<Begin Segment 25>

AL: So you guys, class of '44, graduated in the auditorium.

RT: That's right, it's like they built that place for us. [Laughs]

AL: That was one of the first events there, I think. Sam Ono told me that you had a senior dinner with rabbit? Could you tell me about what it was like graduating, your senior dinner, the graduation ceremony? Where did you get the caps and gowns?

RT: I don't know, these things just sort of seemed to appear out of nowhere. I wasn't in on the arrangements of it. But it was just sort of amazing that all those things happened. And when I look back on it, I think about, as deprived as we were, somebody cared enough to take care of these details. And I always talk about it in the same terms, through the kindness of strangers.

AL: Do you remember the rabbit dinner?

RT: The rabbit dinner? What is that about?

AL: It was the class dinner for the class of 1944. Several people have talked about that they had rabbit, and Sam said he couldn't eat his, because he always had pet rabbits as a kid.

RT: Okay. You know, you have me confused because there was a classmate who called himself Rabbit. [Laughs] And when you said "rabbit dinner," I thought, "Well, what did Rabbit have to do with this?" He had a nickname of Rabbit.

AL: Did you have a class dinner, though, were you part of that?

RT: I don't think I was there, no. I wasn't included.

AL: What can you tell us about this room where you were the valedictorian. You don't think you were?

RT: I think I would have known if I were. [Laughs]

AL: Another question I meant to ask a little bit earlier, did you continue going to church in camp?

RT: I did for... well, I can't remember. Yes, I used to go to church in camp.

AL: Which one did you attend, do you know?

RT: I don't know, it was a Christian church. There's a picture of this man standing in front of the sign there, and I remember him as a minister. I didn't take religion that seriously. [Laughs]

AL: Did you keep in touch with Mrs. Gannon?

RT: No.

AL: Did you ever hear from Captain Williams in camp? You said he came and visited you guys after the war.

RT: Well, I think we must have kept in touch, but no, we kind of lost touch with everybody while we were in camp.

<End Segment 25> - Copyright © 2011 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.