<Begin Segment 7>

RP: When you, when you found out that you would have to leave Ocean Park...

AT: Yes, uh-huh.

RP: How did that affect you?

AT: Well, it was kind of scary of course, and we didn't know where we were gonna go. Although the people across the street, especially the Italians, they were very, they were almost weeping when we left. Because we felt the Italians and the Germans should have been taken out too, not just us. But I guess they felt that too, yeah.

RP: And how about your husband's reaction? He was a lawyer and he knew, you know, law and...

AT: Yeah, yes, but he took it well. He says it's something that we can't fight or...

RP: What arrangements did you make to store personal property or I imagine your in-laws had to leave as well, and what about the, the three homes they owned?

AT: Yeah, well they had a garage underneath their house so all our things were stored in there. And then my father in-law found a friend in the, sort of a, she was kind of an old lady but had her stay in (their home) while the house that we stayed in was rented out. And she took care of that and to take, to look after her, my husband had a good friend, Caucasian friend, and he took our car and had his brother use our car while we were gone. And he looked over whatever this lady, Mrs. Diamond, had trouble with, she'd have to confer with this Caucasian friend. And he's the one that took our, brought our car into camp with whatever things that we wanted from out of our garage. And then I assume he went back by train I guess, or bus. Is there a train?

RP: So he brought your personal vehicle to Manzanar?

AT: Yeah, uh-huh.

RP: With...

AT: With all the...

RP: Items that you...

AT: Yeah, uh-huh. And we drove that to Washington, D.C.

RP: Where did, when you were at Manzanar, where was that car parked?

AT: I have no idea. I think his, this friend's brother was using it so he kept it in good condition.

RP: Do you remember what he brought up in the car for you? The items that...

AT: Yes. It was that October, October 17...

RP: Oh, for 1944.

AT: Yeah, '44.

RP: Oh I see. So he drove the car at that point --

AT: Yeah.

RP: -- and then you left.

AT: Yeah. And we left a few days after I think.

RP: So you, you were only allowed to bring suitcases that you could carry.

AT: Well, that's what they said. But we took a little more than... we got away with it.

RP: What did you, what did you pack with you to go to Manzanar?

AT: Oh, it was mostly clothes. Oh, and some blankets and things like that.

RP: Anything special?

AT: Well, his baby bed. You know, it could be folded up or something so they let us take it.

RP: And how old was Bruce at the time that you left to go to Manzanar?

AT: He was about thirteen or... thirteen months I think. Uh-huh. And then in those days we sterilized bottles so I took all that sterilizer things. I don't really remember what we took. I think though it was mostly clothes.

RP: Did you know that you were going to Manzanar?

AT: No. I don't think anyone knew.

RP: So when you got to camp, I think you, did you travel by train there?

AT: You mean to Manzanar? No, it was a bus.

RP: And where did you --

AT: Meet?

RP: -- meet to go...

AT: It was in Venice. I think that building is still there. It's an odd-shaped building. So every time we pass we say, "That's where we left."

<End Segment 7> - Copyright © 2010 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.