Incarceration Years: Amache Camp Photos and DOJ Documents

View as: sequence of pages | list (printer friendly) | table of contents | interactive timeline


 

Arrest Warrant Rev. M Wada page 1

On March 13, 1942, the FBI executed an arrest warrant under emergency authorization from the Assistant US Attorney Leo Silverstein. The Presidential warrant, number crossed out, was requested by the US Attorney of Los Angeles on March 10, 1942, file #100-12200 and #100-12201.

 

Arrest Warrant - Mrs. K. Wada

On March 13, 1942, Mrs. Kuni Wada was arrested at home by the FBI. She was arrested with several other Japanese Language School teachers that day. After spending a few days downtown in jail, she was transferred to the Terminal Island Federal Prison. She was held at Terminal Island prison with about 30 other Japanese women for several months until her Enemy Alien Board hearing. After her hearing, I guess my great grandmother, a lifelong Christian, Baptist Missionary, and wife of Rev. M Wada, was considered a danger. She was then sent to Seagoville Women’s Prison.

 

Dept of “Justice” Alien Enemy Hearing Board

Notice of Hearing for Rev. Masahiko Wada, Baptist Minister for Pomona Baptist Church. The date of the hearing is scheduled for April 27, 1942.

 

Santa Anita Information Bulletin

Santa Anita Assembly Center Information Bulletin for the Homma family. Living quarters and meal times were assigned to the family.

 

Relocation instructions from Santa Anita

Santa Anita Assembly Center relocaton instructions to Granada Relocation Center

 

Petition to reunite Wada family

Rev. Wada's petition to reunite his family after being separated into different internment camps or DOJ prisons.

 

Amache buildings

Amache Internment Camp

 

Amache Water Tower

Amache Water Tower My father, Hisao Homma, and uncle, Kunio Homma, use to climb the tower as children. The water tower was close to their barracks at 12K-12E.

 

Amache Water Tower, 1944

Another view of the water tower, circa 1944

 

Newly planted trees around camp Amache

Newly planted trees around camp Amache

 

Amache Internment Camp buildings

Amache Internment Camp buildings

 

Amache Dental Staff

Back row (L to R): Dr. M. Okuda, Dr. J. Abe, Dr. Nagamoto, Hiroshi Ed Hamamura (USC dental school), Nooru Shimokawa (from Hawaii and USC), Dr Higaki Middle Rows: Easter Takei (between Dr Homma & Amy), Midori Wada (Grandmother Mutsu Wada Homma's sister behind Amy), Mrs. Ohaine (above Dr Hosaka), Teruko Shiina (partially hidden), Toshiko Ryozaki (behind Chiijo & Amy), Jean Sueoka (behind Teruko), Sumi Kawasaki (Joe’s sister far right) Front Row (L to R): “Pappy” Kotaro Katsura (from Hawaii), Dr. Kyushiro Homma (my Grandfather, USC grad), Amy Ishimaru, Dr. Hosaka (went back to Hawaii), Chiijo Sato, Kay Kiyoko Yusuhiro , Dr. Shiina

 

Inside Amache Dental Office

Dr. Kyushiro Homma is standing in the center of the photo. Dr. Homma was able to bring some of his dental office equipment from his Los Angeles office. circa 1943.

 

Alien Enemy Travel Permit

Rev. Wada travel permit so he could continue serving the Japanese Baptist ministry.

 

Amache Christian Church

Amache Christian Church 1945 My Great Grandfather Rev. Masahiko Wada front row 3rd from the right

 

Amache Christian Church newsletter


 

Amache Church Directory

Granada Federated Christian Church directory, Block 7-H.

 

Amache Christian Church Sunday School Class

Amache Christian Church Sunday School Class

 

Hisao Homma Amache Grade School

Teacher Miss Smith Hisao Homma - 3rd from the left

 

Envelopes from Mrs. Kuni Wada

Letters to my Grandmother Mutsu Wada Homma from Mrs. Kuni Wada. As stated in the warrant, the charges against Kuni Wada were for “being a dangerous alien engaging in subversive activities.” The warrant stated that Mrs. Wada was a teacher at the Upland Kyosei-Kai Japanese Language School in Laguna which was indirectly controlled by the Japanese Gov’t by approving the books it used.

