HAIL TO THE VOLUNTEERS

With the publication of this special Commemoration issue of the Manzanar Free Press, we salute the original volunteers who arrived on this former barren and desolate soil of Manzanar on March 21, 1942.

Local county papers wrote about the spectacular rise of this strange mushroom city. Within a few months after the first handful of evacuees arrived, a population peak of 10,000 persons was reached. The first of the reception centers to be established, Manzanar (formerly Owens Valley Reception Center) became a relocation center under the new WRA. To date 10 such centers have been constructed for the housing of Japanese from the many reception centers on the Pacific Coast.

It was a new experience for all of us. We hope it will never have to happen again. For the majority of us, we have learned lots of things. Easy going collegians sprung into adulthood over night.

LITTLE WILLIE

Little Willie feeling mean
Fed his sister Paris Green
As she lay in agony
Willie boy was full of glee.

It was in the Nov. 14 Saturday issue of the Free Press when Little Willie was born. It was then that Little Willie shot his sister rat-tat-tat.

OFF THE RECORD

Who was the person who told us this one: "What do robbins eat, Mummy?" "Worms, dear."

"And what do worms eat?" "The dead robbins, darling." . . .And when pop said, "Here comes the parade, and auntie is upstairs waving her hair," sonny boy replied, "Gosh, pop, cant we afford a flag?". . .A lady went to a photo studio and asked the man if it was possible to enlarge a picture of her late husband as well as to take his hat off. The photographer was overly gracious and stated, "We can remove the hat from the film, madam, but what was the color of your husband's hair?" She replied sharply, "Don't be silly! You can see for yourself when you take his hat off." . . . "Why don't you stay away from those places?" said the guy as his gal told him she got her nose broken in three places . . . "Oh, doctor, I'm so scared about the operation scar; do you think it will show?" "That young lady, is entirely up to you.". . .

LOCAL SUBJECTS

Wonder when Mas Tanibata will fork over the $4 that we won from him in a bet?... . Same goes for Sam Aoki. . .And was it Sus Yokomizu who asked if shorthand could be taken down with a long arm? . . . The only thing that Ken Ozeki can take down in short-hand is the famous "three little words." . . .

THE MEMORY TRAIL

IN THE LAST 10-1/2 MONTHS

It was in the last days of April that we hit Manzanar, but we've observed lots of things (some unprintable) since then. . . People coming into camp, people resettling, boys going out on furloughs to the beet fields, boys coming back home and all things that war can't stop such as births, deaths, love, marriages, etc.. . Nature did her share by capping the mountains with snow, blowing our famous dust from one end of camp to the other, forming ice everywhere, shifting our cold, stiff wind from north to south, and south to north.

Forever left imprinted in our memories will be the weinie bakes by the cool, clear creek, press prom, dinner dances, new friendships, long days, Indian summer, and crispy bright nights.

A typical day meant getting up just early enough for breakfast, dashing (?) to work, lunch time with a slough of friends, chinning at the canteen, back to work, and home. Many spent leisure time crochetting, knitting, woodcarving or drawing, while social events hailed the young set to the Evening Under the Stars, talent shows, shindigs, and movies.

SOLITUDE

SCATTERBRAIN DE LUXE

Maybe this has happened to you, too. Anyway, one beetle-brain was playing the piano with great gusto. He played continuously hour after hour, and finally the second dope got pretty tired of it. He got a fiendish idea like Dagwood (Not Hashimoto) does every once in a while, and decided to cut off the fingers of the pianist. So he did and left. Everything was quiet for some time, but again the music started. The second moron thought a while and then thumped the table with his hand and said. 'By golly, I know why, he plays the piano by ear.'

Since all the Kernels have gone to war, someone tells me that popcorn will be unavailable for the duration. . . also that doctors are smart because they have inside information . . . that a girl married a second lieutenant because the first one got away . . . and a girl ghost slapped the boy ghost because he tried to pitch a little woooo . . .that the hubby told his new bride to plant some bulbs in the garden and almost immediately made her replace them in the bridge lamp . . . oh yes, and there was the moron who cut off his arms so's he could wear a sleeveless sweater.

TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

All newspaper offices are supposed to have their own collection of boners turned in by their respective reporters. The Free Press is no exception, and the following will show you why. Writing about the ouiji board, one copy read, "Four persons are seated around the card table with one leg up". . ."established for a worthy cause, these lectures will be the means to raise a scholarship fund for worthy students to continue their education beyond the night school level" . . . "saw many washed-out brides" for "washed out bridges" . . .