Heart Mountain Photos from Michihiko Wada
Licensing |
Mr. Michihiko "Mike" and Honey Wada's family album. Permission from cousins Kevin, Michi, and Gary Wada.
After graduating high school in Hiroshima-ken, Japan, Michihiko Wada came to the US with his mother (Kuni), sister (Midori) and younger brother (Yasushi) under the sponsorship of the American Baptist Home Missions to join his father, Rev. Masahiko Wada and older sister Mutsu Wada Homma.
He attended University of Redlands and taught Sunday School at Gardena Valley Baptist Church. After college, he went to New York with the "Okura 7" to find work as an engineer. In New York, he continued his education at NY University. Michihiko Wada returned to Pomona, CA from New York after his parents were arrested.
Younger sister Midori had called her brothers, Mike and Yasushi, to notify them that when she came home from Pomona City College and found out that her parents were arrested on March 13, 1942. He was given Power of Attorney over the Wada family assets after his parents were arrested by the FBI.
American Baptist Home Missionaries were able to find out where their father, Rev. Wada, was being held. Mike, Midori, and Yasushi were able to visit their father, Rev. Wada, at the INS Tuna Canyon Detention Center before the government transferred him to Satna Fe and Lordsburg, New Mexico.
Mrs. Kuni Wada was arrested and taken to Terminal Island women's INS Detention and then transferred to Seagoville DOJ Women's prison in Texas in August 1942. This was the last time seeing their parents until they were reunited at Amache, CO in 1944.
Mike Wada would also drive the Imamoto sisters to visit their father at the INS Tuna Canyon Jail and mother at the Terminal Island women's prison from the Garden Grove area.
The Pomona Baptist church members stored the family belongings at the First Baptist Church of Pomona for the duration of the war. They would ship some of their household goods to the family in Amache then to Seattle after the war where the Wada family resettled.
When relocation time came, Mike was taken to Pomona Assembly Center then to Heart Mountain Internment Camp in WY.
At Pomona Assembly Center, he saw his brother-in-law's relatives, Yorozu and Shigee Homma. At Heart Mountain, Uncle Mike worked in the warehouse.
Mike was an avid photographer learning photography from Dr. Kyushiro Homma before he left for New York. The photo collection includes the family stories of Mike taking the warehouse truck full of internees to go fishing at a nearby lake.
After Dr. Homma (Mustsu's husband) became ill, the American Baptist help get Mike transferred to Amache where he was a silk screen artist and X-ray technician.
After his release from Amache in Oct 1945, Mike returned to New York and worked for Mitsubishi North America.
Slides in this album |
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Aerial view of Heart Mountian Internment Camp1943 view of Heart Mountian Internment Camp from the photo album of Michihiko "Mike" Wada. Mike Wada has over 150 Heart Mountian Camp photos in his personal album. He was an avid photographer. |
Heart Mountain peak in the backgroundThe center opened on August 11, 1942 when internees began arriving by train from the Pomona, California, Santa Anita, California, and Portland, Oregon assembly centers. By January 1, 1943, the camp reached its maximum population of 10,767 internees. This made the Heart … |
Heart Mountain Internment CampHeart Mountain Butte in the background. Photo shows Avenue F and the 4,160 volt AC primary power electrical distribution line on the north side of the avenue. The power line also identifies the road as Avenue F - Ben Murphy. |
Camp View from outside the barbed wireWorkers enclosed 740 acres of arid buffalo grass and sagebrush with a high barbed wire fence and nine guard towers. |
Michihiko Mike WadaMichihiko Mike Wada, the eldest son of Rev. Masahiko and Kuni Wada. Mike went to Heart Mountain from Pomona Assembly Center, CA. circa 1943. |
Around Heart MountainWalking around Heart Mountain |
Around Heart Mountain 2Friends walking around Heart Mountain Internment Camp. circa 1943 |
B 14 - 27 Mess Hall WorkersHeart Mountian Internment Camp B 14 - 27 Mess Hall Workers July 29, 1943. Ben Murphy states that the name of the chef for this block 14 mess hall - Keiji Ishigama (age 50 when this picture was taken) |
B 14 - 27 Mess Hall Workers 2B 14 - 27 Mess Hall Workers. Ben Murphy: The camp's War Relocation Authority Caucasian staff directed that cleanliness and sanitation contests be periodically conducted as a means of encouraging morale plus maybe making the dreary, institution cooking a little bit better for everyone. For the April 17,1943 contest mess hall 14-27 … |
B 14 - 27 Mess Hall Workers #3None
B 14 - 27 Mess Hall Workers #3 |
B 14 - 27 Mess Hall WorkersMess Hall Workers 4th photo
Heart Mountain Internment Camp Album |
B 14 - 27 Mess Hall Workers #5B 14 - 27 Mess Hall Workers #5
B 14 - 27 Mess Hall Workers #5 |
Behind Heart Mountain barb wireBehind Heart Mountain barb wire. Friends of Michihiko "Mike" Wada. LtoR: a friend from Pomona Assembly Center, Yone Higashi, unknown
Heart Mountain Internment Camp Album |
Entertainment at Heart MountainEvening play at Heart Mountain
Play at Heart Mountain |
Gardening at Heart Mountain Internment CampGardening at Heart Mountain Internment Camp circa 1943.
