He was a handsome young man – a farmer, or to be more exact, a ranch foreman.  His family were the founding fathers of a little town called Reedley in California.  She was a beautiful young woman who lived in Imperial Valley.  It was 1942.   

It was a terrible war. The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.  The Americans were so frightened.  They grabbed every Japanese person they could on the west coast and threw them in what they called “Interment Centers ”  But even to this day most people refer to them as.”  Concentration Camps.”  

The handsome young man was interred in Poston, Arizona.  Poston was actually the center for three camps – Roastem, Toastem & Dustem.  He was interred in Camp Three – Dustem.  His address was 318-14-B.  There were no street names, just numbers.

The beautiful young woman was also interred in Poston.  But she was interred in Camp

One – Roastem.  Her address was 39-6-d.  That was soon to change.  

Their parents, unknown to each other, met with a Japanese marriage broker to unite their children as was the Japanese custom.  When it comes to compatibility, there are three things the Japanese marriage broker must take into consideration when uniting two young people – the father’s occupation, job and educational background.

The marriage broker decided that handsome young man and the beautiful young woman should be matched.  They were allowed to meet together for one hour per week for several months as was the custom.  Then he decided the handsome young man and the beautiful young woman should be united.  Somehow the handsome young man obtained a ring, which was very difficult, since there wasn’t much in the camp.  Only then, he was allowed to marry the beautiful young woman.  

The handsome young man and his brothers were given the opportunity to join the American Army.  Because this was their country, he and his two brothers did join the American Army.  But it was more than that. One of his brothers was part of the famous Nisei division of the American army.  One went into the intelligence sector and the handsome young man became a cook in the Army.

The Concentration Camps were very degrading things.  Nisei rationalized such degradation was as much for their protection as anything else.  There was so much mistrust from the so-called “white” Americans toward the Japanese that the “white” Americans felt it was either lock them up or kill them.  But the way it was handled was terribly wrong and no one in their  right mind would say differently.