<Begin Segment 16>

TI: So how about your three brothers, older brothers?

NA: Oh, they were left alone.

TI: So they were not given that questionnaire?

NA: No, they were not given the questionnaire.

TI: Were they later on drafted into the military?

NA: Yes, they were drafted because... what was it, 1944, the Japanese Americans started getting drafted instead of having to volunteer. But during my day in 1943, only way we could join was to volunteer.

TI: But I'm curious about your twin older brothers who were educated in Japan. So did they serve in the U.S. Army?

NA: My brother Harry, two years older than me, was drafted in 1944. And then 1945, my, one of the twins was supposed to report for induction, but the war ended. And so they says, "Oh, war ended, you won't have to go." So, and then the other brother was a 4-Fer, the other twin was a 4-Fer, so he didn't even have to go. But yes, two more brothers would have had to go in had the war lasted a little longer.

TI: So I'm curious about how your family felt about you volunteering into the military, especially your father and maybe your older, your twin brothers. Did they support your decision?

NA: Oh, they supported my... well, put it this way: they did not object, so whether they supported me, I don't know, but they did not object. But my dad, it was really strange. The day I left -- and to this day, I don't even know how I got from Parker to St. Anthony's to take a bus to Salt Lake City. I don't know who took me there, but it might, might have been my dad because he's the only one that I can remember that was with me when I left. And he said, "Shikari shite kudasai," and I wished I knew the exact translation, but I don't know what the exact translation is. But I think that means to "give it all you have." That's about the closest I can come to what... so my dad wasn't opposed to me going to war.

TI: What do you think would have happened if the WRA official called out all the brothers, you and your three other brothers and they all took the questionnaire? How do you think your older brothers would have answered question 27 and 28? Question 27 being, "Are you willing to serve in the military?" and then 28 is, "Will you forswear all allegiance to the Japanese emperor?" How do you think they would have answered?

NA: I think they would have been confused, same as, same as me being confused, I'm quite sure of that.

TI: Because one of the things the army was searching for during this time period, they were actually searching for Kibeis who would volunteer to serve in the Military Intelligence Service. Because I would imagine your brothers, their Japanese was really good, and they could read and speak Japanese really well. So they would be strong candidates to be in the Military Intelligence Service.

NA: Exactly, because every 442nd soldiers were asked that same question, "Will you fight..." how did they put it? "Will, will you fight Japan?" We were asked while we were still in the service, and so my brother definitely would have been an MISer.

TI: Yeah, because his, yeah, because his Engl-, or his Japanese was probably so good.

<End Segment 16> - Copyright ©2008 Densho and the Topaz Museum. All Rights Reserved.