Densho Digital Archive - Jiro Sugidono Interview (denshovh-sjiro-01-0029)

<Begin Segment 29>

TI: And how about your father's business? How did that, what happened to that after the war?

JS: Well, see, he was, after the war, he was on First Street, and see, what happened after the war, he came back, I guess it was in '45, I think. I think it was '45, he came back, but he's diabetic, see, and me and my brother was in the army yet. And my sister told me that, said he came back, he went to County Hospital, (...) the State Highway Patrol took him. 'Cause at that time, we had County Hospital, they took him there. And I don't know how long he lasted, but he died there.

TI: Oh, so in '45?

JS: I think it was in '45, (yes).

TI: Okay, so you were still in Europe.

JS: In the army. And I got the notice from the Red Cross, but they wouldn't let me come home, but they let my brother come home. But by the time he came home, the funeral was over. So when I came home after my brother came home, I came home after that. 'Cause at that time, when you want to come home from the 442nd, you had to have enough points, see. I didn't have enough points, so the guys who had enough points, they're the ones who marched in New York. I think it was in June or July someplace, that's where the, President Truman did something for them. Anyway, see, that's where -- 'cause 442nd, the main veterans went home, and we were moved to Fogglia, southern Italy. We stayed until we got discharged. (...) I told my sister that I was kind of resentful, 'cause (...) I wasn't able to come home. I guess they just had the one son come home. And it was the same, another guy, Mas Nitta, he came later, he stayed with me, and he was a replacement, but the war was over and he, Red Cross told him his brother died in the army. Gee, he went home right away.

TI: Yeah, it doesn't seem fair.

JS: So... it would have been late anyways, he passed away.

TI: But then your brother, when he returned to Watsonville, he took over the, the shop?

JS: Well, not right away. 'Cause he didn't know he'd have to open it. So what he did is I think I was in the army yet, but I think he rented that shop to another, his former partner, Yamada and Kobayashi. They rented it, see, and then my brother, he came home from the army, and then he went to L.A. to mechanic school, they call it National. It's a big school, they teach mechanics and radio and TV. Then when he finished, he came back and him and Hamada became partners. So they'd been there together until Mr. Hamada passed away, and then my brother got his two sons to take over, so they're running it now, so my brother retired. (Yes), so like my brother, he should be interviewed, but he won't. 'Cause I told him, he knows quite a bit, too, 'cause he was wounded in the army, he had Purple Heart and he had Bronze Star, and he made staff sergeant. He was in the 100th, I think C Company. It's hard to get him.