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LD: So let's go to December 7th. Where were you on December 7th and what happened to you and the fellows that you were with after that?

KY: See, December 7th, actually, we were in the fourth draft in November, November 1941 now, we were finally... I was drafted. I had two, what you call extensions, I think, at that time, because of our store. We had three men, male employees working, and they got drafted, and I was the last running the store, so I got an exemption. But finally they caught up with me in November of 1941. So we were at Scofield Barracks.

LD: Start with this: "On December 7th, I was already in the army, and I was in Schofield Barracks." December 7th.

KY: December 7th I was already in the army, and we were actually undergoing basic training. We got our pass, our weekend pass, and we all went home. And actually, December 7th, right on King Street, I was washing my car. It was seven o'clock or so and we started to hear and see all the burst in the sky, anti-aircraft shells bursting. But we thought it was just maneuvers. But then the radio started making broadcast notices that all military personnel... no. Says that, "We are being attacked by Japanese war planes. All military personnel, return to your base immediately."

LD: What did you think? What was your reaction, your personal reaction?

KY: Well, of course, the first order was to return to our base, but we never had any chance even to think what we should do when we see the parents and say there's a war, or anything like that. All the radio said was we've been attacked, and it looks like the burst in the sky was actual anti-aircraft flaks going. So then hurriedly dressed and drove my car back to Schofield Barracks.

LD: At some point they really didn't trust you guys, right? And they took away your guns at one point. Can you tell me about that a little bit? What happened?

KY: Well, we were still in Schofield Barracks, we got our arms, when the war started, all the trainees -- we were trainees at that time -- we were all issued an old Springfield rifle. But there were actually no ammunition, live ammunition. And in fact, they got it from the storehouses and issued it to us.

LD: I don't understand. You mean they issued you guns without ammunition?

KY: Yeah. When we were in training we never got live ammunition. Only when we go to the firing range, they issue us.

LD: Is that standard?

KY: Yeah, that's standard practice. So then when the war actually started, then we were still in Schofield Barracks, being that I had an ROTC in high school, so those with a little training were sent out immediately into the field and actually were assigned to the Hawaiian National Guard, the 298th Infantry, and I was sent out to the windward side. We were there for six months, two hours on, four hours off, I think it was. We guard two hours and then four hours being either you rest, or you have to build barbed wire defenses. And we were out in the field about six months, and then actually we were recalled back to Schofield Barracks. Actually when we were at Schofield Barracks, I mean, it was actually obvious that the soldiers that were sent back to Schofield Barracks were either Nisei or soldiers with Japanese blood. And in fact, a few nights after we went to Schofield Barracks, one night all the arms were taken away from us, arms and ammunition were taken away from us. Then actually on the outer fringes there were guards, some of 'em our friends, all local boys, but all other nationalities. Well, what we heard rumors were that there were saboteurs in our group, and they, I guess, took that precaution. I think just overnight, I think, they returned arms to us.

LD: They took your arms during the night? How did they get your arms away from you? What did they say to you when they came to get it, do you remember?

KY: I think as far as I recall, I think they just stacked arms and they took our arms away, back to the tent, that's all.

LD: But you noticed it.

KY: Oh, yeah, there's no doubt about it. In fact, that group over there is all Niseis and those with Japanese blood.

LD: Did you guys talk about that, people in your group, did you talk about the fact that they were taking your guns away and why they might be doing that?

KY: Well, just, we didn't go out...

LD: Did you all know it, didn't say anything about it?

KY: Well, I think it was pretty obvious, but there wasn't too much discussion on it, because arms were given back again. Rumors were just rampant all over Honolulu anyway.

LD: Why were the rumors rampant in Honolulu at that time?

KY: Oh, when we first went to Schofield Barracks, that night of December 7th, it was a nightmare. For instance, they said that the saboteurs are poisoning the water at the Wahiawa Reservoir, and there were some saboteurs that sneaked into Schofield Barracks, and everybody was jittery. A cow was in the, either a dog or cow moved into a bush there and they'll fire. So the next morning you'll see a cow dead over there. That's how jittery everybody was.

LD: But do you think that all the Japanese on the island were feeling that they were special objects of suspicion? Do you think everybody felt, how do you think all the older Japanese on the island felt?

KY: Well, on the matter of the Japanese in Hawaii being under suspicion, it's hard for us to judge because we were in army camp already. Never got out, never had a pass, and we were sent out to the field almost immediately. I mean, all I used to get my information was a piggery guy we used to know, we used to sell him feed.

LD: But when you came back. When you came back from being out there, six months later.

KY: Oh, six months later? Oh, even that, we stayed in Schofield Barracks only a few days, we were under strict, we were sort of enclosed, we couldn't get out of post. And we were, I think at that time we had our arms and ammunition, and that again, arms and ammunition were taken from us again, see. In the sense that we may be shipped out. We don't know exactly what they're going to do with us, but that would be normal procedure, to get arms and ammunition, the whole arms and ammunition returned, and they reissue new equipment when we get away. So we never actually suspected anything like that as far as suspicion of the Nisei was concerned. We did hear, for instance, the triple-V, the students at University of Hawaii, they were in the military and then they were discharged. They were some of the potential U.S. Army Reserve officers, but they were dismissed.

<End Segment 5> - Copyright © 1985 The Center for Educational Telecommunications and Densho. All Rights Reserved.