<Begin Segment 7>

RP: So, your, your mom's brother is in Missoula and she'd just lost her husband and she's got six of you to support.

MH: Yes. Right.

RP: And then on top of all that here comes the orders to leave home.

MH: My mother is the same zodiac as I am. She's a horse. So I know that, I could always remember her age, 'cause she's twenty-four years older than I am, okay. So, since I was eleven, twelve, going on twelve, I knew that when this happened she was thirty-six at the time that it happened. And you know, when I reached the age of thirty-six, I think that really stuck in my mind. 'Cause when I reached the age of thirty-six and I had four kids by then, it scared me half to death. What would I have done? I don't know. I really, really don't know. But my mother had a family friend take her... somebody owed her money and she went to try and get the money so we'd have enough money to buy suitcases etcetera, etcetera. And was not successful and somehow she was able to get enough money to buy us each a suitcase that we were allowed to take with us. And I, she got us ready.

RP: Did you have to store any items at all anywhere? Do you recall storing personal possessions?

MH: You know, I honestly cannot tell you what I packed in that suitcase. I think it was my clothing. And I think that's, that was it. And I think we had, we didn't have to take bedding but we had to take towels, sheets, and that kind of thing. We... oh, I know. We had to take utensils. And I don't think we had a set of forks, spoons, knives. 'Cause we always ate with chopsticks. And she, and she actually had to go buy forks, spoons, and knives for us to take. I do remember that now. Yeah.

RP: What was the most difficult thing for you to leave behind?

MH: My friends. Really, really, my friends. And most of my friends were, since I was the only, only Japanese in my grade besides two boys who were twins, so most of my friends were Caucasians at the time. Yeah, it was very hard to leave them.

RP: For them as well.

MH: I think so. I think that when I met for a reunion, our twenty-fifth or thirtieth or whatever it was, they all said, you know, they couldn't understand why it happened. My Campfire leader, Blue Bird leader, her daughter told me, "You know, my mom said after we visited you," -- she came to the assembly center to visit -- she said, "She could not understand why you were there. She just could not fathom." And I wish to this day I could have gone to talk to Mrs. Wisdom because she was such a fine lady. And her chocolate cake...

RP: [Laughs] Do you remember your family number?

MH: I don't. I always have to look it up, yeah.

RP: 15581?

MH: Yes. Yes.

RP: And do you recall having to put that...

MH: On all our tags, right.

RP: Tags and luggage.

MH: Everything. On our suitcase, on all our belongings, uh-huh.

<End Segment 7> - Copyright © 2010 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.