<Begin Segment 16>

JS: So when... you were still going to school in camp, so when did you work?

DM: In the summertime, yes.

JS: Oh, in the summer?

DM: So the following year, I got a job at the cattle, cattle ranch. I used to ride that tractor-like stuff, and they got a lift on the back, the old post that's broken, with a hydraulic, and put a metal one in there, pound it in and string the wire. That was my job there.

JS: And where was the cattle ranch?

DM: That was following year that I worked from the...

JS: Uh-huh, but was it on the camp property, or was it outside?

DM: Oh, no, the farms, so we had to go off the camp.

TI: But this was a cattle ranch for Amache?

DM: Amache, for the camp. The cattle is for the camp, food. They had two cattle ranch in, for the camp. We were one of the smaller ones. The other ones is the X-Y Ranch, that's the bigger one. So the smaller one, this couple that ran it, actually helped his wife with the vegetable garden and odds and ends jobs. So (when that job was finished), he used to tell me to take the tractor and go fix (the fence), he rides on his horse and tell you where to go and he'd put a white flag to fix the posts, you know, they got a white flag attached. And I used to drive the tractor and see the white flag, back it up and pull the old pole out and put a new one in. I did about four fixings, and he came back on the horse and says, "Okay, you did a pretty good job, so you take the horse back home." And he drove the tractor back and I rode on the horse. And the strap is so long, my foot doesn't fit. So bang, bang, bang. [Laughs]

TI: And so had you ridden horses before?

DM: No, first time. So I'm hanging onto the (dear life), and then there was a small ditch there, and I'm trying to hold it back. He jumped over like nothing. [Laughs] I'm trying to pull him back to stop, but he kept (on going, but) I had a good time.

TI: And so this was a local couple, I mean, they're running the ranch?

DM: (Yes). See, he was a camp scoutmaster, our troop. (Yes), he was a troop scoutmaster, his name was Tokunaga. And I used to be in the scouts, you know, I was just small. He hired me for that job.

TI: And so did he live on the ranch, or did he live in a barracks?

DM: Ranch.

TI: So he lived kind of like away from all the other people, to take care of the camp.

DM: They have their own farms. This is why I used to take care of his wife's picture garden, they call it. There's nothing but vegetable growing. I used to pull the weeds and out and water that. Then after that is done, then he started telling me to go drive that tractor, go look for the white flags so I could fix the (fence).

TI: And how many head of cattle, roughly, do you think...

DM: Gee, I don't know. I didn't pay attention.

TI: In terms of operations, did they, like, butcher and do all that?

DM: (Yes). They take it to the slaughterhouse and they butcher all that. They use that .22 shotgun and kill the cattle.

TI: And this whole operation, this was all run by Japanese?

DM: That ranch, yes.

TI: And the slaughterhouse and all that?

DM: I don't know if the slaughterhouse was run by Japanese or not. That I don't remember too well.

JS: So Mr. Tokunaga and his wife lived there.

DM: (Yes). One thing I liked about (farm work) was they have a mess hall for the farm workers. That's where we ate, and that's a good mess hall. They feed you nothing but the good food and all the helping you wanted. Camp, you only get limited food, whether you like it or not, you're going to eat that. But mess hall, they give you all the good food.

JS: So how many people would, were working on the ranch? How many people were at the mess hall?

DM: Oh, man, that mess hall, they had all kind of farm. They got vegetable farm. So the mess hall was always full for the workers go there. And they give you extra orange (...) to take couple orange home. Kids, you would stuff all of them and bring it home to the folks.

JS: So were there other kids your age, other teens working on the farm?

DM: That I don't know. I'm sure there were some of 'em working there, but...

JS: You didn't see them. Can you tell us a little bit about the Boy Scout troop?

DM: Not too much.

JS: Not too much? You don't have memories of that?

DM: They have a regular...

JS: Scout meeting?

DM: Well, scout meeting and then they have a contest, you know, where they have rope tying and all that. Not too familiar -- I don't remember too many things on that.

<End Segment 16> - Copyright (c) 2009 Densho and Preserving California's Japantowns. All Rights Reserved.