Interviews
Joining the army
And because of my background, when I got drafted, of course they’d put you in the motor pool, or repairing cars and trucks. I must confess I really didn’t enjoy that. I says, “What am I doing here? I’m supposed to be in the army.” We had no military training, our jobs was simply like a civilian job. They didn’t even trust us to be on the Pacific coast. They shipped us all inland. I was in Oklahoma.
It was interesting because the local Indians would come up and run up to you and say, “Hey, hey, what tribe you from?” We were dark, suntanned like they were. And I said, “Oh we’re a southern California tribe.”
Date: January 3, 2015
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Lily Anne Y. Welty Tamai
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Search of family home by the FBI following the bombing of Pearl Harbor
(1937 - 2021) Teacher
Not recognizing father after reunion at Crystal City, Texas
(1937 - 2021) Teacher
A child's memories of activities at Crystal City, Texas
(1937 - 2021) Teacher
Hearing about Pearl Harbor
(b. 1921) Nisei veteran who served in the occupation of Japan
Traveling to Manzanar
(b. 1921) Nisei veteran who served in the occupation of Japan
Victory Corps Work during World War II
(1925 - 2018) Nisei educator from Hawai‘i
Jobs in Manzanar
(b. 1921) Nisei veteran who served in the occupation of Japan
Sugar beet and potato farming in Idaho
(b. 1921) Nisei veteran who served in the occupation of Japan
Recalling Pinedale and Tule Lake concentration camps
Judge, only Japanese American to serve on CWRIC.
Being called out of Reserves
(b. 1921) Nisei veteran who served in the occupation of Japan
Fort Snelling
(b. 1921) Nisei veteran who served in the occupation of Japan
Attempts to sign up for military service
(1917 - 2004) Political activist
Traveling from Manila to Tokyo
(b. 1921) Nisei veteran who served in the occupation of Japan
Joined Japanese Imperial Army during the WWII (Spanish)
(b. 1929) Nisei Argentinean
Camp stories impact on her career
Sansei judge on the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in California