Interviews
Remembering December 7, 1941
I was living at that time at 944 Cook Street in Honolulu. As a freshman I had entered University of Hawai`i in September of 1941. I was studying on that day, I believe it was a Sunday, a holiday. I was at home studying and listening to the radio at the same time. And at about six, seven AM in the morning the radio announcer said, "There is a massive maneuver going on above Pearl Harbor," and he kept on describing what was happening. He said after awhile, he said, “No, this is not a maneuver." He said, "This is the real McCoy!” And he said, “Real McCoy! Real McCoy!” And then he said it is reported that they saw on the planes the rising sun red ball on the wings of the airplanes. So we knew of course that Japanese navy was attacking Pearl Harbor. Also, soon after, as a freshmen at the University of Hawai`i, I was required to take Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) course for one hour every morning seven o’ clock. The radio announced that all ROTC students should report to the armory nearby. And I reported to the army and we were sworn in to the Hawai`i Territorial Guard. They gave us uniforms. And what we did in the guard was to guard not military installations, but electric plants and water supplies, equipment sources, and places like that.
Date: May 29, 2006
Location: Hawai`i, US
Interviewer: Akemi Kikumura Yano
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
