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HU: Up in the Philippines, we landed there first thing. It rained and rained, three nights we slept in a foxhole. We couldn't get out of there, and I caught cold. And the doctor looked and he says, "You better go back to the clinic." So I rode on the jeep and I went to this clinic. There was a nurse lieutenant, and she was taking over the incoming patients. Lo and behold, first thing she asked was, "Which side are you on?" I said, "Ma'am, I had a pain in my lung, I came for a picture, and here's my doctor's order." So I went back and had a picture taken, and I was told it's clear. So I started coming out, and here I met this lieutenant [inaudible]. She stood up and she smiled and she said, "I'm sorry. I wasn't hospitable for a patient, to speak that way." And she says, "I apologize. But you understand my duty, we can't have enemy in my clinic. I didn't speak nicely. But today, this morning, I want to apologize." And I thought, "She's an officer, she's a nurse," and not only that, I understood her responsibility and being nice and understand the situation. And there was many, many experience like that.

TI: But how did you feel the first time you saw her and she was sort of mean to you, asking you what side? What kind of feelings did you have?

HU: To tell you the truth, I didn't give a hoot. I was ill, I want to make sure that my lung is all right. And I was so grateful that I was all right, I can go back. And here's a lady, stand up in salute. The human reaction. And that's why I tell you I had a lot of experiences.

<End Segment 13> - Copyright ©2009 Densho and the Twin Cities JACL. All Rights Reserved.