<Begin Segment 9>

FA: You, so you guys argued about that. You decided to go with it, and then the FBI came in.

SH: That's when they picked me up first.

FA: Tell me about that.

SH: That's it. "I'm FBI. You're under arrest."

FA: They come to your barracks?

SH: They come to you.

FA: Did they have to carry you this time?

SH: No, no, no. I. They, well, anyway, I had a spy, uh? Had a spy telling me, "They're here for you." So I got everything. So in other word, I just kept what I need, my possessions. Another thing, they wanted, I said, "What do you want?" "Your personal thing." I said, "This is it." But they picked up my notebook, you know, and then that was illegal seizure, anyway.

FA: Where, where is your notebook?

SH: Huh?

FA: Do you still have it?

SH: I don't think so. But you know, there were a lot of names and things on there, but they couldn't use it because it was illegal seizure. Then letters, too. There were all, people from other camps and friends, you know.

FA: Did the FBI interrogate you?

SH: I said I need an attorney.

FA: Did they give you one?

SH: Nope.

FA: Did they interrogate you?

SH: They did, but I didn't, I was non-cooperative.

FA: Why?

SH: Huh? Why should I comfort the enemy? You know, put it mildly, huh? When the time comes, it's in the court, isn't it?

FA: How was jail?

SH: [Laughs] It was interesting. First day they took me out. Then this marshal says, "You know, well, you're here. How do you like it?" I said, "Not bad." And my -- this Okamoto was with me. He says, "Stay walking in the middle there," he said. "You're gonna get hurt if you get by there." These people? They're American, American drunkard. They're American people. They're not, they're not that kind of people. He said, "I'm going have him eating out of my hand before midnight tonight." But he says, "Anyway, protect yourself." Because, I don't know how, I'm American, I've been growing up with American people, and I've associated with a lot of different kind of people. Right after dinnertime, representatives come. See? Naturally, I may have dramatized it a little bit but, but I tell them about the Japanese Isseis and Niseis, how they come about. Tell them every little detail. Maybe I might dramatize a little bit, you know. Then, he said okay. He comes back. And he's telling the other people, "This Japanese guy could speak better English than we can." [Laughs] And then, he said, and afterwards, they said, "It's going to be cold tonight." So he says, "Here, here's more blanket. And we'll get you some more food. Pork chops," I think he said. "No, we had enough food right now, so thank you very much." That's the way it was. Next morning, FBI. "Sam, you've been talking again, haven't you?" "Why?" I said, "Sure, I give 'em a salutation in the morning" Then the next place he go, "Nobody in that jail except me." [Laughs] I couldn't get over that.

<End Segment 9> - Copyright © 1993, 2005 Frank Abe and Densho. All Rights Reserved.