 

 

Prisoner of War Envelop from Lordsburg

Letter from my GreatGrandfather Rev. Masahiko Wada to his son, Yasushi Wada, at Eastern Baptist Seminary. Masahiko Wada had crossed out the "Prisoner".

 

Homma Children in Amache - Kumiko, Hisao, Kunio

Homma Children in Amache Internment Camp, circa 1944. Left to Right are Kumiko, Hisao, Kunio. Photo taken outside barrack 12K 12E.

 

Homma Siblings back at 12K 12E

Homma Children, Hisao, Kumiko, Kunio, return to Amache 63 years later. It was the first trip back for Hisao and Kunio. Photo taken in on the foundation of their barracks 12K 12E. July 3rd 2008.

 

Homma Family in Amache Internment camp

Homma Family outside of 12K - 12E. left to right: Kunio (front), Kumiko, Mutsu, Hisao

 

Dr. Kyushiro Homma's Funeral at Amache

August 1944 My grandfather's funeral at Amache. He was 44 years old.

 

Dr. Kyushiro Homma's funeral at Amache


 

Letter from family friends at Manzanar

Letter from Manzanar page 5 - Front (from Nagano to Homma family) Painting describes a Friday night sandstorm at Manzanar.

 

Amache Baseball team

Amache Baseball team

 

Amache (Granada) Internment Camp


 

Amache Fire Dept

Amache Fire Dept putting out a brush or trash fire.

 

Amache hospital

Amache hospital around 1944

 

Amache Hospital

Amache hospital staff

 

Christmas time around Amache

Dressed up for Christmas. Hisao Homma 2nd from the right.

 

Amache Elementary School Report Card

Hisao Homma's Amache report card. Teacher: Dorothy Reid

 

Amache children

Amache - Kumiko Homma Hasegawa 1st row 4th from the left

 

Amache Group photo

Mike Wada front row kneeling with camera around neck; Kunio Homma 9 left of Uncle Mike; my father,Hisao, front row 3 left of Kunio

 

Amache Group photo 2

Mrs. Kuni Wada 2nd row 6th from the left. Possible a Block 12H photo.

 

Amache Memorial

Granite monument designed by Reverend Masahiko Wada. Names of 148 persons, including 31 Nisei who died in the service of their country, are inscribed on the stone. My Grandmother Mutsu Wada Homma front Left. My Great-Grandfather Rev. Masahiko Wada 2nd from right with glasses.

 

Homma Siblings at Amache Memorial

Homma family members and children of Dr. Kyushiro and Mutsu Homma, (L to R) Kunio, Hisao, and Kumi Hasegawa, at the Amache Memorial stone that their grandfather Rev. Masahiko Wada designed.

 

DOJ Enemy Alien Parole Termination

DOJ Enemy Alien Parole Termination November 21, 1945

 

Travel Instructions for leaving Relocation Centers

Travel Instructions in Japanese for the internees leaving the Internment Camps. Dated Feb. 1945.

 

Granada Christian Church thank you letter

Granada Christian Church thank you letter to Miss Emma Noerenburg. May 3, 1945

 

Planted trees around Amache

The internees planted trees around the Amache camp. Several of the trees are still alive around the camp as we visited Amache

 

Girls around Amache 1944 or 1945

Unknown girls walking around the Amache Internment Camp's dirt roads

 

Kunio Homma outside 12K-12E

Kunio outside his family's Amache Internment Camp room.

 

Hisao Homma at Amache Internment Camp

Hisao is to the left. His friend is unknown at this time.

 

Rev. Jitsuo Morikawa's Amache visit with the Homma and Wada family

The famous and distinguished Rev. Jitsuo Morikawa came to visit Amache and visited with the Homma and Wada family. Before WWII, Rev. Morikawa served as the youth pastor at Moneta / Gardena and Terminal Island Baptist churches as well as several other Los Angeles area Baptist churches. Rev. Morikawa served the American Baptist denomination at its Valley Forge, Pa., headquarters for 19 years, many of them as associate executive secretary. The Jitsuo Morikawa Evangelism Award is named after him.

 

Girls hanging out after school

Typical boring day around Amache

 

Mike Wada with friends

Probably Hisao and Kunio Homma, children to the left, in this photo. Notice the other person taking a photo too. Near the end of the war, my father remembers several people taking pictures.