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MN: You know, like you were saying, it was basically just a real heartwarming thing to see Diamond Head. What were your thoughts at that time?

KM: Hard to reflect on what pure joy, pure joy coming around. And we had to wait out in, outside of Honolulu Harbor until daylight. But it was heartwarming to see the lights. I think it was better than daytime, to see the lights of Honolulu at two, three o'clock in the morning.

MN: So where did you folks disembark?

KM: I think we got off at Pier 40, I think it was Pier 40. Although the Pier 40 was not as large as it is now. But it was a smaller company, but that's where the military ships landed. I know it was in the Aloha Tower, it was in that, what is now foreign trade zone, in that area.

MN: And so when you arrived at Honolulu, what was the homecoming like for you?

KM: My mother was there. My mother was there and my nephew John was also there, he was about three or four years old at that point. And my dad and I guess my brothers. But the reunion with the parents was the highlight of the homecoming. They had, my dad had just come home shortly before that from the internment camp.

MN: And your mom and dad were both here in Honolulu?

KM: Uh-huh. My mother had relocated from Maui already. And at that point, both my parents were doing work up in Tantalus. Up in Tantalus there's a macadamia nut farm. You know, there's a macadamia nut farm right up here on Tantalus and they were working as pickers of macadamia nuts. Macadamia nuts have to be picked by hand, and so she had nothing else to do at that point. And they provided housing up there so they were living up in Tantalus.

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