing, you're not doing any good." They began to see what I meant.

gky: So, they began to...

DO: Yeah. They liked to seppuku, they like to just die. They had no intention of going back alive. So I told them that, "You don't have to be ashamed to go back to Japan because you're defeated. Japan, the country itself is defeated. But you did your best and suffer so much out here and lack of food and lack of everything. And so you have nothing to be ashamed. In fact, your parents will be too happy to -- your wife and children will be too happy to see you come home alive."

gky: Where were you when the war ended?

DO: Well, I was in Kwajalien taking care of the prisoners.

gky: And what was it like when they found out that the war had ended?

DO: Well, in a way it was kind of relief, already there's no fighting anymore and no killing, and the Americans would not be continuing bombing Japan. They know their homeland was being bombarded and all over was nothing but a fire all over.

<End Segment 5> - Copyright © 2001 Bridge Media and Densho. All Rights Reserved.

<Begin Segment 6>

gky: Would you describe the prisoners that you were with when they found out the war had ended, when they heard the imperial broadcast?

DO: Well, they felt, they felt sad. But at the same time, you can see their kind of relief.

gky: How did they react physically?

DO: Well, quiet, just quiet. They didn't want to show happiness that the war ended.

gky: Were some of them crying?

DO: Some, yes.

gky: Okay. So would you tell me how they, physically what it was like for them when they heard the emperor's voice saying that the war had ended?

DO: Yeah, just held the head down and very quiet.

gky: What was it like after the war going from island to island trying to get people to surrender?

DO: It was very hard, it was very hard because you don't know where the commanding

officer was posted, and we had no way of communicating with that. So you just have to search where the commanding officer was stationed. So had to hop from one island to one island. We started in the morning and ended up in the midnight.

gky: And how many of you were on this team?

DO: Only myself alone with the friend that took care of boat.

gky: Well, who were you assigned to -- navy, marines?

DO: I was assigned to navy. At first, 1st Division Marine.

gky: Can you tell me what you'd tell people to try to get them to surrender?

DO: To tell the people to surrender... I didn't quite understand what you said.

gky: What kind of, how would you go about trying to get them to surrender?

DO: Oh, well, I tell them the war has already ended, and we just -- and, "The government wants you to stop fighting and come home." And mostly, "I'm sure your family cannot hardly wait for you to come home."

gky: Did they believe you?

DO: Well, I'm sure they believe inside, but they don't show it.

<End Segment 6> - Copyright © 2001 Bridge Media and Densho. All Rights Reserved.

<Begin Segment 7>

gky: There's one instance where you got a Japanese admiral to surrender. Can you describe that story to me?

DO: Yeah, that was -- by the time I reach this island, he was posted on some other really late that night. But I know I cannot go back to the ship until I complete my mission. And, actually, I was more afraid to land on the island at night, because they cannot see me too well. Daytime I can expose myself so they see me, I'm not armed, and I'm not white collar, so at least they know who I am. But at night, when I get on the shore, they don't know who's walking. They cannot see too well until I get very close to them. So, actually, I was kind of scared to go on the island. But it's my job to do it so... and then when sentry stop me, then I felt much better because I know now that he's not gonna, had intention of shooting or anything like that. So he asked me what I'm here for. So I came down to deliver the message from the commanding officer that, let your commandant know that Japan has surrendered, and I came to get his word that he would stop all the, all the units on the island to stop and accept for surrender.

gky: What was this admiral's name?

DO: This admiral was [Vice-Admiral Michiaki] Kamada. He was a very elderly man and very gentle and very understanding. And he asked me where I'm from, and I said I'm American, but I still have Japanese blood in my body. My parents from Hiroshima and education in Japanese, so he felt a little more comfortable. I think one of the best thing America did, as far as I can see, is the American government stressed teaching us Japanese. Even though we had Japanese background, but I've never studied so hard in six months, at Camp Savage, the Japanese language. I learned from a Caucasian the Japanese language, because the parents were in Japan as missionary, and they live in Japan for twenty-five years, or whatever, so they're fluent in Japanese, and I learn Japanese from them. And I'm glad. And this is one of the smartest thing America did compared to Japan. Japan did abolish all English, teaching and everything. It's the most stupid thing they did. But where America was strong was the use of the service, and that's why we were called "silent warriors."

gky: What island were you on when the, when you got the Japanese admiral to surrender?

