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AL: So when you were in school, when you were growing up in Honolulu, what was the U.S. military presence like? I mean, I know that Pearl Harbor used to be a fueling station, or coaling station. What was the military, the U.S. military presence like in the territory?

AN: Well, obviously they were stationed there for, as a key area where they needed to have armed forces, that's all air force, navy, army, all there. In case of something happening there, right in the middle of the Pacific, where they can reach out almost throughout the world from there. So strategically, yes, it was a key place for the armed forces to be stationed there. So it was good, we felt protected. And to this day, of course, we still need, it's right in the middle of the Pacific, a key place where you could jump off to any part of the world.

AL: So did you remember, like, seeing any of the ships, the military ships coming in and out, or any... what kind of things would you see of the military as a Hawaiian civilian?

AN: Well, to us it was a natural thing to see ships, military, air force, and all that. It was nothing new to us, it was just part of our everyday living. Let me add that the Japanese also used to come from Japan on their training, naval training ship that came from Japan to Hawaii. They trained with the navy. I still remember a couple of times they came over from Japan to give their cadets training in there. So Japanese also came. I went to, one day my dad took me over to see the Japanese naval ship come, you could see all the sailors, you know. I said, "Oh, boy, they all look Japanese, yes." [Laughs] But anyway, that was interesting. So that was part of their training from Japan to Hawaii, for the navy.

AL: Were they training with the U.S. Navy, or just training on their own?

AN: Oh, on their own. They were, Japanese, they were cadets, yeah.

AL: So I see a lot of old pictures of, like, sailors down at Waikiki, you know, before the war. Did you see much interaction socially like the sailors when they were just out visiting Waikiki, did you have much interaction with military personnel?

AN: No, I didn't. That was a common, common thing for just... it was a daily thing, all service personnel, whether they're air force, navy or army, you always, you just mingled with them. It was just part of our lives.

AL: What were race relations like in Hawaii?

AN: The race relations was, among the Hawaiian people, we were all unified. But one thing, yes, we did have a little prejudice against white people, we did. Somehow, I don't know where that came from, but there were some of the islanders that didn't care for the white people. But it wasn't that bad, but there were some ill-feelings, yes.

AL: And how did the non-islanders treat the islanders? Did you have any kind of racism between the, you said white people, between white people, how they treated Hawaiians?

AN: Yeah, just a little bit, yes. The islanders were a little prejudiced against the whites that were living in Hawaii. Yes, there were some, but nothing very serious that I know of.

AL: What was the best thing about living in Hawaii before the war?

AN: Well, for me, it was, like a lot of people say it's paradise, for me. Because I just loved... obviously I was born and raised there, so I just loved, I loved the lifestyle, easygoing, nothing, no pressure, because I was still young, so I didn't have much responsibility except play, so maybe that's the reason why I really enjoyed it.

AL: What was the worst thing about living in Hawaii at that time?

AN: Oh, I can't think of anything that's worst or bad. I can't think of anything. The only thing I can say is that too bad, we had to import a lot of things, food, things that we wanted, all had to be imported. However, that was all right because we had plenty. But that's one of the handicaps that we had, because we didn't have enough of our own, except that we shipped out a lot of sugar cane and pineapple. That was the industry. But other than that, we didn't raise the home crops.

AL: Did you ever visit any of the other islands?

AN: Yes, I did. I went to... I visited.

AL: Before the war?

AN: Yes, uh-huh. See, when we were, when I was in junior high school, in the summer, they would ask junior high school kids to volunteer to work in the sugar cane fields on a different island. And one summer I took that up. I went over to the Big Island and worked in the sugar cane fields, just for experience.

AL: What was that like?

AN: Oh, it was rough. I mean, as far as I'm concerned, I was a city boy going to the country in the fields and work, and I never had that experience. So my parents said, "You've got to go out in the field and see how they work, and so I did. It was a good experience, yes.

AL: What were the living conditions like?

AN: Oh, the living conditions good, like a regular plantation, with plantation homes, and all of us were assigned to plantation homes. And so it was fun, but a lot of hard work, then I found out how hard it is to be working out in the fields.

AL: Did you go with other friends in your neighborhood?

AN: Yes, my schoolmates, yes.

AL: So where did you go to junior high and high school?

AN: Well, junior high school was Washington, Washington junior high school, which was in my neighborhood. Then I went to McKinley High School in my neighborhood.

AL: And I meant to also ask you about, did you see any of the buildup, or what did you see of the U.S. military buildup like in the 1930s around... did you see any of the development of Pearl Harbor, any of the fields around there?

AN: No. Of course, I wasn't interested, so my attention wasn't there. I suppose they were building up always... all I know is that were always a strong navy, air force, and army stationed there. To us, that's part of our living. They were just part of our community, so I really don't know, I was too young to know whether they built it up or what.

<End Segment 6> - Copyright © 2012 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.