Inouye, Yeiji: my Navy recollections (May 8, 2008)

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Interviewer: Pratt, Will

ABSTRACT: Yeiji "Lanky" Inouye Inouye_Y_0592_01.mp3 0:45 Born in North Arm BC 1:10 Father a logger 1:30 Grew up in Hamlin 3:30 Father came from Fukoka in 1918 4:00 War began in 1941? Perhaps from a certain perspective. 4:25 No problems growing up due to ethnicity, 4:40 due to isolation from Japanese Canadian farmers 5:40 Attended Japanese Language School after high school. 6:40 Family not part of Ken organization. 7:20 Worked at a berry co-op during the summers. 8:20 Parents talked of expansion into Manchuria 8:50 Didn't know what to do when Canada declared war. 10:00 Bowling alley job after Pearl Harbour 10:10 Slept in bowling alley due to curfew. 10:30 Father to Ti Jean 11:00 Building roads from red pass to Prince George 11:45 RCMP recruited civilians for security in road camp. 13:20 Registration card when he turned 16. 14:20 Built relocation camp "Mushroom Houses" in New Denver. 14:50 Mother and siblings in Greenwood. 16:30 Baseball in the camps. 18:20 Moved to Guelph Ontario. 19:15 Busboy in Hospital. 21:50 Attempted to enter the RCMP. 22:00 Denied because of his Japanese background. 23:15 Signing up for the Navy in Kitchener. 24:45 Came to Naden for basic training. Sick bay 26:00 Stadacona in Halifax. 27:25 Switched to gunnery for better hours. 31:00 Escorted Princess on her visit. 32:50 Leery of giving orders as to how sailors would react. 34:00 Preparing for Korean War HMCS Crusader 34:40 Noted that his relatives were in Japanese army in WWII after the interview and that this comment about not shooting his relatives on the other side were from WWII era when asked to join S20 group. 36:15 Gunners duties. 37:00 Good crew for A gun. 38:00 Visiting Japan in 1952-53. 39:40 Americanized Japan post-war. 40:30 Korean patrols. 41:05 Intercepted Junks with sub-machine guns. 42:15 North Koreans knew naval code daily. 42:45 Japanese language skill handy for interrogation. 43:55 Gave the owners of the junk lines to tie up the pieces of their ship after damage from towing. 44:20 Carrier screening. 46:40 Minesweepers and mines. 48:05 Just did as he was told, didn't know of onshore bombardments. 48:40 Seaweed and Man-O-Wars 49:50 Iroquois sailors memorial service in Japan. 51:30 Sasebo Harbour run by Americans, relations explained. 53:45 Perceptions of American Racism. 55:00 Kure harbour run by Australians. Different fraternization system. 57:00 Trainbusters Club. 57:30 Guns so hot the grease ran like water. 1:01:15 Coronation day celebration in Japan. 1:01:45 Christmas celebrations in Kure, whiskey sent from home in bread. 1:03:45 Came home to meet his son. 1:04:00 Left navy but returned due to need for employment. 1:04:50 Returned to Korea after armistice on the HMCS Sioux 1954. 1:06:10 1957 Opened up Victoria Judo Club 1:08:25 1963 as attaché to Tokyo 1:11:55 Patriarchy in Japan 1:13:30 Back to Naden, as a Bosun now. 1:14:00 Retirement after 25 ½ years. 1:14:20 Reflections on societal change, less respect and discipline. 1:17:10 No regrets about joining the services. Some negative incidents with drunks.

An interview/narrative of Yeiji Inouye's experiences during World War II and the Korean War. Interview took place on May 8, 2008.

Interviewee: Inouye, Yeiji, b. 1925

In Collection:
Contributor Subject Language Keyword Date created Relation
  • Part of the Will Pratt collection of interviews.
Resource type Rights statement Extent
  • 1 sound recording (MP3)
Geographic coverage Coordinates
  • 40, 127
  • 60.10867, -113.64258
  • 36.5, 127.75
Additional physical characteristics
  • Original sound recording (MP3) also available.
Physical repository Collection
  • Canadian Military Oral History Collection
Provider Genre Archival item identifier
  • IY_592
Fonds title Fonds identifier Is referenced by Date digitized
  • September 24, 2009
Technical note
  • Digital sound recording in .mp3 format at 56 kbps and 24 kHz. Digitized by JF, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2009. Migration metadata by KD and MT.
Rights
  • This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca
DOI

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