<Begin Segment 8>

LT: Your father was a community leader among the Japanese in Hood River. Can you talk about his position and what he did?

SA: Oh, it's a small society or something, whatever they had, Japanese American Society, he just happened to be the president. I think that's the first time he ever won president. But that's the reason I guess the FBI picked him up.

LT: Can we go back to the Society, can you tell me more about the Japanese Society in Hood River?

SA: No, I don't know much about it, but I think the whole purpose was that, to improve relations with Japan. That's about all I know, but they've been in existence a long time, I think.

LT: Okay. So on December 7, 1941, after Pearl Harbor, what were you doing when you learned about the bombing of Pearl Harbor?

SA: I was, well, I was pruning peach trees. But when it was about lunchtime, came home, and this neighbor fellow, youngster, Caucasian fellow, about twelve years old or so, come over, said, "Japan bombed Pearl Harbor." At that time, I didn't even know where Pearl Harbor was. You know, today, say a person, fifteen years old or whatever, is quite knowledgeable about everything, 'cause with all the exposure you get from TV and so forth, you know. But in those days, at fifteen, I didn't know much about world events and so forth.

LT: So you didn't know what had happened when you learned about Pearl Harbor's bombing?

SA: Can you repeat...

LT: So you didn't really know the impact?

SA: Oh, I knew the impact, but I didn't know where Pearl Harbor was.

LT: So what happened next? What did your family do as soon as you learned the news about Pearl Harbor?

SA: Not much of anything. You just got to sit and wait, you know. Of course, my dad was at a meeting, but after he came home, we all talked about what I said before. They said, "There's no telling what would happen to us because we're Japanese citizens. But you kids are all American, so you do what the country asks of you."

LT: And what were your thoughts at that time?

SA: Oh, I kind of agreed with that thinking.

[Interruption]

LT: So after you learned the news about Japan bombing Pearl Harbor, what were you thinking? Were you worried, were you anxious, what went through your mind as a seventeen-year-old kid?

SA: Gosh, I don't know. 'Cause my brother was in the service at that time, Geo is my oldest brother. But I know afterwards, couple days later, my brother was home, still home, said, "You think our dad was really a spy?" We went over the attic and the barn and haystack, went through the haystack looking for a shortwave radio or something. Said, "You think he's got it hidden somewhere?" But afterwards, we didn't find anything, he said, "Oh, Dad's not smart enough to be a spy."

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 2013 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.