DO: That was a conflict. I thought I was in Mille. Sometime, whoever who writes the article was mixed up there.

gky: Will you spell that island's name?

DO: M-I-L-L-E.

gky: M-I-L-L-E.

DO: But some say Taroa, so I don't know.

gky: Were you by yourself?

DO: Yes. See, the boatsman, he stays on the boat and he insisted me to take his revolver with me, but I refused to carry any weapon with me.

gky: That's pretty scary, so...

DO: Because there's nothing I can do, even I have a weapon, that's not gonna to help me. Only myself against so many people on the -- soldiers on the island, so what good that's going to do?

gky: Well, you also must have really felt that your weapon really was language, then.

DO: That's right. That's right. And I didn't go and land on the island to fight the men and get the

surrender, no. My mission was carry the word and let them know that we're here to let them know that Japan had surrendered and we're able to help them and get them home. My mission was to take them out and take them home, get them home, and that's what I did.

gky: So, what did you -- did it ever occur to you to say, "I don't want to do this; I can't do this?"

DO: You mean they say that?

gky: No, did you feel that way?

DO: No. Because the only thing I had to do is to change their thinking that they want to

die instead of going home. And they're willing to die. They thought, they want to die, they want to surrender.

gky: Well, that's kind of a lot to do, have them change their way of thinking.

DO: Yeah. So it took me about an hour and a half to two hours talk about a lot of other things, and then get to really make them a little more comfortable, and really understand what my mission was.

gky: So how did you feel when the Japanese admiral surrendered?

DO: Well, I felt relief because at least I did my, accomplish whatever I went there for. Otherwise I now would have to back to the ship, yeah, to the -- if they were willing to listen to us.

gky: What kind of a, what did your commander say when you brought in this admiral, this Japanese admiral? Did your commanding officer say anything to you, you know, like "Good job"?

DO: Yeah, well, I went back to the ship alone. I didn't bring the admiral with me to the ship. I just got his okay that he was going to let all his subordinates, all the units, to get ready to surrender. He promised me that he would do whatever we tell him to do. And that's the message I bring back to our commanding officer on the ship.

gky: And what did your commanding officer do?

DO: Oh, he just tell me, "You did a good job."

gky: And how did you feel?

DO: Well, I'm proud of myself. I took a risk and at least accomplished something that, you know. Of course, not only me, anybody would have done that if they were in the position, because there's nobody else can do it. So whether you like it or not, you do it. But it's not that -- it's my duty to do it.

gky: Well, you know, in certain situations, people probably wouldn't have done that.

DO: Oh, yeah. I'm sure any of my buddies that I was with, they would have done the same thing as I did. Nothing heroic or anything; it's just a job you have to do. That's the way I felt.

gky: Can you just talk a little bit about how your knowledge of Japan and Japanese helped you in talking with them and getting them to surrender?

DO: Yeah, well, when you talk, when I tell them I'm Japanese, you know, they feel a little more at ease, and they ask, and I ask them about their family. I take interest in their affair. I say how many children you have, and how long, and how long away, and then I tell them I'm Japanese and my parents is from Hiroshima, and get some ideas about -- primarily I talk about my parents then, because then they feel so much more at ease.

<End Segment 7> - Copyright © 2001 Bridge Media and Densho. All Rights Reserved.

<Begin Segment 8>

gky: You said your relatives were in Hiroshima?

DO: Yes. My parents came from Hiroshima.

gky: What happened when the bomb was dropped?

DO: Well, when the bomb was dropped, I wasn't home, so I don't know how they felt, but I'm sure they felt real bad because I lost my uncle, my auntie. They were in Hiroshima and due to the atomic bomb, they're gone.

gky: But you didn't have any close relatives there?

DO: I had uncles and cousins. One cousin who was in Japanese service, one died in Philippine, I find out later, and one was a prisoner of Russian army and he came home. When he came home, there's no house, no nothing.

gky: After the war, one thing that you did was you dug up the remains of U.S. soldiers, identified them.

