For Mitsue Kono's family, education was top priority for both the sons and daughters of the family. Kono was educated in Japan as well as in the United States and grew up learning traditional Japanese arts such as tea ceremony, flower arranging, and playing the <i>shamisen</i>, a Japanese stringed instrument. Having attended college in San Francisco, Kono also went to the Kumahira Typist School in Japan. Because of her clerical and linguistic skills, she easily found employment with Japanese companies and offices. When the war began, Kono was working with the Japanese Chamber of Commerce. She remembers the FBI coming to the building and padlocking all the offices, including that of the consulate general.
<br><br>The Kono family was sent to the detention camp in Topaz, Utah. At the first opportunity, she applied for employment outside of the camp. Her excursion led her to the Military Intelligence Service Language School (MISLS) at Camp Savage, eventually making her personal typist and secretary to the director of academic training, John Aiso.
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He was a great Nisei leader and to me a mentor, role model, professional in every sense of the word....I was very proud to serve, but at the same time, he was sort of a father figure to his students....With his strength of character, he was able to draw the best out of the Kibei and Nisei faculty members.
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<br><br>One of her brothers remained in Japan throughout the war. Kono was able to see him later in Yokohama.
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He looked like a skeleton, he lost so much weight. You know how athletic he was? Things were hanging on him. I felt so sorry for him and of course all I had was some candy off the ship. That morning we had hard-boiled eggs, so I saved that for my niece that came, his only daughter, Kiyo, who was very happy. But we couldn't take them to the army, so they left to go back [home]....I was really shocked because I've never seen my brother that way. He was so athletic [before]...
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<br><br>When the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Kono knew instantly that some of her relatives must have suffered in the tragic event.
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I knew, then and there, some of my relatives had perished and they did actually. And I thought there was no need for that because things were getting pretty bad in Japan already. And what weapons they were rounding up were bamboo--food was scarce, it was just terrible.
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<br><br>When she visited Hiroshima soon after the bombing, her cousin took her to see the Red Cross hospital where he was performing operations on bomb victims. Kono recalls seeing victims burned and scarred beyond mend. In the midst of such despair and ruin, Kono remembers keeping a particular thought in mind to guide her through the tumultuous times.
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You have to be strong, really strong...make the best out of it every day and be thankful that we're still here on earth.
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