<Begin Segment 7>

LT: Let's talk about December 7, 1941. You were nineteen years old. Where were you and how did you learn about Pearl Harbor?

TT: Well, it happened that Sunday morning we were... Niseis were going to put on a Christmas play program, and they wanted us to do some kind of talent. So all I remember is we were supposed to... guys were supposed to dance like a can-can girl, I guess, that was supposed to be in the program. And I don't know what other things, some people probably played instruments and sang or something. That's when we were practicing for Christmas person's program and that's when we heard about it.

LT: Can you tell me a little bit about that can-can dance, what you were wearing and how you were performing?

TT: Well, we were just wearing ordinary clothes because it was just practice. I don't know if they had a dress for us or what, but then maybe the girls had a dress for us, I don't know. All I remember is a bunch of us guys, about six of us or so, mainly from Odell area, and we were supposed to have practice for that part of the program.

LT: And then you learned about the bombing of Pearl Harbor?

TT: Yeah. In fact, Mr. Yasui must have heard it on the radio or something, and he came over and told us. I think he must have knew we were practicing. Anyway, I guess he said, "Maybe we should all go home," or something, I don't know. That was the end of it anyway.

LT: Do you remember what he said and how he said it?

TT: No, he didn't say it to me, so I didn't know.

LT: Okay. When you learned the news about Japan bombing Pearl Harbor, what was your thought?

TT: You know, I really don't... can't think of what I thought those days, at that time. I didn't think it was good, probably, but then...

LT: Okay. What happened afterward? What did your family do?

TT: Well, the sheriff from Hood River told us what to do and all that at first, and then told us what we're supposed to do or what not to do. And they put a curfew on us, an eight o'clock curfew.

LT: Can you talk about that a little bit?

TT: Well, a night we had to be at home by eight o'clock. So if you went anywhere, you had to rush home before eight o'clock because of the curfew. I don't remember even going to Hood River or town. But then they had, they put out a poster, and it had on there what to do and what not to do.

LT: Do you remember anything about that poster or about what you could or could not do?

TT: Well, mainly the Isseis, I guess, they said, "Don't speak Japanese to each other," and then, "Don't bow," and stuff like that. I really don't know what else. Three or four years ago I had that poster, but I threw it away. I should have kept it, come to think of it now. But I don't know if the Legacy Center has that poster or not. Do they have it? You don't know.

LT: Was the poster from the government?

TT: No, it's from Hood River.

LT: Okay, from the Hood River Japanese American community?

TT: No, it's from the hakujin, you know, the mayor or whoever is the head of it. They must have made a poster of how to act and what to do and what not to do and all that stuff.

LT: And they were specifically telling Issei not to bow and not to speak the Japanese language?

TT: Yeah. Mainly them, because we, as kids, didn't bow. We didn't bow or anything, speak Japanese to each other anyway. And probably had the curfew written on there and all that stuff. There's some stuff I can't remember what we found there.

LT: Well, once that poster came out, how did life change for you and your family?

TT: Well, didn't hardly change anything except the curfew part did, probably, had to be home at eight. The other stuff didn't bother us because we didn't do it anyway.

LT: Now you were nineteen, so you had graduated from high school. So you were working on the farm with your family.

TT: Yeah, and then I was working out that year, '41, in the summer I was working for Ray Yasui and his farm. And ours was a small farm, so they had enough work for me, so all summer I worked for him.

<End Segment 7> - Copyright © 2014 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.