[Letter to Clara Breed from Tetsuzo (Ted) Hirasaki, Poston, Arizona, February 19, 1943]

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[Letter to Clara Breed from Tetsuzo (Ted) Hirasaki, Poston, Arizona, February 19, 1943]

Maker Hirasaki, Tetsuzo

Date1943

Mediumpaper, ink

DimensionsH: 8 in, W: 5.25 in (sheet); H: 3.625 in, W: 6.5 in (envelope)

ClassificationsArchives

Credit LineGift of Elizabeth Y. Yamada

Object number93.75.31GP

Description1 letter and envelope from Tetsuzo (Ted) Hirasaki to Clara Breed.;Transcription:
322-14-D/Poston Arizona/February 19, 1943/Dear Miss Breed,/This is prodigal reporting. Things have been popping rather fast lately. A (dust) windstorm, a cold spell, a rainstorm, and good news./The duststorm came during the third week of January and lasted for three days. It was alomst as bad as the Christmas storm. Following that on the morning of Jan. 20 we had the coldest morning yet when the temp. dropped to 20. That whole day ice was on the ground. It wasn't until the next afternoon before it thawed. Then on the 23rd it began to rain. It poured cloudburst after cloudburst for three days. The dust just turned into the stickiest mud I have ever seen. It was during the same storm that you had that bad blow in San Diego. From the pictures in the clippings it must have been quite a blow. /When the Army came here to Camp III to register the men under selective service and also to take volunteers for the Japanese American Combat Unit, it was the best piece of news we nisei have had in a long time. We nisei were despairing in ever becoming recognized. But now we have the chance to prove our loyalty, because after the evacuation, nisei were classed as aliens inelegible for military service./I am proud to say that the San Diego group has the most volunteers than any other group in camp. All together in our block we have just about 15 volunteers including yours truly, which makes about the best record yet. We are going around Feb 23 to (according to those "in the know") to Camp Douglas, Utah (near Salt Lake City) for induction that to Camp Shelby Mississippi (this much is official) for training. This is the bunch to be with because we are all volunteers and there won't be those slackers and pro-axis minded as there would be if the men were drafted. Yessirree all of us are itching to go. /I also received news that the men in internment are possibly slated for rehearings according to a friend of mine who visited the Lordsburg New Mexico Internment Camp. just recently. He said he talked to my father and that he was looking fine. Treatment of the interned men is very fine. /I have been writing to a number of people for affidavits as I want my father to be eligible for a rehearing and a possible parole so that he can come to Poston to be with Yaeko. While I'm gone./So-----if everything goes well I'll be writing to you from an Army Camp instead of a relocation center./Sincerely yours/Ted.