DO: Yeah, because, after surrender, I thought I can go home but big job started again, and I had to go and look for missing American soldiers and those who were buried someplace. And it wasn't a very pleasant duty, to tell you the truth.

gky: Most of them must have decomposed by the time you...

DO: Yes. In fact, when we dug up all here and there, and we had the Japanese soldiers to help me to locate where they were buried.

gky: When you say locate them, how did you know otherwise?

DO: Well, those people, the one that located, I mean that's buried, was American soldiers.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 2001 Bridge Media and Densho. All Rights Reserved.

<Begin Segment 9>

gky: Do you feel that the MIS, the things they did in the war, as well as the 442nd and 100th, helped Hawai'i at all in getting statehood?

DO: Definitely, 100%, because if wasn't for that, Hawai'i still be a -- we Japanese are second-class citizen. No matter how Americanized you are, our color is still yellow and we just cannot get full trust from the government. Because of the opportunity we had to show the loyalty to the country, and more so when the 100th Battalion and the 442 had such a splendid record and, of course, in addition to the MIS. If not for the war, I strongly believe I still be, we still Japanese American no matter how our generation, we still consider ourselves second-class citizen. And we would not find -- I personally believe we would never find any Orientals in the Congress.

gky: How were the Japanese Americans treated before the war and after the war, or was there any difference?

DO: In Hawai'i, we're very fortunate, very fortunate. Although, although there is a feeling, but as far as treatment is concerned in Hawai'i, we're very, very lucky, that's compared to what I hear on the mainland where they're shoved into the prison camp and all that and lost all their assets and whatnot. That was really a tragedy. I felt sorry for all my relatives and my relatives in Sacramento, they have to practically give away things and get prison. I call it concentration camp. I don't call it relocation camp. I mean, the barbed wire and all that and they're American citizen. I think that's one black mark of American history.

gky: Can you tell me what, how you were treated before the war and after the war?

DO: Well, personally, I was treated very nicely, as far as that's concerned.

gky: How about Japanese overall? How were they treated?

DO: In Hawai'i, I think it was very good, especially after the war. We can see we have an equal chance now.

gky: And you didn't before?

DO: Yeah, yeah. Before, you get in a position, it's a prejudice there. There's always a prejudice, but not as great as before.

gky: Can you think of anything else?

DO: Well, no. Actually, all I can say is that we had one of the opportunity to show our loyalty and win the trust of our government and for our future generation, I think we did a wonderful job.

gky: When you came back after the war, you got discharged. Did you have a different feeling about being Japanese American?

DO: I had, I felt more proud to be Japanese American.

gky: Why?

DO: Before, you're American, but you're Japanese, you know, felt like a second-class citizen. And now we're just as good as any other Americans.

gky: So in other words, it's a matter of acceptance.

DO: That's right.

gky: Were there more opportunities for Japanese Americans in Hawai'i?

DO: Yes, definitely.

gky: What kinds of opportunities?

DO: Any position that if you can do the job, you have a good chance to get the job, and especially in government and in politics, as you know. Even we have four-star general Japanese now. That would never have happened.

gky: I can't think of anything else. How about you?

DO: No. All I can say I'm very proud that I'm American and I live in America, no matter what. I mean, people never satisfied with our government, but there's no better government, as far as I'm concerned, any other country.

gky: Okay. Thank you very much.

DO: You're welcome.

[Interruption]

gky: When the prisoners found out on Kwajalien that the war had ended, they gave you these handkerchiefs; they made them.

DO: Well, at the time, they went home, they're ready to go home, when they're ready to leave. I didn't know they had this. They were drawing these pictures on the handkerchief. And what I did is I used to buy a carton of cigarettes. They were only fifty cents a carton. And I gave to the people who works with me to take care of the compound there. I had excellent cooperation from the men and I really treated them nice so, in appreciation, Japanese, they like to pay back whatever and show gratitude. Then I was surprised they gave me that. And it was really good job, beautiful job, they made on the handkerchief. Six of them, they gave me as a souvenir, memento for them.

gky: Okay. Thank you very much.

<End Segment 9> - Copyright © 2001 Bridge Media and Densho. All Rights Reserved.