Densho Digital Archive - Jun Ogimachi Interview (denshovh-ojun-01-0010)

<Begin Segment 10>

RP: This is tape two of a continuing interview with Jun Ogimachi. And Jun, we were talking about your, one of your jobs in camp was distributing oil to the, to the rooms. And, did, were there, do you remember people having problems with the stoves?

JO: No. I... some of 'em, you know, they would... I don't know, they wouldn't work or something like that and they just had to be cleaned or something like that. Other than that, I didn't see too much problems. You got to remember we had a, there were two or three in the rec. hall and stuff like that and other places too. So they had to be, oil had to be put in there.

RP: How about the mess hall?

JO: I didn't have the mess hall. It was on the other side.

RP: Other side.

JO: So I didn't have to do the mess hall.

RP: So who was responsible for the other side of the block?

JO: I don't remember anymore who the person that was doing that. I think he took care of the mess hall. The mess hall, I think the stove was set up a little bit different too compared to...

RP: Do you remember how many stoves were in there?

JO: No, I don't remember. I don't think I ever been in that part of it, that's all.

RP: So you go to know a fair number of people in your block just going in their, in the rooms and...

JO: Oh, yeah. Like the side that I was on was from the San Fernando Valley. The side on the other side were mostly from Venice and that area over there. So we did get, I'd get to know some of 'em. The had the barbell, they had that weightlifter and he lived on the other side and boy some of those weights are huge. I couldn't believe. But if you looked at him you can understand why he's... but he had like... they also had one barracks that had a couple apartments in there was all bachelors. So, you know... and they had one barracks with the block office in it. I think in Barrack 1 or...

RP: Uh-huh.

JO: Yeah, I think it's Barrack 1 that had the block office in there.

RP: Do you, you recall who your block manager was?

JO: Yeah. Muto was the name. What the heck was his first name? Huh.

RP: Was it Tak? Tak Muto?

JO: No. Maybe it was Fred. I don't remember.

RP: Did you work with him at all on anything on the block?

JO: Well, he was from San Fernando Valley. He was a flower grower before. And I talked to him a few times and things like that. So... 'cause he was a very good, a nice person. In fact, I used to see him quite often even when after I got out of the service and I got involved with the community center. And, so... but the whole family was there and that block living... well, he was married so the rest of the family were in a different apartment. But there was...