Densho Digital Archive - Henry Nishi Interview II (denshovh-nhenry

<Begin Segment 26>

RP: Oh, one final story.

HN: Yeah.

RP: That was what you shared with us last time was, you know, you finding your old buddy, Al...

HN: Yeah.

RP: Can you share that story about how you, both of you kind of got reunited again? You and Al.

HN: Yeah.

RP: Al was a schoolmate of yours?

HN: Yeah.

RP: Uh-huh.

HN: A schoolmate and lived in the same neighborhood, went to the same schools from grammar school to junior high to high school. We were in the same class, we graduated the same time. Hung around together, a group of us. But primarily lived right in the neighborhood where we lived. That also went to the same grammar school, junior high. And of course when I got out of high school, I went up north to go to school, and lived up north. I just came home for the summers for short time. I didn't keep in touch with my high school buddies. Then we got evacuated. When I got back I was busy going to work and I didn't look up my buddies. But he, not only Al, but others tried to get a hold of me. But I was just too busy to look them up. And as time went by, just accidentally, he found one of his, one of his accountant, which is... which would be like a wife to my nephew, happened to mention my name. And that's how, how it came out that we got together again after sixty some odd years. Sixty or so.

RP: Actually, it's seventy years.

HN: Huh?

RP: Seventy.

HN: Seventy years, yeah.

RP: What was his last name, Al...

HN: Stitch.

RP: Stitch.

HN: Yeah.

RP: And that reunion was actually filmed, wasn't it?

HN: Yeah.

RP: It was on television?

HN: Yeah.

RP: You were on TV?

HN: Yeah.

RP: Huh. Well, you gotta at least send him a Christmas card.

HN: Well not only Al Stitch but it was another very good... in fact, Bud Pedrotta was an also, very close friend. He came to the reunion also, which was...