August 24, 1981

Mr. Paul Bannai, Staff Director
Commission on Wartime Relocation and Interment of Civilians Office 2020 New Executive Office Building
726 Jackson Place N.W.
Washington, D. C. 20503

Dear Paul:

This morning, just after I mailed the summary form to you, Dr. George Hara, the PNWDC Chairman of Redress, called to inform me that I should send to you a written version of the oral testimony I will give in Seattle.

You have already received my notes on the summary form, but I shall repeat it: I was drafted by the U.S. Army on June 24, 1941. After basic training and a few more months at Fort McDowell California, I was transfered to the Enlisted Reserve Corps on February 14, 1942. I am enclosing a copy of a letter that my immediate superior officer gave me upon my transfer to the ERC. It states I was released by the Army because my parents were Japanese. Being a U.S. citizen and also a member of the ERC, I thought I would not have to be evacuated into the relocation camps. I found out otherwise, that this was not the situation. I was embarrassed and deeply humiliated that a U.S. citizen had to be placed behind barbed wire fences without just reasons.

It has been revealed to me that my father was taken by the FBI on February 12, 1942 as an "enemy alien". I was transfered from active duty to the Enlisted Reserve Corps on February 14, 1942. Whether my transfer was coincidental or intentional with my fathers' arrest is not known to me. Then, on February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt issued his proclamation, Executive Order number 9066.

From the day I returned home to find my father in the county jail to the day I was taken to the Portland Assembly Center to be incarcerated on May 5, I was under sever mental strain. I was 23 years old then but I can recall that the mental anguish I had to go

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through to try to understand why I was released by the Army, why my father was arrested for no reason and why I as an American had to go behind barbed wires under armed guards. All of the education and training I received in school and community about freedom of personal liberty, freedom of speech, freedom from unreasonable search and seizure (our house was searched when the FBI came to get my father), right to be informed of charges, right to life and to liberty, right to equal protection under the law, in fact, most of our constitutional rights were being, denied.

Immediately after my return to Portland, the Presidential Proclamation was announced... so I had to look for buyers of our grocery store. The store equipment and stock were sold to some Chinese people at 10 cents on the dollar.

The summer at the Portland Assembly Center was hell. The smell of horse and cow manure staved with us all summer as our rooms were located on the very spot where the horses and cows were placed for the stock shows. No ordinary citizen would have accented this type of degradation.

Upon leaving the Assembly Center in September, we were all placed in old passenger train coaches. The blinds were drawn and not to be touched. The army guards saw to it that we didn't open the blinds at any time... nor were we allowed to leave the coaches at different stops. He didn't know where we were going! You must know that the long train ride to Minidoka Relocation Center was a long, hot, and tiresome ride. I would not do it again. No American should ever have to go through that ordeal again.

Sincerely,

George I. Azumano

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[Service certificate]

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February 13, 1942

To Whom It May Concern:

This is to certify that GEORGE I. AZUMANO, 39302977, has been a member of the D.E.M.L. and under my command since October 10, 1941. I have found him to be honest, reliable and of good moral character.

If and when the restrictions against American citizens of Japanese parentage are lifted, I would be glad to again have Private AZUMANO as a member of any organization I might be commanding.

G.B. WESCOTT,
Major, Infantry,
Commanding.

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CERTIFICATE

Classification Section,
OD & R Depot,
Fort McDowell, California

February 14, 1942.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

This is to certify that Private First Class George I. Azumano has been a clerk in the Classification Section of this depot and under my direct supervision since October 11th, 1941. This soldier has shown himself to be intellegent, capable and dependable in the performance of every duty assigned him.

Although of Japanese parentage, this soldier has enjoyed the confidence and respect of both this Officer and the enlisted men with whom he has worked at this station and his release from active service in accordance with (Par.la(l),Letter Hq.WDC & 4th Army, 327.3(G-l)Jan. 22,1942.), is considered a loss to the Classification Section and without discredit to the soldier.

LAUREN S. BUEL,

1st Lieut., Infantry,

Classification Officer.