<Begin Segment 7>

TI: So let's move to December 7, 1941. Where were you when you heard about the bombing of Pearl Harbor?

TO: At home.

TI: And so tell me how you heard about it and what happened.

TO: Oh, it was really shocking. We never believed that Japan would, you know... so we just stuck to our radio and listened to what was coming, what was going on. And then, let's see, well, a week later when Dad was, the FBI came over, and he was sent to Santa Fe, New Mexico, 'cause he was one of the leaders, he was teaching judo.

TI: And so what were you, what did you think when the FBI came and picked up your father?

TO: There's not too much to think, I was, we were so afraid. My mother didn't know, so she started burning all the documents and told us we probably had to burn up all the photos that we had.

TI: I'm sorry, was this your mother that was saying this?

TO: Yes, uh-huh. Well, my dad was gone then, already. And we never knew where he was or what he was doing.

TI: And so what you said was so they, after they picked up your father, you weren't sure where they took him or what was going to happen.

TO: No, we sure didn't.

TI: So it was later on that you found out that he was in Santa Fe.

TO: All the letters that we got were censored, of course, and we couldn't read it, I mean, it was just cut up so much.

TI: Do you recall how long it took before you got the first letter from your father?

TO: It was probably about a couple weeks later, found out where he was.

TI: And at that time, was he at Santa Fe?

TO: Yes.

TI: During this time, how was it for your mother? What was she like during this time? Was it hard for her?

TO: Yes, it was, 'cause she doesn't speak English to start with. So more or less, I was an interpreter-like.

TI: Did you ever get a chance to just talk to her about what was happening and what she was feeling or thinking, or could you tell by talking with her or watching her?

TO: No, not too much.

TI: And so during this time, how would you run the farm without your father?

TO: My mother was really a hard worker. She led us. Somehow, we made out.

TI: During this time, when you talked to your friends about what was happening or what might have happened, do you remember any of those conversations?

TO: I guess not. I don't remember just, whatever came to our mind, so I can't remember just what we had said about...

<End Segment 7> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.