<Begin Segment 9>

SG: Mr. Ueno, what did you, what were your thoughts about the war in general during that time?

HU: Of course, we are raised in that conditions, fight and win. Until the war ended, of course, everybody especially, young men, father, mother has a young man, they're relieved. And then, but we didn't know things would get worse for the hunger situations. And so I was, I really felt, I was really relieved. American citizens serving in the U.S. Army, I mean Japanese army. I really can't, think should I/shouldn't I, or I should/I shouldn't. You know, that's the struggle for a little while, and I was lucky that I didn't. I lost many friends in the war, some was kamikaze pilot. Teenagers, they died. But when I came to United States -- I'm sorry I'm just kind of jumping around -- I probably stories, but just connect to this war situations. I was drafted in the U.S. Army year later, then the fight against the Koreans. You know, Korea is part of Japan, right. Then they came over here, then experience all the miserable situations in Japan, and then I was drafted. I had no chance of escape. Either I serve or, actually, they cannot technically send back, send me back to Japan because at that time I was American citizen. But the captains kind of somehow indicated, "You're American citizen, you have to serve. You have to go back to your own country," type of remark, so that's how it happens. And military training, I didn't speak English at all. Just imagine that anybody don't speak the language serving for its military. I can't even understand it for the drills, command, that type of thing. And the classrooms, they don't provide your book. I carried the dictionary, Japanese/English dictionary, but no books, nothing to read. And only thing I could do is just borrow the notes from a buddy. But I learned how largely Americans' handwriting, it was just so bad, you know. You cannot read one guy's handwriting, even American cannot read this, so I tried to sweep the page of dictionaries. I stayed up, see, we have to, lights out time is, was at ten o'clock and always lights was on, so I went to the latrine, the benjo, and I stayed up all night and just trying to catch the few words that we learned that day. And for the physical activities, I could stay up, but on the sit down in the classrooms, it's so sleepy. I slept almost all the class time. And, I'd be punished because of sleeping in the classroom, so I learned to sleep with my eyes open in those days. I was swaying like this. I just, that was quite an experience. But after the basic training, I was sent to a artillery school in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. I suffered the same, but those days, this is thanks to the Nisei people. When military find out I'm a Nisei, they just treat me so nice because for their accomplishment, effort, so I was treated very, very nice. And a company commander who was, who served in Japan couple years, so he was much more understanding. So for, for the punishment I receive sleeping in the classroom, he just waived that, tell the instructors don't bother, so I escaped from that punishment, too.

SG: And you were nineteen, how old were you when --

HU: Twenty.

SG: You were twenty?

HU: Yeah. Then after the Fort Sill, artillery school, then I was sent to Korea. And the Korean situation, it's bad. North Koreans and Chinese armies are there pushing the U.S. Army to the south. So we were sent to Korea to protect military, and American military and Korea military were retreating from enemy, enemies, excuse me. And I was fortunate I have special orders as an interpreter who doesn't speak English much, but I was interpreter anyway, and I remained in Japan. But my buddies, they experienced the heavy casualty. I, even today, though, I feel bad about it why I wasn't there, when people get killed, and my friends are getting killed. I was back in Tokyo and Okinawa, safe place. But just knowing Japanese, and I was saved.

SG: When you came to the United States, your mom was still alive in --

HU: Ah, yes.

SG: -- Katsuura?

HU: Yes.

SG: How was her feelings of you coming to the United States?

HU: The ladies experience that kind of hardship. She just have to just go around, whatever. Her surrounding is, going around, so she doesn't say anything. She was sad that I'm coming over here, but she didn't object my coming over here. After my brothers left Japan for the United States, I was head of family. I had a six years older sister, but women don't count, so I become the head of the family. And I send the season, letter to the friends and families under my name, and I attend the family gatherings with adults and second years, second grade boy in weddings, funeral service. I represent the families, and I took, I really felt bad for her because of the suffering she went through, so I really take care of her, kind to her, and always extending, understanding her, comforting her. So I think I felt, I'm grown up, ready to go to United States. I talked to her, and she didn't say a thing, kind of word like good luck, you know.

SG: Was it a difficult decision for you to make?

HU: Yes and no. Yes is leaving Mother there. But of course, my sister were there in the same town, and Japanese, what do you call it, economic situation is pretty bad, and I felt that this is probably the only way that I could successfully survive. Then she was all, she had a house, so, comfortable for as long as I could help her financially, and I write as often as possible, so I really didn't feel guilty leaving her there. Then later, after we got married, we tried to bring her here, United States. But, of course, she didn't understand English, no friends. Her friends here, most have gone, so she said I'm going to just watch the cemetery of, ancestors including her husband, so she wouldn't budge. So she stayed, stayed in Japan.

<End Segment 9> - Copyright © 2003 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.