<Begin Segment 12>

RP: Yeah let's, let's talk about the Vanguards. How did that group form, that club?

JO: That I don't know because when I joined it they were formed already. And this guy asked me and he, because it's, they're playing football and he says, "Do you play football?" And, "Yeah." So, I start playing with them. And they did all, some of the other social events too. I remember we were playing football and they had that big riot there that they had. And we saw that crowd coming down. We didn't know what it was. We were playing football in the yard, out in the firebreak. We said, oh, there's people going down. So, yeah. Well we played, I think I played about three games. That's about all I played. There weren't too many other people to play against that's why. We used to play against the Bluefin Tuna which was a group from Terminal Island, San Pedro.

RP: Bluefin Tuna?

JO: Yeah. They called 'em Bluefin. They called 'em Bluefin. They didn't say tuna, but Bluefins. So, yeah. I don't think there's too many people from the Vanguards left. At the last reunion, Manzanar reunion, I talked to this guy that I knew very well. We used to get along and he was in Chicago and other places. He was back in Santa Monica but they say he passed away.

RP: What was his name?

JO: Henry... starts with a Y. What the heck... Yoshino.

RP: Yoshino.

JO: Yeah, Henry Yoshino.

RP: How many boys were in the club?

JO: Well... I don't know. About a dozen, maybe a little more. 'Cause everybody that was in it had to play football.

RP: You said you guys had other social events. What were some of those?

JO: Well, with the Forget-Me-Nots, you know. Well other than that there wasn't that much... had a few other things I guess. I don't recall.

RP: Dances?

JO: Huh?

RP: Did you have dances? Dances?

JO: No, I don't think so. Yeah. There was a couple other guys that are still there. I don't know what happened to 'em but, 'cause I haven't seen 'em. I asked about 'em at the reunion but nobody knew so I don't know. We don't get that many people there. When at the reunion I saw about oh, at that table I sat, there was four girls and this one guy that I know, Shig Kuwahara. And I didn't see anybody else. So...

RP: Tell us about the Forget-Me-Nots. How did you get together with them?

JO: Oh, they did little dances and stuff like that. You get together. There wasn't much else you could do. You couldn't go anywhere and do anything. So they used to have dances together.

RP: And who were, do you remember some of the girls that were involved with that club?

JO: Well like I was saying, Alice Sakuma. I can't... I don't know who they all got married to. And there was... Miyoko Oshiro, Yuki Shigemori, Betty Yamada... oh boy. It's been a long time. I don't remember all that. That's the ones that I remember right now. Names are really going by. [Laughs]

RP: Yeah, right. Did you, did you dance in camp?

JO: Oh, yeah. What else can you do?

RP: Did you learn how to dance there or had you danced in high school before?

JO: I probably learned how to dance there, I think. Because I don't remember dancing before I went there.

RP: Do you ever remember dancing to a band called the Jive Bombers?

JO: Oh, yeah. Yeah, by the way, when I was up there I took up the clarinet you know.

RP: Tell us about that.

JO: Oh, well, I was only, done it about a year and then I left but when they dedicated that auditorium, where the building that you're in now, we were, I played in the band there. And I liked to froze my butt off. It was cold and I just had a white shirt on. But let's see, that was probably May, I think it was something like that. Anyway, before the high school graduated, they graduated a class inside there. But I don't know whether I was there or I was gone because I left in June. I think they, I think they graduated before I left.

RP: So you took, did you take lessons up at the music hall?

JO: Well yeah. Which was up there by the hospital. I had a very good teacher.

RP: And did you purchase your instrument through the music hall? How did you get that?

JO: Did I get it there? I don't really recall. I think I got it from somebody else. They had it and took it at one time and then quit. So... my granddaughter has it now. I don't think she's playing. She'd like to play the flute more than anything else.

RP: Do you remember the music teacher at the high school? Louie Frizzell?

JO: Oh yeah. I know Frizzell. I played in the band with the... yeah, the yearbook there's a picture. He's sittin' up there with the band. Yeah, he was a great guy, I thought he was. So...

RP: Were there other teachers that you remember who had an impact on you?

JO: Well there was... well, I was in class with the Greenly which was, he was the blind teacher. And there was another teacher and she was something else. I thought so anyway. But I don't, I don't remember too much other than that. I know Helen Ealy. Because I think... yeah... no, that's about all I remember now.

<End Segment 12> - Copyright © 2010 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.