<Begin Segment 9>

RP: Your husband eventually was involved with the legal aid section of the camp.

AT: Yeah. Maybe, well, he heard they were taking these fellows to Idaho for work, but what they made weren't... they were charged so much a day for room and board, of course it was very small amount, but on the days the weather was bad they wouldn't be working and they still had to pay the room and board.

RP: So he went out on a agricultural furlough?

AT: Yeah. Uh-huh. I think he went two years.

RP: To... where did he go in Idaho?

AT: Rexburg or something. And they, when they were there they were able to go to other cities to shop and so he, he would get things that we need. Like he was able to get his, a little tricycle which everyone, every other child wanted to ride on. So he was lucky that way. And then after that he went to Ohio and worked in some kind of factory. I think it was a war or some, something for the war so he was cutting and using, he said it was boring but it, you know, it was easy work. And then I think Mr. Merritt got in touch with him or he got in touch with Mr. Merritt, I don't know. And told him, gave him a name, name of a person to contact in D.C. and that's how we ended up there.

RP: Oh, for the OSS?

AT: Yeah. Uh-huh.

RP: We'll talk about that a little more in a little while. I wanted to go back to camp again. You were involved in some of the activities of Block 18. You became the president of the Girls Club of Block 18.

AT: Well, we decided we should have some kind of activity. But I don't remember doing much. Well maybe because a lot of the people were beginning to move out of camp. And I know he didn't work as the president for very long either. They, like the boys were...

RP: Well, Henry was a president too?

AT: Yeah.

RP: Of what?

AT: Of this Barons, they called themselves Barons. I don't think we even named ours. But we decided to make... we had the little cloths which we printed our names and then stitched it so that we'd have everybody's name on that. I don't know if anybody finished theirs or not. I know mine is half finished.

RP: Did you put on any parties or events?

AT: They had it for the whole, not just... oh, there was a wedding that we went to. Just a friend, friend of ours in another block. I know we went there. And I know the younger kids had the dances in one of the halls, I know. They'd play that same music all the time. So sick of it. Oh, and they had movies.

RP: Outdoors?

AT: Yeah, out, yeah outside.

RP: Do you used to go and attend those?

AT: Yeah, I did. And one time when this bachelor friend moved into our (room), his friend came in and this boy was known to steal things. And so when I... he came to see his friend and then I think the same night I went to the movie and my wallet was gone. So, there are people like that too.

RP: And you never got it back?

AT: No. We couldn't accuse him 'cause we didn't see him take it or anything. But when he came I think must have seen it 'cause it was right in the open. 'Cause we had no, nothing to lock things.

RP: Did you eventually get any furniture in your room?

AT: Did we what?

RP: Did you, did anybody make any furniture that you could have in your barrack room?

AT: Oh, yes. Oh, just... we had a table. Now I don't know who made that. I know my husband didn't do any of that type of thing. But his father made that little chair. I don't know whether he made it for Bruce, but he gave it to us. But, oh, I know a lot of the men -- well I don't say a lot -- but some of the men made toys as like Christmas presents. I wished we had kept it but some of 'em made, my grandmother, his grandmother bought it for him. It was a train. So, I wished I had kept it. But I don't know what we did with it.

RP: You mentioned this bachelor came to live with you in the barrack?

AT: Uh-huh.

RP: Was he from another camp or from another block or...

AT: No, he came, he was in another block. All the bachelors were in, I think, in one section. So when this other family moved out, this bachelor friend of ours and then another Kibei bachelor moved in. So we had two young fellows.

<End Segment 9> - Copyright © 2010 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.