<Begin Segment 17>

SG: And so you said you were there for most of the summer and then what happened after that?

GA: In September when they told us we're going to move out, so then early September, we were put on the trains, and they didn't tell us where we're going, just took what we could carry and placed us on these old trains. The trains were real old with just hard wooden seats, and they wouldn't allow us to open up the blinds, so we could see outside to see where we were. We had to keep them down all the time. If we tried to open up the blinds, the guards who were on the train with us would stop us right away.

SG: So it was dark the entire train?

GA: Yeah, yeah.

SG: How long did the train trip take?

GA: Well, as I recall, it was an overnight trip. It was from Portland to, we found out when we got there that it was in Idaho, and it was near Twin Falls. I can't remember the exact spot where the train stopped, but we were placed on these big trucks where the train stopped and then taken to the camp.

[Interruption]

SG: So before we took the break, we were talking about your train ride up to Idaho, to Twin Falls, and you'd mentioned it was dark the whole ride up and what --

GA: Well, excuse me. They had train lights on, but you can't, you couldn't see outside.

SG: What was going on, what were you, what was going on in your mind or what were people talking about at that time?

GA: Oh, I can't remember what they were talking about. All I wanted to do was to see where we were, you know, so I wanted to see outside, but they wouldn't let us do it.

SG: Where, did you have any idea where they were taking you?

GA: No, no.

SG: Were you ever fearful of what might happen to you?

GA: Oh, I'm sure we were, yeah. I can't remember the exact feeling I had, but I must have felt that way because we didn't know where we were going.

SG: And at this time it was you, your sister, and your mother?

GA: Yes.

SG: And did you have any contact with your father?

GA: Not at that time, but we were in correspondence. We wrote every once in a while. Letters were... what do you call it,, what's the word, they looked at each letter that came in and out, the authorities did.

SG: So after, what happened after you reached Idaho?

GA: Well, then we were placed in buses, placed in buses to go to the camp. And when we arrived at our destination, we ran into this duststorm, just terrible, so windy and dusty. It was a very unwelcome visit, arrival at our destination.

SG: And did everyone, all the buses went to the same destination?

GA: Yes, yes.

SG: And how long was the bus ride?

GA: I don't remember. I don't remember how long it was. It must not have been very long because I'm sure the trains were fixed to arrive at a certain point fairly close to the assembly, fairly close to the camp, but I don't know exactly where it was now. I have a feeling it was Jerome, Idaho, but I'm not, I can't remember.

SG: So the bus took you to Camp Minidoka?

GA: Yes.

SG: And did you know that was going to be your permanent home when you got off the bus?

GA: I don't think we did. We were not told. We're just following instructions to get on the bus, to get on the trucks.

SG: When did you find out that this was going to be a long-term stay for you?

GA: I don't remember that. I don't remember that. It must have been after we arrived in our rooms, you know, to find that they had prepared all this. We must have thought it's going to be sometime before we got out of there. I don't recall them giving us any instructions.

SG: So you just kind of realized after a while that this was it?

GA: Yeah.

<End Segment 17> - Copyright © 2003 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.