Relocation camp life not all bad for Mae Higashiyama

Grant County history

The Grant County Historical Society has compiled several volumes of Grant County history. The books are available for purchase at the Historical Society Museum gift shop in Ephrata.

These are memories of Grant County, compiled from taped interviews by the Grant County Historical Society.

Mae Higashiyama provides an interesting and unique view of Grant County history. Read on.

Today we backtrack a bit and then continue with the story of Mrs. Maeky (Mae) Higashiyama:

Camp life (in an internment camp during World War II) naturally was different for each one depending on the age and the phase of one’s life at the time. Of course there were sports. We went on hikes and many of the older men would lug home mesquite tree roots and polish them to a high luster and make beautiful ornaments.

Practically all the positions had to be filled by us, and class officers, student body officers, cheerleaders had to be us. As far as I am concerned, this was a blessing in disguise. In my opinion we left our inferiority complex there.

A few years before the war started, a young organization called the Japanese American Citizens League was formed. In camp II a newspaper editor and president of JACL asked permission of the government to approach the young men to volunteer in the army.

There were a few with deep seated anger that citizens could be put into camp and then be asked to serve in the army. In their anger they attacked the JACL members. The editor had broken ribs and the others were beaten up. The government sent the JACL officers to Salt Lake City.

Many did, however, enlist and served very well. The papers stated that when the boys were marching to Leghorn, Italy on their return home, a General Clark, I believe, stood in salute from the beginning to the end of the battalion, which meant a salute to each and every one of the soldiers. It had never been done before in history and has not been done since. I was, indeed, very proud of them.

An Industrial Arts instructor, Roscoe Vaniman, Jr. and his wife, Virginia, had a friend in Chicago who had opened a hostel. Mr. Vaniman wanted me to get out of camp and encouraged me to do so. These people would buy steaks at a nearby town and would take us out into the hills, make a huge bon fire, throw in some huge rocks, get them hot and we’d cook our steaks on them. So you see, we did had fun.

More from Mae Higashiyama next week.