ddr-densho-211-5

August 14, 1942

Dear Mrs. Gates :-

It is with a very heavy heavy heart I am writing today.

The Masudas, Tom, Kikuye, and her mother, were ordered [?] to Poston, Arizona Wednesday on a three hour notice. Nobody knows the whys and the wherefores but its [sic] definite that they will be away from friends and ties for the duration. It was a tearful parting, an unreplaceable [sic] loss to us who were planning to have Tom as leader in our new life at Idaho. We feel as if we lost a part of our family and try as we might, we just can't get over it.

No doubt they will get in touch with you as soon as possible but I fear that Kikuye will need some time to get over the shock. It really was pitiful.

My tardy thanks for forwarding the pass book to us. Tom took take [?] of all the details and I hope in due time, we will realize the actual receipt of the money involved.

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I realize that I had inconvenienced you in the matter of postage deficiency. Please excuse my negligence. The enclosed, I hope will cover that which you had to excuse [?] for me. Thank you.

We are in the midst of packing now. I have taken care of all excess freight and will be ready to leave here early Sunday morning with just one suitcase each. The trip as written back by the advance crew is by old dilapidated trains, hot dirty, dusty, and slow, taking some thirty hours to reach Eden, Idaho. The final stretch is by buses.

The life ahead of us at Minidoka, Idaho is no paradise but what may come, I am sure we can take it. We will miss our good friends more than ever over there.

Mitsuji's cousin interned since the outbreak of the war at Bismark, N.D. was released and returned today. His was a case of being engaged in moving picture business and after all this time of misunderstanding and accusation, he came back to his family. The poor internees were all victims of

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circumstances and has been the cause of too much misunderstanding by their American friends. His return means a load off our shoulders as his wife had the interest of five children, whose worries we had to share.

After relocation to Idaho, we will write about the trunk at which time I must bother you again.

Yours sincerely,
Ishi Morishita

P.S. Our new home will be:-
W.R.A Minidoka
Eden, Idaho