<Begin Segment 11>

FA: Let me move ahead to the draft.

MW: Okay.

FA: In the book, you cite Mike Masaoka lobbying for the Nisei right to volunteer. What did Mike Masaoka say?

MW: I've no idea... his statement, his verbatim statement.

FA: Yeah, "The Nisei protestation of loyalty was so much hogwash, we had to have a demonstration in blood." What was the reaction to the average Nisei to this line of reasoning?

MW: But, of course, he got that from the War Department. The War Department told him, told Mike Masaoka -- and he was the consultant to the War Department -- and the War Department said that, "All this protestation of loyalty is something you cannot trust. It's hogwash and that really the only way they can prove their loyalty is to spill blood." And apparently Mr. Masaoka felt that this was key to securing their future in the United States. That we must be able to demonstrate as a people that we deserved to be treated as first-class citizens by proving ourselves. And consequently... I'm sorry but I forgot exactly what you were trying... oh, Mike Masaoka.

FA: What is, what was the reaction of the average Nisei to this line of reasoning that we had to prove our loyalty to America by spilling blood?

MW: No. Of course, you have those who were brought up in the traditional, Japanese tradition. What I mean to say is that there were those we were inculcated with the Japanese spirit, the yamato damashi spirit which inculcated in one that one's duty to country comes first. Our country right or wrong. And to those people who felt very strongly that this is indeed our country right or wrong, they were willing to volunteer and to spill blood.

<End Segment 11> - Copyright © 1998, 2005 Frank Abe and Densho. All Rights Reserved.