<Begin Segment 17>

RP: Now, you just mentioned the fact that you kind of were robbed of your graduation ceremony by the U.S. government. Did you ever get your diploma sent to you?

CH: Yes, it was sent to us. That was the good acknowledgement of that.

RP: Tom mentioned that fifty years later, in 1992, that there was the Elk Grove High School...

CH: Yes, we did.

RP: Were you part of that group?

CH: Yes, yes.

RP: And what did that mean to you, to sort of have that finality of graduation?

CH: Yeah, well, I thought it was a good thing for us to have that. I remember being televised at that time, and I don't know what happened. I just said whatever I thought, and of course they could cut some of that off. 'Cause my friend from Los Angeles, he was one of the former graduates to be interviewed at that time. So I kind of followed his... by the KCRA, KCRA television station.

RP: Oh, in Sacramento?

CH: Uh-huh.

RP: Well, can you share with us a little bit of what you, how you adjusted and settled into Manzanar? Did you immediately look for work?

CH: Well, I think there was a... I don't know, report or something, that said every able person must work. So we all seeked different jobs available.

RP: What did you look for?

CH: I went for the clerical. This lady was, she went to Manzanar, and she lives in Sacramento. Her name is... wow, I know her last name, but I can't remember her first name. Nakao. She was our boss. And I don't know who was above her. Then later, I went into the fiscal department, and worked under Mr. Carney and Mr. Boczkiewicz. And I think there was a worker (who was) the project director's son.

RP: Pete Merritt, Jr.

CH: Yeah.

RP: Yeah, you worked under him?

CH: Yeah. Because Pete Merritt was married to Mr. Boczkiewicz's daughter, I remember that.

RP: I think they actually got married in camp.

CH: Oh, is that what happened? I know he wasn't there at the beginning, I remember.

<End Segment 17> - Copyright © 2008 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.