<Begin Segment 22>

TM: Yeah, I saw my parents, and I felt like crying.

MU: Well, natural, natural.

TM: Yeah, and I...

MU: Well, I imagine they felt the same way.

TM: I didn't know how they would react. But everybody was happy that I came back.

MU: They didn't hold it against you?

TM: Oh, no, no. Mother said, "We are so glad you came back." I think the reason was, my immediately young brother, younger brother died in Port Moresby, New Guinea. And he never came back. So I came back, so folks were very happy. Especially, I had a lot of things for them; you know, towels, sugar, and soap, chocolate candy, and whatnot. I had duffel bag full of all kinds of things. And I think they were doubly happy that I brought those things -- [laughs] -- back to them.

MU: But they were pretty short of all that?

TM: No, they were living in countryside, so they didn't have much trouble finding food. But well, soap, meat, certain clothing, sugar, something like that, cigarette, I guess, were in short supply. So they were very happy to see me. I don't smoke, I didn't smoke, I never smoked, but I brought down to them cigarettes, and my father was very happy. [Laughs] He was a heavy smoker.

MU: Well, did you spend a few days there, then?

TM: Yes, I stayed there about four days. I went to see the school that I attended and saw the instructor -- the teacher. They were surprised to see me.

MU: Your teacher was still alive?

TM: Yes, he was there, and at first he couldn't recognize me. But later he recognized, and this was, I believe Saturday, not a school day, but one teacher was there. And he was so happy to see me. [Laughs]

MU: Did you by any chance run into any classmates?

TM: Not that day, but later on I saw classmates in the neighborhood.

MU: They hadn't all been killed, then.

TM: Well, some of 'em were. Some of the, some of the neighbors were killed, friends of mine were killed, some of them were younger. I visited our graveyard, and I saw the names of some of the boys younger than I.

MU: Oh, I see.

TM: Yeah, several of them. And I felt pretty bad. But yes, I did see one who was a neighbor of ours, and he was wondering what happened to me, too.

MU: I'll bet. Now, your younger brother was killed in Port Moresby?

TM: Yes. He was, he was a bright boy from grammar school on through high school. He was always number one. And I think -- I don't know what year, but after the war started, I believe -- he was commissioned in the, I think he was commissioned engineer, army engineer. And so he was one of the early ones to go down that way.

MU: And how did you know that he died?

TM: Mother told me when I, when I went to visit them.

MU: Okay, did you, were you able to go back and visit them again while you were stationed in Japan?

TM: Did I ever go back to see them again?

MU: Yeah.

TM: No, no. But my father came to visit us in Yokohama after we were settled, working for war crimes. He came to stay with us for oh, I don't know, about three or four days.

MU: And so, at that time, was he able to see his granddaughter?

TM: Yes.

MU: Was it granddaughter?

TM: Yes, yes.

MU: That must have been a happy occasion.

TM: He seemed very happy.

<End Segment 22> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.