What My Father and Tule Lake Pilgrims Taught Me About World War II
I grew up unaware of the internment of about 110,000 Japanese-Americans, including small children, who were suspected of being "enemy aliens."
Memories of War and Internment
Two memories stand out as we mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II: my father’s nightmares and an elderly woman holding back tears as our bus entered the former Tule Lake camp in California.
My Father’s Story
My father, Benjamin Pimentel Sr., was a teenager when Japan invaded the Philippines shortly after the Pearl Harbor bombing. Like many young Filipinos, he joined the resistance. He was once detained and interrogated by the Kempeitai, the Japanese secret police. Later, they captured his brother, my uncle Jesus, who was never seen again; our family assumed he had been executed.
Once an athletic young man, my father returned from the jungle as a guerrilla physically broken and never fully recovered from the war. For decades, he suffered from nightmares.
Reflections on the Enemy
Despite his suffering, my father never expressed bitterness toward the Japanese. He recalled his experiences calmly and precisely, saying:
“The Japanese soldiers back then were very brutal.”
“The Japanese imperial forces really caused a lot of damage.”
After I moved to America, I never worried about introducing him to my Japanese-American friends.
Author's Summary
This personal account highlights the lasting scars of World War II while showing resilience and fairness in remembering a complex past.