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HH: While you were a judge in the Court of Common Pleas, you were also appointed to the Presidential Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment. How did that come about?

WM: Well, after the legislation was passed to have a commission conduct hearings, there were three appointed by the Senate, three members appointed by the House of Representatives, and three by the President, Jimmy Carter at that time. And my commission is signed by Jimmy Carter, his name appears on it. But there's no question in my mind that Daniel Inouye was instrumental.

HH: What was the charge of this commission?

WM: The commission's charges were threefold. Number one, to find out what occurred, what the damages to those who were victimized, what those damages were, and thirdly, what recommendations the commission would make.

HH: Do you remember some of the other members of the commission?

WM: Oh, sure. Arthur Goldberg, a very fertile mind, former Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and former Labor Secretary, I believe, and former ambassador to the United Nations. Another illustrious individual was Arthur Flemming, former cabinet member under Eisenhower, very sharp, keen mind. Father Drinan, Robert Drinan from Massachusetts, a priest was on that commission, fiery as ever. Joan Bernstein, who was General Counsel to Health Education Welfare down in Washington, D.C. Congressman Lungren who is now Attorney General in California, undoubtedly will be a candidate for Governor of California, and from there, undoubtedly will try to run for the United States presidency. There was Hugh Mitchell from the state of Washington, former congressman and former U.S. Senator, very dedicated individual. By the way, I might add something to that. I as an Asian, of course, attended every single session of the commission, plus even those conducted by the community where were invited to attend and participate. We did that in San Francisco and Los Angeles. I attended every single one of them. Hugh Mitchell also attended every single one of them, and Arthur Flemming attended every single one except maybe one where he had to fly back to Washington, D.C. because he was still chairman of the Commission on Civil Rights.

HH: There were some very, I guess, what a lot of people would call "heavy hitters" on this commission.

WM: They were, they were.

HH: Because this was a full-time panel that you were working with, it sounds like, anyway.

WM: Well, certainly down in Washington, D.C., the whole group was there, when we held hearings there, in Washington, D.C.

HH: And you traveled throughout the country and Alaska.

WM: Up to Anchorage, Alaska, because we were also going to make a recommendation on what happened to the Aleuts, the natives up in Alaska.

<End Segment 6> - Copyright © 1994 JACL Philadelphia. All Rights Reserved.