<Begin Segment 2>

LD: Why don't you tell us about the fact that, when the Nisei were in the Twin Cities area, you took a survey of how much that city would be receptive to them and what happened? Will you start with that? We're talking about 1943, '42.

SM: 1942... '43, I was there for eight months, so from June... no, '43. June '43.

LD: We can just say during the war.

SM: June '43 to '44.

LD: "During the war, while the fellows were training in language at Camp Savage in Minneapolis, Twin Cities area." You can start that way. We're trying to establish...

SM: Okay. During the war, I was assigned, after returning from Italy, to Fort Snelling, Minnesota, primarily for the purpose of orienting the community, the business community as well as the social community, to accept internees from the camps in the hopes that they would fill jobs which were crying for workers. And we took a survey of the Twin Cities area and found that, of the seven hundred firms surveyed, not a single one would hire a Nisei. And so we conducted an intensive campaign over a six month period, talking to groups of businessmen, to the chamber of commerce groups, to the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, to the DAV and then to the various social organizations and audiences ranging in size from thirty-five to even three thousand at one time I spoke to, at a munitions factory, they called a stop-work meeting at which I spoke. Primarily to let them know that these were Americans who were willing to contribute to the war effort. And then we took a survey after the six-month campaign and found that every one of the seven hundred firms had hired or indicated a willingness to hire Nisei. So it was indeed a very successful campaign, and I look upon that period of my life as one of the most useful which I spent in service.

LD: What would you say to them? What was it that you felt was in their mind, and what would you say to them? What did you say to them? If I was such a person, what would you say to me?

SM: Well, they could not distinguish the difference between Japanese of Japan and Japanese Americans. In their eyes, of course, we all looked alike, and they looked upon us as enemies. And, well, it wasn't until I had told them my experiences on the battlefront with men of the 100th Battalion, and told them about men of the 442nd also, the younger brothers of the members of the 100th Battalion who were fighting in the European Theater of Operations, sacrificing their lives for their country, to prove their loyalty to help in the preservation of American heritage. And I told them of my messenger, for example, who practically died in my arms after he was wounded, was mortally wounded. He knew he was dying, and he said to me, "Lieutenant, I know I'm going to die, but I have no regrets. Because I know that as a result of my dying, those who will go back, and our folks back home, will be finally recognized as pure Americans and have a better life."

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 1987 The Center for Educational Telecommunications and Densho. All Rights Reserved.