<Begin Segment 14>

RP: Now, after you graduated you went to work in the camp.

MN: Yes.

RP: And where did you first start working?

MN: I first started at parks and recreation, with Mr. Nielson.

RP: Axel Nielson?

MN: Yes. Very, very nice fellow, Axel Nielson.

RP: And what did you do?

MN: Like secretarial work. Yes, we took care of a lot of the, apparently they'd have to sign in for certain equipment and things, so I think they were maybe about two of us girls there at the time. We took care of things like that.

RP: And was that located down in the administration area?

MN: Yes.

RP: Did you, you had to walk down there?

MN: Yes. But you know, it didn't seem that far, really. But then we used to get a ride too. [Laughs]

RP: It wasn't your husband, was it?

MN: No, it wasn't him. It was this one fellow, he used to be on the surveyors group and have a panel truck, and the trucks have these benches on the side, and so he'd come by and pick us up, take us down to work. And then way home, sometimes coming home, he'd pick us up, bring us home. That was nice when the weather was bad.

RP: Yeah. And then later on you worked for the property, evacuee property?

MN: They called that, yes, Mr. Bromley.

RP: David Bromley.

MN: David Bromley. I don't know if Shari gave you a picture of, I found a picture of him and with Mary Suzuki, and Mary Suzuki was a very good friend of mine. They lived on the same block, and her mom used to kind of make the nice clothes for me now and then. She was a very good seamstress. But Mr. Bromley was very nice.

RP: What did you do?

MN: Like records, help him with the records and everything, keeping. He would have to interview the people and talk to the people first, and then I guess certain people would come in and they want, they had things stored. And so there was this man named Mr. Uyematsu, well, that man owned buildings and things all over. I mean, he had money. But tight little, comes always in a suit and everything, but I hear he was just the most tightest person, like a Mr. Scrooge. [Laughs] But he'd come in and he'd want certain things, and he knew exactly what he wanted and Mr. Bromley would help him.

RP: So you did the paperwork that allowed that to be shipped?

MN: Yes, that's what we did. So we didn't have to handle anything, though, heavy things. We didn't any of that. Just did the paperwork for him. But he was very nice.

RP: Did you come in contact with other administration people?

MN: Let me see know...

RP: Ralph Merritt?

MN: He was very, he talked to you. I mean, he talks, whether he knew who you were, but he was very friendly, cordial to whoever approached him. And there was a lady. Now, I don't know she was, if she was a wife. There was a lady that was always, whenever we saw her... we didn't see too much of the top administrators 'cause they were way on the other side, but all in all, most of the people in the administration, they were very, they were good to us. They were.

RP: And would you, as far as the competency of those people...

MN: I think they were doing their best, trying to make things better for us. Of course, they had to be careful too, of the situation. But person, as a person to person, I mean, never gave 'em any trouble or anything. But the people I've worked with and everything, they were very good. Mr. Bromley, Nielson. He was really, he was always, and his wife would pop in now and then, Mrs. Nielson.

RP: I'm trying to remember her first name. Melba?

MN: Melba, I think. Always dressed up, real dressed up, dressed up, and she'd come in, very friendly lady. I don't know if she had a job or if she just was there because he was there.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright &copy; 2011 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.