<Begin Segment 15>

TI: Steve, we just have few more minutes left before we end this interview. Is there anything else you want to cover?

SF: Well, one thing is when did your dad come back from the war and his service with the 442?

JG: It was around Thanksgiving of 1945.

SF: So this was when you were back in Oakland?

JG: Yeah.

SF: He never had any contact with the Duvenecks at the ranch and so forth?

JG: He went back and he had a marvelous friendship with Mr. Duveneck because they were both interested in plants and animals.

SF: What was Frank like as a person?

JG: He was a gentle soul and he had a good sense of humor. I can remember when he would say, "Josephine wrote Life on Two Levels I could write a book on life in the underbelly or life on the lower level." [Laughs] He had a good wit. He was a really kind man. I'll share this one last story with you. Christmas of 1944, he made a dollhouse for me. He made it and I had that dollhouse until just three years ago. And I wish I had saved it because then I could've given it to the museum for the exhibit because... and he gathered... Mr. and Mrs. Duveneck gathered all the furniture and the people. I remember a grandpa an elderly man and a grandma, kitchen furniture, dining room furniture, bedroom furniture, a rug, curtains, could you imagine having that? I wrote to my dad and I said, "Dad, Mr. D made me a dollhouse." He was a kind man.

SF: I don't think you mentioned, but your family went to Tanforan?

JG: Yes.

SF: Do you remember anything about Tanforan? You were really young then.

JG: I don't know if it's memory or hearsay but I remember a lot of confusion. My aunt tells a wonderful story -- and this is hearsay -- she had said that they lived in Oakland around 55th Avenue and she also is a very strong woman, my aunt. And she said that there was this lady, Jessie, and I can't remember her last name and she says, "Ruth, I'm going to drive you and your family to Tanforan. You don't have to take the bus." And my family, my grandparents and, well actually my aunt said, "You could be in trouble." She said, "Ha, I'm taking you over." They were really supportive neighbors, very kind people. They thought it was wrong so what can I say but with the bad we had the good. And a lot of good people we've encountered on our journey.

TI: Good.

SF: One more question?

TI: Okay.

JG: Yes.

SF: Were you involved with the UFW Chavez and all of that when it was really an active social movement?

JG: No, I wasn't. I was more active in the Vietnam kind of thing. The social justice issues, later I supported them in thought, but I did most of my political thing with, like that Vietnam and then for the African Americans during the '60s, that was my bit. I could remember telling my son, older son, remember when we went to Cal we had to sign the loyalty oath? No, you're too young, you're younger. But when I went to Cal you had to sign this loyalty oath. And later on, when my older son went to Cal which was in I think it was '81, he had to sign up for the draft and he says, "I don't believe in it." I said, "You will because you need that scholarship," so I sort of capitulated. I made him, you know, bucking the system.

[Interruption]

TI: Okay, I want to be respectful of your time, it's 12:30.

JG: Wow.

TI: And this has been a wonderful conversation, interview. So thank you so much.

JG: Oh, you're welcome and thank you for giving me the opportunity.

TI: Oh, not at all, thank you. Good.

<End Segment 15> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.