Title: Letter to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi, 4/28/1942 (ddr-janm-1-100)

Densho ID: ddr-janm-1-100

Blk. 12 Bldg. 11 Apt. 4

Manzanar Reception Center

Owens Valley Calif.

April 28, 1942

Dear Molly,

Hello! How are you & the rest of the Wilson household? I hope that you all are enjoying the best of health & spirits! As for us here, we are all fine, maybe because the mountains give off a clear, refreshing breeze, which awakens one. I’m very sorry for not have dropped a line or two in your direction sooner but I thought I did. I wrote a letter to you right after I arrived here, sealed & everything but I just founded out that…

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…it wasn’t mailed. I guess it was misplaced in the jumble of things, which we were unpacking & I though it was mailed. Yesterday, as I was clearing some things away, I discovered the fate, & so I thought I’d better write, but quick! So, please excuse the delay, okay? Thanks!

Now that the preliminaries are taken care of, on with the gab-fest. Excuse the lousy writing but at the moment, I’m listening to some Minstrel music, & you know the jitterbuggy feeling song I like “Camptown Races” gives you.

To begin with, this place is just “swell”! Mountains…

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…Ranges on both sides, which are always covered with snow & you would never see a more lovelier sight! Death Valley Mts. on the east & Sierras on the west. They “shore” are pretty & peaky! Wow!

Our barrack is situated on the Sierra side of the camp & it “shore” is swell here. I just eat, sleep, & play everyday. As there are no schools as yet, this is just a long vacation to us here. Not bad eh? We eat in mess halls & the food here is delicious! We eat in army style. Boy that…

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…I mean that we eat out of pans, resembling miniature frying pans & cups with collapsible handles which the soldiers eat out of. A battalion from Ft. Ord guard the camp night & day. They are stationed right near the camp & it “shore” is interesting in that direction. No lie!

Molly, did you develop the pictures which you took of you dog “Teddy”? If you did, can you send it to us if you will? We all miss him so much that we would like to keep the picture of him, okay? I’m not anxious to find out how “me” pan came out so I’m not worried in that direction…

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…Well, I’ll be closing for a spell & tell Sadae & Sako, Mary Inouye & the rest of the kids “howdy” for me will you if you see them, okay? Thanks! So with our (Akahoshi) sincerest best regards to you & the rest of the Akahoshi family I remain,

Sincerely yours,

Chiyeko Akahoshi

P.S. It wouldn’t be my letter without some P.S.’s

P.S.2 Don’t forget to squirt some ink or shoot some lead in this direction soon.

C.A.