<Begin Segment 28>

JS: But you were saying earlier, you started to say, when you moved to Sacramento, things were different, things opened up. Can you describe that a little bit, your move to Sacramento?

DM: Why I moved to Sacramento?

JS: (Yes), and how, what Sacramento was like at the time, in the 1950s.

DM: I don't know how to... well, only reason I moved to Sacramento was, like, there was no place to stay in Walnut Grove, and you're limited. There's nothing much you can do in Walnut Grove. So Sacramento is wide open, I had lot of things do. And there's a lot of apartment was open at that time, so I didn't have no problem finding a place. And after three years, we bought a home, 'cause of first child, you know.

JS: And were you involved, did you get involved in the Japanese community in Sacramento? No?

DM: Like I said, I'm shy. In fact, I signed up for VFW post, and I told the commander, he's the one that asked me to join the, 'cause I was a veteran. If they ever put me on the board, I don't want to join, you know. He said, "Okay, put your name on, you don't have to take it." So I said, "Okay." And the first year I signed up, they put me down as a secretary. I said, "I'm gonna drop it," and two of my buddies that knows I'm shy, said, "He don't want it," so they let it go by. And then I used to go to meeting every quarter, every three months, and I used to clean up the VFW hall and everything. The following year -- we got to serve two years -- following year, January's election time, and they have lunch. I didn't go, 'cause I know they have elections. This guy called me up said, "They got you down for treasurer," or something, I forgot. I said, "I told you, don't put me down. If you put me down, you're gonna do it, 'cause I'm not going to go from now on." And I haven't been to a VFW meeting since. And this guy, I heard that, fellows used to say he always pick on somebody so he could get on the board if he doesn't show up, and that's what he did. And I haven't been back to a VFW hall meeting ever since that. Like I told him, "I don't want to get in front of people." But they don't, won't listen to me, so I said, "Okay." (I'm gone).

JS: What about your wife? Did she get involved in any activities in the community? Church?

DM: Not that much, but she does go to church. We're in the Buddhist now because (her) parents were Buddhist. But she's in the women's clubs and all that. She's not that, too active, either.

JS: Okay. Are you gonna cut it? Tom, do you have other questions?

TI: No, no. So, I mean, is there anything else that you wanted to, like any story or any other memory that you wanted to share?

DM: Not that I know of. I don't know. The town of Walnut Grove is just dying out. There's no, hardly any Japanese there now. So I don't know if there are ever going to be any more Japanese there.

JS: How does that make you feel?

DM: It's kind of sad, but what can you do?

JS: What do you hope that your children and grandchildren will know about Walnut Grove and family history?

DM: I got three granddaughters, and I don't know if they're too interested in those things or not. They don't, they never ask us about anything.

JS: Have you taken them to Walnut Grove?

DM: Oh, (yes). 'Cause Walnut Grove bazaar, they always have a bazaar, you know, every July I have to go there to help. So they always call us and says, "Will you help us again?" We used to help two days a week and I said, I got to the point where I can only do one day. So, "Okay, one day is fine." So on Saturday we go there from twelve to three o'clock, help with the bingo, bazaar.

TI: Good. Well, David, thank so you much. I know you were nervous, I know this is hard, but I'm glad you did this.

<End Segment 28> - Copyright (c) 2009 Densho and Preserving California's Japantowns. All Rights Reserved.