Interviews
“All I have dear to me is in the camp”
It was a G2 - of the Intelligence - officer once interviewed me and point blank asked me, he asked me a lot of questions but, he says, "if Japan were to invade the United States, which side would you fight for?” And I told him point blank, everything I have dear to me is in the camp, that nothing else I have except within the camp, so I’ll fight for whatever side is defending the camp. And I told him that if circumstances were such that Japan was invading the United States came, I could just picture the local population rising in anger, I could picture the guards from the towers machine gunning my friends and family. I says, if they were shooting against the Japanese, defending the camp, I’ll fight for the U.S. side, if they were shooting my friends, I’ll fight for the Japanese side, cause that’s all I have left to fight for. So he didn’t like my answer. [laughs]
Date: March 25, 2005
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Sojin Kim
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Draft resisters sent to jail
(1916-2010) draft resister, helped form the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee
Appearance vs. Combat Effectiveness
(1919 - 2006) World War II and Korean War veteran
Would do the same again
(1916-2010) draft resister, helped form the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee
A visit to Jerome after OCS
(1919 - 2006) World War II and Korean War veteran
General Ryder’s faith in the 100th infantry battalion
(1919 - 2006) World War II and Korean War veteran
Lost respect for the flag after incarceration
(1913-2013) Doctor specializing in obstetrics in Southern California
Traumatic experiences before camp
(1913-2013) Doctor specializing in obstetrics in Southern California
Joining the hospital unit in Santa Anita Race Track
(1913-2013) Doctor specializing in obstetrics in Southern California
“Everybody went in like sheep”
(1913-2013) Doctor specializing in obstetrics in Southern California
The horror of Hiroshima after the atomic bombing (Japanese)
(1928 - 2008) Drafted into both the Japanese Imperial Army and the U.S. Army.