Heart Mountain Internment Camp Album |
Moving dirt at Heart MountainA young man using a wheel barrel to move dirt at Heart Mountain while another one takes a break
Heart Mountain Internment Camp Album |
Golf at Heart MountainGolf at Heart Mountain
Heart Mountain Internment Camp Album |
Heart Mountain boysCannot read the names in the photo
Heart Mountain boys |
Hally Minoura 7-15-43Halley Minoura on 7-15-43 at Heart Mountain |
Heart Mountain friend from Pomona Assembly CenterHeart Mountain friend 4
Heart Mountain friend from Pomona Assembly Center |
Friends of Mike WadaHeart Mountain Internment Camp
Friends of Mike Wada |
NoneNone
Outside building 23 |
Outside building 23None |
Friends outside building 23None
Friends outside building 23 |
Winter time at Heart MountainNone
Heart Mountain 5 |
Heart Mountain 8None
Heart Mountain 8 |
Girl with present at Heart MountainNone
Heart Mountain Internment Camp Album |
Heart Mountain friendsHeart Mountain friends along the barbed wire fencing
Heart Mountain Internment Camp Album |
Heart Mountain FriendsMickie Ishide, Yone Higashi, Vicki Tanabara, Kimi Tanaka, Molly Ota, May Deguchi
Heart Mountain friends |
Heart Mountain friendsNone
Heart Mountain friends 6 |
Heart Mountain friends 22None
Heart Mountain friends 22 |
Heart Mountain friends 26None
Heart Mountain friends 26 |
Winter at Heart MountianNone
Winter at Heart Mountian |
Heart Mountain womenLeft to Right: May Kanemoto, Mickie Ishide, Yone Higashi
Heart Mountain Girls |
Hiking outside of Heart Mountain internment campHiking outside of Heart Mountain internment camp
Hiking outside of Heart Mountain internment camp |
JoAnnNone
JoAnn at Heart Mountain |
JoAnn GraduationNone
JoAnn Graduation |
JoAnn rightPerson on the left is unknown |
Judo at Heart Mountain Internment CampJudo at Heart Mountain Internment Camp, circa 1943
Judo at Heart Mountain Internment Camp |
Kaye at Heart Mountain Internment CampKaye at Heart Mountain Internment Camp
Kaye at Heart Mountain Internment Camp |
Music inside Heart MountainMusic in Heart Mountain |
Music at Heart MountainNone
Music program at Heart Mountain |
Music inside Heart MountainMusic in Heart Mountain 3rd photo
Music inside Heart Mountain |
Music inside Heart MountainMusic in Heart Mountain 4
Music inside Heart Mountain |
Winter in Heart Mountain internment campWinter in Heart Mountain internment camp. Yone Watanabe with Heart Mountain peak in the background.
Winter in Heart Mountain internment camp |
Heart Mountain Fishermen 1943Heart Mountain Internees fishing at Lake Sylvan, is just inside the east entrance of Yellowstone Park. Circa 1943. Internees unknown
Heart Mountain Fishermen 1943 |
Heart Mountain Warehouse Internees taking a break at Lake SylvanHeart Mountain Warehouse Internees taking a break at Lake Sylvan, WY. Lake Sylvan is just inside the east entrance of Yellowstone Park. Circa 1943. Heart Mountain warehouse trucks in the photo.
Heart Mountain Warehouse Internees taking a break at Lake Sylvan |
Miyo Suzuki outside her barracksMiyo Suzuki outside her Heart Mountain barracks
Miyo Suzuki outside her barracks |
Miyoko SuzukiMiyo Suzuki eating ice cream. Miyoko Suzuki came to Heart Mountain from Pomona Assembly Center
Miyo Suzuki eating ice cream |
Tami TahishiTami Tahishi at Heart Mountain 1943
Tami Takishi |
Yone HigashiYoneko Higashi leaving for New York - Mar 27, 44
Yone Higashi leaving for New York - Mar 27, 44 |
Yoneko HigashiYoneko Higashi from LA and Pomona Assembly Center
Yone Higashi |
Yone Higashi 4Yoneko Higashi from LA and Pomona Assembly Center
Yone Higashi |
Mike Wada smokingMike Wada smoking a pipe and standing to the right of Yone Higashi (standing)
Mike Wada and friends at Heart Mountain |
Mike Wada worked in the warehouseMike (left) worked in the warehouse |
Michihiko "Mike" Wada (right)Michihiko "Mike" Wada holding a friends baby
Michihiko "Mike" Wada (right) |
Michihiko "Mike" Wada (left) and Kimi Nakamura in Heart Mountain Internment CampMichihiko "Mike" Wada (left) in Heart Mountain Internment Camp
Michihiko "Mike" Wada (left) and Kimi Nakamura in Heart Mountain Internment Camp |
Mike Wada and John NakamuraOutside of Block 17
Mike Wada and John Nakamura |
Mike Wada standing rightAt Heart Mountain Internment Camp
Mike Wada right |
John and Kimi NakamuraFriends of Mike Wada
John and Kimi Nakamura |
At Heart Mountain Internment CampNone
At Heart Mountain Internment Camp |
At Heart Mountain Internment Camp 2None
At Heart Mountain Internment Camp 2 |
At Heart Mountain Internment Camp 3None
At Heart Mountain Internment Camp 3 |
NoneNone
Hiking outside of Heart Mountain Internment Camp |
NoneNone
Heart Mountain friends of Michihiko Wada |