<Begin Segment 11>

MK: I didn't realize that you were thirsty. So, you were listening to the radio when the war started.

CE: Yes, we were listening to the radio.

MK: How did the news come out that the Pearl Harbor was attacked? How was it described? It was in English, wasn't it?

CE: Yes, it was in English, and we didn't know exactly what... [Laughs]

MK: Did your neighbors tell you that you were enemies?

CE: No, no, not at all. They were all nice in Milwaukie.

MK: Did the FBI come over to investigate?

CE: Ken Sasaki was the first one to be detained. Ken Sasaki was the first. That was the eldest son... instead of Ken. His brother was detained. Ken was in a poor health, and the brother was another Sasaki. [Laughs] Later my brother was detained as he was reading a newspaper, a magazine called Sokoku. [Laughs]

MK: How long was he gone? For how many days?

CE: He was taken away and sent to Missouri and Montana. He took off to work somewhere else from there. He was working on dam construction. My children filed a petition, and he came to the camp on the first anniversary after my husband passed away.

MK: That was your brother?

CE: Yes. Pastor Shoji conducted the first memorial ceremony for us. We sent a notice to Japan through the Red Cross to let the family know. It took them three years to receive the notice. They didn't know, and nothing was arranged. They kept all their assets as always. My husband was the eldest son and to inherit the household. Ben was named as the successor as he was the oldest son. [Laughs] My husband did not go back, and his younger brother went back to take care of the parents. It wouldn't have worked if we all had gone back, as the assets would have come to us. [Laughs] Kentaro's wife asked us to transfer the assets to Kantaro. I didn't know how much the family had and contacted my father in Japan to figure out what to do. He told me that the assets of the Endo Family are not what Kanichi personally had earned. It had been passed down in the family through generations, and the one who took over the household should take them all. He told me to be a good wife and a good sister for the rest of my life and give up everything. He also told me not to even think about coming back to Japan to live there. He said that none of our kids would be sophisticated enough to live in Japan. [Laughs] He invited me to visit them as often as I liked. He told me to transfer everything over to my husband's brother, and we received documents from their attorney in Japan. Our friend was a public notary. He took care of the paperwork, and it was accepted. He said, "It usually takes a lawyer, but they accepted. I will go ahead and take care of everything," and did it. Masako and I went to Japan for a visit after we transferred everything from my husband to Kantaro.

<End Segment 11> - Copyright © 2003 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.