Densho Digital Archive - Rose Niguma Interview (denshovh-nrose

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MR: Any questions? Oh, I know. I did want to ask you, when you came out of Minidoka, what kind of paperwork did you have to fill out? How did you manage that?

RN: Well, when they called you out of Minidoka, I think our paperwork things were done by War Relocation Authority, and there was Mrs. Freedman who was very helpful. And then when I was in University Home, I was there all alone. I was a little afraid because of what reaction would be, see, and at that time, they were putting up signs say, "No Japs Allowed," things like that. Well, I was there all alone, see, so I was very, very careful. And one time, I was coming home by myself from my nursery school job, must have been about five after twelve, there was three men standing there right near my room that I had. As soon as I came back, they sped in front of me, three of them. It angered me because I said, "My two brothers in service, you four ass. What are you doing just spitting at me," you know. I really was angry. But I was smart enough, so I just held my head down and that, as if I didn't see them, ignored them, and came slowly up to my room. But in the room, I threw something.

MR: Where were your brothers serving?

RN: What?

MR: Where were your brothers serving during the war?

RN: I don't know. I think there was one to Germany. He didn't have to fight long because the war was over, so he did occupation. But my younger brother, my younger brother really bright, I think his life was wasted. He, wherever he goes and wherever he had a job, people notice his intelligence, so he gets, so when he went into service, they selected him to open the 442nd combat troop, it's not a troop. I don't know what you would call it, but they select him as a first cadre to train the other young ones that are coming, he and I think it was Hinatsu and somebody else from Portland, several of them, about three or four of them. My brother is tall. He's close to six feet. Japanese are very short. They're not very tall people. Well, he's very fair and very logical. He used to get on my nerves being so logical sometimes, but he, he just from private, he went up to master sergeant. He was one of the top instructors there. Because he was such an instructor, good one, they didn't send him overseas. They kept him to teach, see. And finally, they decided to send him to OCS, Officer's Candidate School and, no, he was a very good instructor, very fair, not influenced by any [inaudible] anything like that. I think probably his height helped him too. Well, he was a master sergeant there, and Jim Onchi, he's one of the martial artists under here. He was with him. They didn't send him overseas either because he's one of the top instructors also. But they send my brother to OCS. He said he had a very hard time. At that time, I have the appendectomy. We didn't hear from him. We wondered what happened to him, you know. My mother worried. But when I was in there, a young soldier came in, and I asked him, "Do you know Kay Niguma?" He said, "Yes, he's my top sergeant. He's one of the best sergeants there, so they sent him to OCS," he told me, and that made me feel very relieved, and I told my mother. And he also was sent to Minneapolis because he had four years of Japanese studies, and he was able to write Japanese to my mother. When he wrote a letter, I had to translate it for her. But now, she got a letter with Japanese on it. It thrilled her that she could have it, and she could read it, you know, and that was nice. But he's been in the service for four years. He could have gone to Japan, made it his life career. He would have gone up. But I told him, "If you want to make it your career, do it. But if you don't," I said, "get out and find a job here, civilian work," I told him. So he decided he had enough of it. But he didn't have to go and kill anybody which I'm very thankful for, both my brothers. One of the ten commandments says, "Thou shalt not kill," see, so I'm grateful for that. But whenever I have a problem, anything, he's always there for me. I just don't say anything, he's there, so I felt like I had a good foundation until he passed away about three, four years ago. He had colon cancer. My mother had liver cancer. My uncle has lung cancer, and Mom has diabetes, different things like that. That's why I decided I'm here. I could live here. I'm not leaving it to them. I'm leaving it to medical research, so they help many, not just few, but I haven't told them though.

MR: Is there anything that we didn't talk about that you'd like to tell about?

RN: No, just that I hope I get better, so I can get back to my normal life which I think it will never happen because I'm growing older. But I wish that I can get about without using my cane, can be able to run maybe, and do a little traveling. I don't care for traveling anymore. I did when I was younger, not now. So if I go through my life without any pain, without any problem, I'll be very happy. I don't care for problem. You can't solve them when you're older. You're slower, and it's really aggravating like I tried a button. If I have expensive button, they have tiny buttons, you really struggle.

MR: Well, I appreciate the time that you spent with us today and the stories you shared. It's been very nice. Thank you.