14-12-4
Manzanar, Calif.

March 5, 1943.

Dear Joseph,

Well, here it is friday, my usual day writing to you. I just completed my last finnals today, so from now on, I'll be writing you pretty steady. Considering the amount of letters you write, and being as busy as you are, makes me ashamed of myself. Please excuse. We received the cords yesterday and thanks a million. However, I sure could use one more. In the next few letters I'll be sending you the dough for them and also if you get the soldering iron by then, I'll send the dough for that. How much did they soak you? Be sure and let me know in the next letter and also try and get one more cord. School has sure been tough this semester, and boy I'm glad

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that we are starting a new semester next monday. As you know, I'll be a senior "b" and I'm really in for another tough semester. The reason is, they are trying a new plan in which there will be graduates only once a year. Thus, I'll have to be graduating with this next class or I'll be a semester behind. Although my program says this is impossible, I have a way in which most of my solids will be completed in this comming semester and I can complete the rest during summer school. So I'll be graduating by September, and if I get drafted by then, at least I'll have the satisfaction of completing high school. There have been rumors that some guys got drafted here, but how true that is, I don't know. Senior prom is tomorrow night and all the seniors seem quite excited. It is being held in kitchen 8. At this very minute, they are holding

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their senior banquet, and they're getting chicken, the lucky stiffs. Sunday, they are going to hold their graduation in Kitchen I, the first in Manzanar. It is going to be a Cap and Gown affair and the way all the seniors are talking about it, it ought to be pretty good. As you know Michi Mikami is graduating as is Ruth Saitou and George Odahara, the only graduates of the block. You might be interested to know that Fred Ohi is comming up to your school and also Mas Miyaji. Fred left today and probably will get there before this letter, but I thought I'd let you in on it anyway. Mas Miyaji's permit hasn't arrived yet, so he isn't leaving as yet. However you can be expecting him to come very soon. Gee, according to your letters, you sure must travel in that town a lot. I should think

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that your so street car weary that you'd go right to bed. Oh, yeah, about school (I should have told you while I was on the school subject) junior High isn't going to have a graduation which is kind of sad. They won't even receive a diploma, and the teachers are just about as griped as the students. They are in other words, "the forgotten graduates." Getting back to your situation, why don't you ease up a lot more on the subjects? Take say 12 units or so at the most. If the studies come to the point where its injurious to your health, its not worth it. While your living, you might as well live a happy life. I don't know but, boy if I was you, I'd sure ease up on it. The experience of traveling through that museum sure must have been fun. You know, I think that a museum and park is one thing Manzanar

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needs badly. A place where you rest your mind and get away from it all. If there was a place like that in Manzanar, I know darn well that I'd go to it about once a week at least, to think things over.

Well, the weather has easied up a bit here and its getting fairly warm which indicates spring comming in. The days are a lot longer now and more activity in sports and outerdoor stuff is going on. The whole camp is basketball nuts and last sunday, the defeatless S.D. Gophers where defeated by the the block 27 zeros. (George Nakao plays for them.) They are a lot of fun to watch. Mama has almost completed my long awaited "letterman's sweater" and maybe I'll be wearing it pretty soon. Before I don't forget it, if you find the soldering iron, get it definitely, because they're plenty hard to get, and I really need it bad. I am going

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to work under Mr. Ajisaka, (brother of tom) pretty soon, and I' need the iron to make repairs and adjustments at the shop. If you can get solder, do so beyond all means. (Rosin core.) We are so dog-gone hard up for solder here that its pittyful. Remember to get the iron though, and solder if you can. Your being a great Radio city out there should be able to find one. Maybe I can get the solder through Wetzel which remains to be seen. Well, I guess this is about all for this time, but I'll be writing again soon. Don't worry about us here for nothing new has been heard about the registration. Until next time then,

I remain your loving brother,

Towru Nagano

P.S. We saw "How Green was my Valley" the other night which was pretty good. A added feature with it showed the Japanese evacuation movement and a lot of scenes of Manzanar. Nob Tanaka and Hiro Suzuki were in it.