<Begin Segment 8>

RP: We talked a little bit about the grounds of the Children's Village. There was the pear orchard there, was very spacious lawn areas, areas to play. Did you spend much time playing?

CT: Oh yeah.

RP: And what did you do? I mean, what kind of play did you get involved...

CT: Well, we would play, it's usually running or something like that or some sports, but what I remember of that lawn -- now, maybe I'm crazy -- but I remember it was on a hill, a little bit on a hill. Now, may be just a figment, but we used to roll down, roll down our bodies down the hill and then run up and roll down again, as if we're skiing. But, and then they had this house that the gardeners built for us, this doll house, and it was made of, it was real nice, and one time the thing collapsed and nobody was in there. And then so right away all the caregivers said it's because of God this and all that, and I said well, yeah, I guess so. That's a miracle. It was a miracle. But I remember that doll house, or that house for children to play in. And I think we had swings and things like that and teeter totter. I was just too young to play in ball sports, but eventually I became a ballplayer, in basketball, tennis. I competed in swimming in high school.

RP: Oh, in high school.

CT: After, after...

RP: After Manzanar.

CT: After Manzanar, yeah. But I had a good time. The most important to me was, was no restrictions, believe it or not, and I don't like restrictions. I like to be free, and I think that's one reason why I was so happy is I came and went as I pleased as long as I was there for meal time, most meal time. And I was.

RP: Was there any kind of a curfew or bed check for orphans? You had to be in by a certain time?

CT: I don't remember. I have no idea if we were, because I remember going to the movies at night with the rest of the crowd, and that wasn't the crowd from, from the Village. It was the crowd from outside. And, and I don't know how often they showed the movies, but whenever they did I was right up with them in the first row. But I remember having a good time there.

RP: It's quite a beautiful location.

CT: It is. It's gorgeous. The mountains are beautiful. And I don't, after attending a few of the pilgrimage in April, most of them in April were so hot. I couldn't believe the heat. I says in April... but this last time it was beautiful. A little windy, but the weather was gorgeous.

RP: Do you recall the last few months of your life at Manzanar, when the camp was, people were leaving the camp and it was starting to close down?

CT: That was the saddest day of my life, is when we left. We cried and cried and cried, and saying goodbye to each other. Because I was older then, I was almost nine and everybody's crying, so naturally I was crying, because that was the thing you were supposed to do. And it was sad because we were also facing an unknown. And as a child, as a real young child you're not afraid of anything, but when you're getting up there, nine years old, you start to have some anxiety as to where you're going to go and who you're going to be with, and you're away from your friends. But you adjust when you get out.

RP: Did you know of Annie in the, in the Village at all?

CT: No. I did not know Annie in the Village because, see, we were three years difference and at that young age you don't socialize with three year olds when you're six. You socialize with people that are your age, or older, but not little kids.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 2009 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.