tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855423820697358826.post5767301694998469902..comments2023-07-30T05:56:26.504-07:00Comments on Poetic License: The Art of Gaman / American ArtDaniel Kurlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693638600645230707noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855423820697358826.post-82002791624798458072011-02-09T11:35:55.354-08:002011-02-09T11:35:55.354-08:00Oh wow! First, was your grandmother the only woman...Oh wow! First, was your grandmother the only woman who served as an interpreter for the military during WWII? Because throughout my research, I haven't come across any! Second, life is certainly full of ironies! Keep us informed about the development of your book! And third, I will take that in consideration in interviewing your grandmother. I'm glad I "stumbled" onto your blog.KP Kollenbornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09372829733810261160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855423820697358826.post-78117716012210325942011-02-03T18:33:40.522-08:002011-02-03T18:33:40.522-08:00Daniel, this is all so fascinating. I remember do...Daniel, this is all so fascinating. I remember doing a high school paper on the internment camps based on the paper you had written and the documents you had collected! It's so nice that you've done all of this research so that our family's history isn't lost.<br />Your Cousin RachelAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04757703191862208108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855423820697358826.post-54412980368438146872011-02-02T14:32:00.656-08:002011-02-02T14:32:00.656-08:00Thank you for your kind response. My grandmother’s...Thank you for your kind response. My grandmother’s side of the story is equally fascinating -- perhaps more so. At 22 she married a far older fabulously wealthy man in an arranged marriage. After the war, she became the primary caregiver and breadwinner. Alice (Masako) Tsuchitani is 97. She still possesses all of her mental faculties.<br /> <br />My grandma would be a great person to interview if you are in San Francisco – she’s one of the last of the Nissei. She became an interpreter for the US military. She had a talent for sweet talking people into giving her gifts, especially extra flour – if you meet her, you’ll find she still has that talent of getting people to do things for her!<br /><br />The flour was riddled with meal worms. My mom won’t eat donuts to this day – she associates donuts with the bitter taste of mealworms.<br /><br />In college, I became interested in my family tree, and learned a great deal about the Otsuka side of the family in the process. The other night, I saw a picture of an Otsuka family assembling at Tanforan Racetrack. It quite possibly was my mom’s aunt’s family.<br /><br />Here’s another thing that is really strange. During the Korean War, my father commanded a radar installation on a small island off the coast of Kyushu for the Strategic Air Command. When he ordered supplies, Alice was on the other end of the radio. My father decided to leave the Air Force because he disagreed with the decision to go to war in Viet Nam. As he was leaving the Air Force, my father was stationed at Lincoln Air Force Base in Nebraska. His roommate happened to be dating my mother’s roommate while she was attending the University of Nebraska. Small world!<br /><br />I would one day like to visit Yamaguchi Prefecture. I hope to find a scroll dating back to the Gengi-Heike War from a Samuri from the losing side thanking one of my Tsuchitani ancestors for rescuing him from the Japan Sea.Daniel Kurlandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02693638600645230707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855423820697358826.post-33128592687060574662011-02-02T12:00:06.974-08:002011-02-02T12:00:06.974-08:00This is an amazing story, and more so because of t...This is an amazing story, and more so because of the personal connection. I would LOVE to see this in a book. I have been researching the Japanese-American interment since 1988, and would like to see more personal histories unveiling the experiences that many non-fiction books lay claims to.KP Kollenbornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09372829733810261160noreply@blogger.com