<Begin Segment 13>

KL: Are there any other people who stand out from your time on Terminal Island that didn't come up that you wanted to, either leaders or friends?

MS: Well, the people I do remember that was the priest who ran the school and the church that I attended. And a couple of his instructors at that school who used to tell real good stories to the kids.

KL: What kind of stories?

MS: Oh, it could be scary stories or just, just stories. I do remember one time one of the teachers told a story that really scared me about something to do with the ocean.

KL: Would you share it, do you recall it?

MS: I still remember what scared me was some creature or some, I don't know, bad person or bad thing trying to dump water into your skiff or boat that you're in to sink your boat or something like that. So I think about that every time I go on a small boat on the ocean, just remember that story that scared me at that time. But of course, now, I think something like that's impossible, but at that time, yeah. I do remember the teacher's face and the story he told.

KL: Any other stories that you remember?

MS: Not really.

KL: Do you recall the names of any of those people, the priests or the teachers?

MS: I think the head priest was Ikeda, I think. But the other teacher's name I've forgotten.

KL: Before we get to the attack on Pearl Harbor and changes, are there things you wanted to ask about from Terminal Island?

WP: I just have one question. Did you guys ever watch American movies on Terminal Island?

MS: Yes, we had to go to San Pedro where the theaters were. And the theaters that we went, the theater, one, that I used to go to I think is the current Strand Theater in San Pedro.

KL: Warner Grand, Beth is saying?

MS: Yeah, that one. It still exists, I think they refurbished or remodeled that theater, and they do have significant events there. But yeah, I remember, I think the movies used to be for ten cents, and we used to take a quarter and spend another five cents on a hot dog on the way home. But we did have to cross the channel again on the boat, and then go to the movie and then come back the same way.

WP: Do you remember any of the films that you saw?

MS: Not the names.

KL: That reminded me of something I wanted to ask about. People talk about Terminal Island and San Pedro together a lot. Would you elaborate on the relationship between those places?

MS: Only in the sense that the people in Terminal Island did their major shopping in San Pedro, like for clothes, department stores, and so on and so forth, because Terminal Island didn't have a large department store. They had just a few grocery stores and stores that carried other goods, but not basically clothing. They did have just a few restaurants also, but most people didn't go to San Pedro to eat at a restaurant or anything like that, but basically just shopped for clothing and other merchandise or other kitchen goods or whatever. Also, all the kids had to go to San Pedro to finish their education. The junior high school that I went to, which was called Dana, Richard Henry Dana, Richard Henry Dana at that time, junior high school today, middle school, and then on to San Pedro High School. I never get to, I got to the high school, but my sister was in high school when we evacuated.

<End Segment 13> - Copyright © 2013 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.