<Begin Segment 15>

RP: There were a number of restrictions that were placed on Japanese Americans in your area.

GK: Yeah. My brother was married Christmas Day in '41, so that was just a few days after the bombing. And I know that it was a very small wedding because you weren't allowed more than two cars in the yard. So they were restricted to that, and I, we were restricted to, I don't know, maybe twenty-five miles' radius. But we didn't plan on going anywhere, anyway, so that didn't matter. But yeah, I think that was the only restriction that I could remember, just always being sure that we spoke English, that just made a real impact on me. So I think that probably had an impact on Mother, too, because she never, you know, went to the planning committees or had any, come to the assemblies or anything.

RP: Very isolated from all those activities.

GK: Uh-huh.

RP: So this ban on two cars or a, quote, "number of people who could assemble" really affected your social and cultural life.

GK: Oh, it did.

RP: Japanese school probably ended.

GK: Yes, Japanese school certainly ended.

RP: And as far as large gatherings...

GK: Large gatherings, and I really don't remember when it, we were allowed to have large gatherings then. So I don't know, we had the new temple, I don't know if we were allowed to have services or anything. I think I was just too young, my older brothers, probably. But I really don't know about that.

RP: How about, Frank was talking about some of the items that had to be turned in.

GK: Oh, yes. We, I don't think we had anything that, I mean, we certainly didn't have a shortwave radio, we didn't have a real good camera, but I just remember Mother burning a picture of the emperor and just getting rid of things that would show any signs of loyalty to Japan, I think.

RP: Did you take, or express any acts to support the war effort like saving aluminum or string or those kinds of things?

GK: [Laughs] Oh, yeah. Yeah, I think so. Even the gum wrappers, we would separate the gum wrappers and try to, yeah. We were doing that, yeah. And then, I mean, that was a very slow process, right? I don't know what we ever did with that. Yeah, always that "Uncle Sam needs you," those signs and stuff. But my brother was, got a scholarship to go to school in '45, but then he was drafted after a quarter. He went to school for a quarter and then he was drafted. And so, you know, I always felt like, okay, now, he's in the army now and doing our, our... to support whatever, however way we could.

RP: And where did he go?

GK: Well, he was, I think he was at that school where they, he spoke Japanese very well. And so he went to that school, I think, in Minnesota.

RP: MIS.

GK: MIS, yeah, okay, and then he was stationed in Japan then.

RP: He was?

GK: Yeah, he was with the...

RP: In the occupation?

GK: Uh-huh, occupation, yeah. He was with the CIC, counterintelligence there.

RP: And did he, did he share with you what he did? I know that was kind of a secretive organization.

GK: No, he really didn't, but I know, I know that Mother made one remark that when he got back -- well, he did come home for a furlough, I think. And she made the remark that because of him being in that unit, his eyes were always, like, looking, looking, looking, you know, always darting and making sure. [Laughs] I don't think I noticed, but she thought she did.

RP: How did rationing during the war affect your family life? Did it at all?

GK: You know, because we were a large family, I think the rationing didn't affect us because you got so much sugar, and you can't possibly use as much sugar as we were allowed when you're from a large family. And the gas, because being on the farm and you needed the gas for the tractors and trucks and stuff, we had a big old tank in the yard that they would come and fill. So as far as rationing, I don't, I don't remember it being a hardship for us.

RP: Because your father was producing the farm crops, you were given an extra preference as far as that.

GK: Yes, I think so. I think we were allowed to have the gas tank, and so every now and then this truck would come in and fill the tank. So...

<End Segment 15> - Copyright © 2008 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.