<Begin Segment 21>

AC: Looking back over your entire life experience now, what have you learned? What kind of things have you concluded about living here in America?

PS: I guess living in this area has always been, I thought a good place to live. After traveling all over, we've been, my wife and I, we've been to London and Paris, and it's always so, in all my travels, Far East, it always feels so good to get back here. It's kind of stupid, but the first thing I want when I get back to the States is a hotdog. It's so silly, but that's what I enjoy when I get back. I think we're fortunate in this area that it's got its good and bad points where rural America, kind of get left out on a lot of things. And yet on the other hand, there's advantages of being rural, too. In the overall picture of things, why, I think we kind of get left out in this part of the world. I don't agree with all the politics that go on, but that's part of living in this country.

AC: Where do you feel that you've been left out?

PS: Oh, it looks to me like here in the state of Oregon, there's so much control that comes out of Portland and the Willamette Valley. Our governor a couple of years ago was so against, or he wanted control so much, the state of Oregon had a couple of airplanes that he gets to use to get around wherever he wanted to go. And so his speed limits he set for the state are, I think are still lousy. You see a speed sign on the highway, it says maybe something speed. It's not a speed limit. And so I often wonder how people from other states traveling through, how did they interpret that? And then rather than trying to make it easier for people to get around better, why, I feel that it's gone the other way. It's too many restrictions. I got stopped once here this spring, and that was after we got a new captain over here with the Oregon State Police. And he came from the Willamette Valley, and he started clamping down as soon as he got here. Of course, that's where he came from, the Willamette Valley, where they had more restrictions. But I told this officer that stopped me, I said, "Down around Jordan Valley before the war, the speed limit was 45, and now it's 55." I told him, "Now, that's progress, isn't it?" I said, being nasty, but anyway, you go over into Nevada, it's up to 65 or 70, the same two-lane highway. And you come up into Idaho, it's 65. And here we have these restrictions, it's not very fair as the way I interpret it. After having driven since 1939, not having been picked for a DUI or accident or anything else, my big violations are speeding. Anyway, that's my take on things.

AC: If your father was still alive, right here, right now, and he's listening to us talking, so you and your children and your grandchildren, what would he say?

PS: Boy, that's a good one. I guess he'd be happy with the way things are. I don't know. He'd probably be disappointed in some things. Things are, probably in his way of thinking, too easy maybe. Or maybe happy for the way things, were able to accomplish as individuals, the opportunity to go on to higher education, I don't know. I think he probably would be happy with the way his kids and grandkids are getting along in this country and the way things, the way we're accepted. I think he'd be pretty happy.

AC: You talked about all kinds of things today. Is there anything that we haven't talked about that you'd like to go talk about?

PS: Oh, boy. I don't know. I've had the opportunity to participate in a lot of community things, and I think I've been pretty blessed. I've got my family, my five children, I don't know how things could be more blessed than that. My wife was able to graduate college early on. She was the first in her family to go on, get on to graduate university. My brother's still healthy. Unfortunately I've lost my middle brother, but other than that, I think I'm very fortunate. I think this country is, you can always find bad things, negative things, but on the other side, there are so many good things that I'm very thankful and privileged to be here, still be alive.

AC: Anything else that you'd like to add to anything else we've talked about?

PS: No, I think that's... you've allowed me to say a lot of things, and I'm grateful for that. I think that's, I appreciate it.

AC: Well, last question then. Looking over everything in your entire life again, what advice would you give to your grandchildren and your great grandchildren?

PS: Well, I guess I'd like to tell them that nothing is free. You have to learn to make your way through life, take advantage of the education systems, knowledge and learning is so important. And I think getting education and staying healthy is very vital. Get off the beaten path and get into drugs or whatever, it's really got its pitfalls. I don't know, I guess you got to be honest with yourself and try to learn as much as you can, and don't be afraid to work. I guess my old parents' teachings, don't steal and be honest and don't damage your name, I guess that would be the kind of thing that I keep telling my grandkids. I think that's it.

AC: Thank you so very much for taking the time to speak to us today.

PS: Well, thank you.

<End Segment 21> - Copyright © 2004 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.