A: “Well, just projects on the marine base. You see that marine core air station used to be the naval air station for the navy. After WWII, they changed it to the marine core air station, and the marines came. So then, we got married in 1952 and … my mother had a one acre property in kailua town and as a wedding present she gave us ¼ of that land to build upon and thats how we got our start in realestate. And thats how I really fell in love with real estate.
Q: “So was grandpa involved in Pear Harbor?”
A: “He was, he served in the occupational forces and went to Japan. He was a technical sergant in the army.”
Q: “What did he do exactly?”
A: “Well I guess he worked in the engineering field in Japan with the occupational forces and he served in Kyoto Japan for two years.”
Q: “And So I remember you were supposed to go to the internment camps.”
A: “Oh yes, I remember when WWII started my dad was interned at Honouliuli internment camp. In those days Kailua was such a contry country. Just sparsly populated. And my poor mother, there were 8 of us then, and she, every sunday she used to take us to king kamehameha statue where we went into a huge military bus and they took us from king street all the way to Honouliuli, thats Eva. It was such a long ride way into the mountains.”
Q: “Are there any specific details about the bus or the people on the bus?”
A: “Oh there were soldiers with uh rifles, used to scare me. But the ride was so long and in those days going to Honolulu you had to go on that old pali winding road. But I was terrified by the soldiers with their rifles, and it was one of those big military buses. And we went all the way to Eva. It was the boonies. And we went to this camp where they were interned. It was kind of a scary, I was frightned. It was a scary experience. And he was in there two years, grandpa was. And uh, poor grandma, she ran the dry cleaning business herself and the kids were mostly young. and all the aunties had to help her.
Q: “So what did your father do in the military base or internment facility?”
A: “Nothing, he couldnt do anything, I remember it was a scary place. Just barracks and all the soldiers were guarding and it was all barb wire all around. It was really a frightning experience.”
Q: “And you guys knew the chief of police?”
A: “Yes, the chief of police was at that time was Burns, Mr. Burns. He later became the govenor of Hawaii. They were neighboors with us and he helped my dad from going and being sent to the mainland. After 2 years my father came home and thats your great grandfather.”
Q: “Did you ever see him in the internment camp?”
A: “Oh yes we went to visit him.”
Q: “What kind of facility was it, was it big?”
A: “It was old barracks that they build and it was just full of internees with not only japanese people but there were Germans, Italian POW’s.”
Q: “Did you guys ever see any military projects that your husband was involved with.”
A: “Your grandpa worked with the army occupational forces in japan I dont know anything particular.”
Q: “Are there any peculiar events that happened?”
A: “All those sailers, there were groups of sailors and they all brought their drycleaning and clothes to abe cleaners, that is my parents cleaners. So every two days there would be a huge military truck that used to come and they would unload their clothes and thats how you get those hawaii stamp dollars. Thats when my parents started to make a lot of money. And they were able to buy more land and more real estate and thats how your grandparents flourished. And after WWII kailua just grew and grew into what it is today. Its a beautiful place.
Q: “What about my great grandpa, he received an award from the emperor of Japan.”
A: “No he didnt. Or oh that was grandpas father. He received gosh, I cant recall the name of it. But some order of … the emperor of japan awarded this special medal to grandpa and I really dont konw why but it was really quite an honor.
Q: “What is the basic history in general?”
A: “Hard working people (chuckles.) and Im eternally greatful for them and that they came from Fukuoka japan and today hawaiian airlines flies directly to fukuoka but in those days they came months coming on the old ship. and it was
Q: How exactly did to meet your husband Joe Iwamura?
A: “I met your grandpa, when he came to apply for a job at my parent’s dry cleaning shop. They had a big dry cleaning shop in Kailua. And grandpa was working at the Marine Corps Air Station and he was through working at 3:00 everyday. And he thought well it would be nice to have a job after 3 because there was so much time on his hands. So he came to my parents drycleaning shop to look for a job and he met anty Florence and asked … it just so happened that the delevery driver quit and there was a job opening. It worked out perfectly because all they wanted was someone to come late in the afternoon. In those days you know dry cleaning shops used to deliver drycleaning clothes to the families all around kailua and lanakai. So he got that job and I was working in town and I came home about 3:00 or 4:00 and so my sister aunty flo said oh, would you teach grandpa all the routes. Where the families live and where the clothes have to be delivered. And I very reluctantly went and of course grandpa fell in love with me and he wanted to, I wasnt even aware of it and he kept saying Oh I cant remember where exactly so you have to teach me some more (laughs) so he kept saying oh you have to keep teaching me because I dont know where to deliver the clothes you know. But he had an alterier motive. And thats how we fell in love. And got married.”
Q: And when did you guys get married?
A: “In 1952, 61 years ago. Thats a long time ago.”
Q: So what did grandpa do? He was in the air...
A: “He was working at the marine core air station in the field engineering. He was working for a private company in the engineering department at the marine core station.”
Q: “Do you know what private company it was?”
A: “I think it was called Mid Pacific Construction.”
Q: “Do you know any specific projects he was working on?”
A: “Well, just projects on the marine base. You see that marine core air station used to be the naval air station for the navy. After WWII, they changed it to the marine core air station, and the marines came. So then, we got married in 1952 and … my mother had a one acre property in kailua town and as a wedding present she gave us ¼ of that land to build upon and thats how we got our start in realestate. And thats how I really fell in love with real estate.
Q: “So was grandpa involved in Pear Harbor?”
A: “He was, he served in the occupational forces and went to Japan. He was a technical sergant in the army.”
Q: “What did he do exactly?”
A: “Well I guess he worked in the engineering field in Japan with the occupational forces and he served in Kyoto Japan for two years.”
Q: “And So I remember you were supposed to go to the internment camps.”
A: “Oh yes, I remember when WWII started my dad was interned at Honouliuli internment camp. In those days Kailua was such a contry country. Just sparsly populated. And my poor mother, there were 8 of us then, and she, every sunday she used to take us to king kamehameha statue where we went into a huge military bus and they took us from king street all the way to Honouliuli, thats Eva. It was such a long ride way into the mountains.”
Q: “Are there any specific details about the bus or the people on the bus?”
A: “Oh there were soldiers with uh rifles, used to scare me. But the ride was so long and in those days going to Honolulu you had to go on that old pali winding road. But I was terrified by the soldiers with their rifles, and it was one of those big military buses. And we went all the way to Eva. It was the boonies.
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Earth Biome Page 4
