Densho Digital Archive - Henry Ueno Interview (denshovh-uhenry-01-0006)

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SG: What, you said during the, there was a lot of American bombings and air raids. How did you feel during that time? What was it like for you to experience that?

HU: Oh, it's really, initial bombing wasn't that hard, but it's getting, increases and become day and night, and we just took it just a matter of fact. When the air raid sound, then we go, just on the street. We dig the, what do you call, the shelters, air shelters, and we just, each kind of family has that type of a shelter. So we go in there and until the air is clear, then come back. It's just daily things and the nightly things, you know. We just took care of the, just as a daily life. And I remember I was staying, at that time, I was staying with my uncle's house who operate a restaurant, and my auntie has to deliver the child. You know, those days, a midwife who takes care of it, but it happened to be nighttime. You know, we just, we shut off all the lights. The windows were covered with black cloth and all that type of things, but she had to deliver the babies in that conditions, and you know, just dark, so dark. We just kind of feel around, boil the water, that type of things. That is terrible, the situations. And the uncle's house was burned down, and I moved to another uncle's house after that. Carrying with me was only just schoolbook, everything just burned, and I moved to another uncle's house. Then I think it was about two weeks later, his house was burned down, so I become just homeless. And I negotiated with the company, then company accept me as, stay in company dormitories, just one room, maybe I would say about 6 by 12 or something like that, small, just a room. And kitchen was common kitchen was at end of the hallways, and two gas stoves sitting there with the sink.

SG: What kind of factories were you working in at that time?

HU: We were producing military position equipment which will grind inside of ball bearings.

SG: Were you afraid that the U.S. military would target those factories?

HU: No. Fortunately, we were bombed once, piercing it for the roof, and then exploded. But at that time, all the employee was in, what do you call it, the air shelters, so nobody get hurt. But this one time, I was the head of a leader of the youth and the air raid sirens sound. My job is to go up the roof, watchtower and watch the B-29s coming over. And my job is to determine whether or not we are safe or not, and so they just fly over some directions. I don't, I didn't have to warn the factory people because the time was very precious, so we cannot stop our productions. Then when the group of the airplanes, the B-29 come over directly over us, approaching directly over us, then I warn the people so they'll go into the air shelter.

SG: So what would... can you describe what would happen when you saw a B-29, how that worked?

HU: Of course, again, you're used to in any situations. So here comes B-29s, and they are just slightly off course, so I don't warn the people. So the fear type of thing, you just don't feel. It's just kind of daily life, daily activities. So just like soldiers going to front lines, they can't think of fears or what's going to happen to him. You just obey the command and go to it, so that's, that's the life.