<Begin Segment 8>

MU: Let's talk about your military career. You entered the army prior to Pearl Harbor.

HW: Yes.

MU: How did all that happen?

HW: Well, I was number -- my draft number was a number seven taken out of the fish bowl in Washington, D.C. So I was in the first draft, excepting volunteers came in so I didn't have to report 'til February of '41.

MU: Any strange things happen to you during that time?

HW: Strange things?

MU: Anything out of the ordinary?

HW: Well, I don't know. When I was being processed, they were handing out these campaign hats, and wrap leggings and britches. I said, "Oh my gosh, I hope I don't get one of those." That -- about five guys ahead of me, they start issuing the regular clothes.

MU: Oh, I see. Okay.

HW: Then I was sent from Fort MacArthur to Fort Lewis.

MU: That's here in Washington?

HW: Yes. And the strange thing there is I went right into an infantry anti-tank company, no basic training, just went right straight into the company.

MU: Well, they figured you knew enough.

HW: I don't know. [Laughs] I don't know how I got there without...

MU: Okay, now was that unit a mixture of everybody, or...

HW: Well, it was a National Guard unit activated out of Montana.

MU: Okay, it wasn't a Nikkei outfit?

HW: No, there was one other from Hawaii, was assigned there.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.