<Begin Segment 13>

AI: What are some special events or incidents that occurred in camp, both good or bad? Are there any that stick in your memory?

DT: I guess if you go back to the Topaz Times newspaper, you find all kind of activities that they had. They had dances, they had baseball. You see, remember, they're behind barbed wire, and they had to amuse themselves. So it was not easy; it was not easy. And, 'course, most of the Isseis, they were taking life easy, you know. They're behind the barbed wire, and so you try to make the best of it, but it was not easy.

AI: So what were your parents doing? When you say the Issei were "taking life easy," were there some hobbies that they started or continued?

DT: Yeah, the Isseis had the hobbies of making things out of stone out in the desert, all that. They had different classes, I remember.

AI: Okay. Did any family members volunteer to serve in the military while being incarcerated?

DT: Well, a number of fellows went out from camp. Now, one of them story is a fellow named Nobu Kajiwara of Oakland. He wanted to volunteer and was the only son. And the parents said, "Oh, Nobu, wait for the draft. You're the only son; don't go." But he says, "I must go." And so he signed up, and he was in the 442 combat team, and he was killed while crossing the Volturno River. And this is the story... only son. So Gladys Bell, the wife of the associate project director who was very friendly to evacuees, and Roscoe Bell himself used to come to our church service. And so Mrs. Bell said -- after Nobu was killed, he, she went to see Nobu's mother and said, "Gee, I'm sorry to hear about Nobu's passing, especially he was the only son." And you know what Mrs. Kajiwara said to him? "Mrs. Bell, many mothers are losing their sons, some their only son. Why should I be any different?" I gave that at a talk at camp, I remember.

AI: How about your own family? Did --

DT: Well, my, my brother was in the University of Utah, student relocation, then he was drafted and he was to replace the 442 combat team, and the war ended. And then so he went to Japan with the occupation.

AI: Can you explain that a little? You said your younger brother was in the University of Utah, student of...

DT: Well, you see, they had what they call a student relocation, so that some of the Niseis, people could go to college back east and all that. And so he was at the University of Utah, and you know what? Very interesting -- I just got a tape in the mail yesterday. He was -- at the University of Utah, he was on the basketball team that won the national championship. And although he was allowed to go back east to play, they had another Nisei named Wat Misaka, a Utah young man, and he was number five man. And so they won the national championship. But as I say, my brother didn't get to go, because he was not a native Utahan. And so I just got the tape yesterday from Wat Misaka showing some of the historical moments. And well, my brother's not around to see it, but I thought I'll give it to his son, see?

AI: To your knowledge, did many students pick up on that offer for the Student Relocation Program?

DT: Well, I can't give you the number, but there were quite a few that did go. They went to college back east and all over, but I don't have the exact number.

AI: So if they were in a college or university at the time --

DT: Yeah.

AI: -- then they were allowed to, to remain there and continue?

DT: Well, I guess... I don't know whether -- "student relocation" they called it, and they applied for going out to, say, whatever colleges back east and all that. And my brother went to the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

AI: Okay. While you were incarcerated, what were your dreams and concerns about life after camp?

DT: Well, you look back on it now, and all you hope for was that you can get back, you see, and reestablish life again. And then, you know, I felt sorry for so many people, they had nothing to go back to. You see? They lost their job or whatever it was. It was a very bleak time. And so the people in camp, the uppermost worry was what's gonna happen to them after the war, back of their mind.

AI: And the final question for this particular era: what financial resources were your parents able to hold on to through the camp period? You mentioned a little bit about the property loss --

DT: Yeah, well...

AI: -- at Tanforan time.

DT: What cash you had, they didn't take it away. You had it in a savings bank, you see, but otherwise, many of the store or property and everything else, you lost so much, because you didn't convert it into cash. But we were able to hold onto some cash, but not much.

<End Segment 13> - Copyright © 2004 Densho and The Japanese American Museum of San Jose. All Rights Reserved.