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29 2 SAND ISLAND DETENTION CAMP SAND ISLAND LIES just a short distance away from Honolulu. From the pier, we walked for about thirty minutes before we were lined up in front of the barracks. The 35th U.S. Army Regiment Commander, who was responsible for the security of the area, addressed us: “The United States and Japan are at war. I am aware of the outstanding characteristics of the Japanese, but you are now detainees. In due time each of you will get a hearing. Some of you may be released while others may be detained during the war. You are not criminals but prisoners of war. Thus we will treat you equally in accordance with military rules.” His demeanor was pleasant enough, but I felt uneasy when I heard the phrase “prisoners of war.”1 In one of the barracks we were ordered to take off our clothes and were thoroughly searched; they even checked the soles of our shoes. My wristwatch and the small book in my pocket were confiscated. We barely escaped with our fountain pens, pencils, and handkerchiefs. As for our living quarters, there was only one dining room and one building for showers and toilets in a fifteen-acre wilderness. Both were concrete; nearby there were a few small tents. We immediately began pitching more tents under the supervision of soldiers. After a quick meal, we continued working feverishly at this unaccustomed task. Night came, but lights were not allowed. It also began to rain. We had to assemble one tent for every eight people, about twenty tents in all, and set up army cots in each tent. It was not easy work. Soaked with rain and sweat, I think we completed the work at around nine o’clock that night. Just before we finished, a second group 1. The captain was identified by Patsy Sumie Saiki as John J. Coughlin of the 111th Military Police Company. This unit could have been attached to the 35th Regiment, as written here. See Saiki’s Ganbare! An Example of Japanese Spirit (Honolulu: Kisaku, Inc., 1982), p. 30. 30 soga arrived from the Immigration Office. Among them was the frail, elderly owner of the Komeya Hotel, who had fainted on the dark camp road and had to be carried in by the others. That night, like sewer rats, we slept just as we were. On the morning of the tenth, camp life began in earnest. We were granted conditional autonomy. About 160 men were divided into four companies of 40 each, with a commander. Each company was further divided into four squads of 10 men, including a squad leader. Finally, a battalion commander was elected as our liaison with the military authorities . No one was eager to take on the task, but Mr. George Genji Otani volunteered. The commanders were Mr. Sasaki, the principal of Makiki Japanese Language School; Mr. Kimura, the branch manager of Nippon Yusen Kaisha; and Mr. Harry Shiramizu and Mr. Kensaku Tsunoda, English reporters for the Nippu Jiji. Mr. Kawasaki of Dai-jingu was chosen as secretary. Every morning and evening we lined up for roll call and companies received assignments for kitchen, toilet, and general cleaning jobs in turn. Mr. Otani, our battalion commander, was given the nickname “Admiral” by the military personnel, possibly because he had once been a sailor. We elected our own officers, but given our conditional autonomy, they first had to be approved by the authorities. We were forced to find replacements for those who were rejected. A few days after our arrival, the regimental commander in charge was suddenly reassigned and Captain E succeeded him.2 “The Okano Incident” Captain E, the newly appointed commander, was formerly a chief inspector at the Honolulu Customs Office, where he was known as a faultfinder. The outgoing camp commander, a career military officer, told us that his successor was one of the toughest men in Honolulu. Captain E’s attitude toward us was indeed very stern. We could accept someone who administered rules strictly but fairly. Captain E, however, intentionally made mountains out of molehills and deliberately presented a defiant attitude to irritate us. After he assumed command, a series of unpleasant incidents occurred one after another in the camp. His fat and arrogant figure, walking around the camp and jangling a bunch of keys, still lingers in my memory. The first of these was “The Okano Incident.” From the beginning, we...

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