62 years ago: Internment of Japanese Americans started

Walter,
I learned about the internment of Japanese citizens in the summer of 1968 while studying journalism as a guest student at the University of Michigan. I was horrified. I called my mother to ask why I never learned that, using the term concentration camps. My mother said the Japanese were never put in concentration camps. There is no other word for it.

They were called detention camps. My Irish friend told me that there were those who wanted to confiscate the hard working Japanese- Americans' property. Sounds about right, but we have to remember that the U.S was at war and the average person was controlled by fear. Unfortunately, high visibility made them ready targets. Sound familiar?

Later, as I recall, the "Go for Broke" brigade proved themselves to be fantastic soldiers in Europe.

List of Detention Camps, Temporary Detention Centers, and Department of Justice Internment Camps

Btw: Concentration camps -- (German: Konzentrationslager, KZ) originally were "detention centres", later known as mass-murder factories.



For its size and length of service, the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team was the most decorated US military unit in WWII.

Oh, Lord, Walter. You are the dearest thing. I didn't bother to look up the exact statistics..Do you suppose that I should forgo relying on my memory? My husband and I met a delightful man named Charlie Bendorf while we were into camping. He was "detained" at the facility that was called The Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia. Later he was sent back to Germany to teach democracy to the Berliners. He married a delightful woman from Kenya whose name was Leah. We had the best discussion and I learned first hand how resilient soldiers can be. We corresponded for a long time..and then they vanished into a homestead in Alaska. I think about them often mainly because he had a fantastic sense of humor, and could put away the booze in a way that you would not believe.

Walter
Walter, I posted this in March 2003, but it doesn't hurt to be reminded every year, especially in these periless times---BBB

http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5574&highlight=

A friend of mine was born in the wyoming camp. I am thinking there was loss of property involved in the whole detention situation, some of it turning into someone else's prime property (um, is prime one of those words that can't be heightened? if not, then very prime), but I can't back that up.

I don't have any links, just accumulated commentary in the file of my mind.

But I offer an associated remark, from my old gallery partner in the 70's miserable annoying boyfriend (who was sometimes right about things) - "never sell property in California". He said that about leveraging, all the rage back then. Anyway, some property in key areas is near priceless now, but I am not savvy about actual transfer history.

Here's a site for Nisei troops in the US Army in World War II. If you keep clicking links, you'll get the complete story. The 442d RCT was, as has been pointed out before, the most decorated unit for its size in the US Army in WW II.

http://www.homeofheroes.com/moh/nisei/index4_cassino.html

Actually, there's an A2Ker, who should know about this more than any of us :wink:

And, yes, BB, I remembered that thread - thanks, for showing up the link to that thread! - but as you said , one year ago ... :wink:

Walter
Walter, that would be Cicerone Imposter who, as a child, lived in the camps.

BBB