Densho Digital Archive - George Uchida - Leo Uchida Interview (denshovh-ugeorge

<Begin Segment 23>

RP: This is tape three of a continuing interview with George and Leo Uchida. And George, from your Air Force service, you pursued a career in engineering?

GU: Yeah, yes. I worked for Northrup Corporation for thirty-one years and retired.

RP: And what specifically, what part of Northrup or aeronautics were you involved with?

GU: You call it data reduction, where you get test results, whether aircraft or engine was tested, and we get information from them and analyze what went on. But I also was good in... I don't know what you call it, making, drawing graphs of the, with the data. And so I did a lot of that, and it wasn't a really, really big deal, it's just drawing, connecting lines and things like that. But I was fairly good at that, so I did mostly that type of work. I wouldn't call myself an actual engineer. [Laughs] Anyway, I guess I was working at the right place at the right time, and I was able to stay with the company. Even when we went through this layoff type period, I think I was the most, longest I was laid off was like one year. But I was able to get back into the same company in the same area. So I was, I consider myself lucky to have been able to stay in the company. People that I worked with, they all worked with people, I got friendly with them, and they tolerated me, I guess, for me to stay with the company. [Laughs]

RP: And then you got married?

GU: Yeah. I got, actually, I got married before I started working. It was just right after I graduated from school. Graduated Friday and Sunday I was married. [Laughs]

RP: So it was a gal from your high school?

GU: No. Frances was living in the Whittier area. And the reason I came in contact with her was she started to a school, UCLA. And while there, because her uncle and aunts and cousins were member of the church that I was then, she started coming to that church and got into the choir group. That's how I got to know her, and eventually ended up getting married.