Japanese Internment Camps

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On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D.Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066,

which called for the eviction and internment of all Japanese Americans. After Pearl

Harbor, all Japanese were looked upon as being capable of sabotage. The interments

began in April 1942. The Japanese-Americans were transported on buses and trains to

camps in California, Utah, Arizona and other states. They were always under military

guard. The Japanese-Americans were housed in livestock stalls in the beginning, or in

windowless shacks that were crowded and lacked sufficient ventilation, electricity and

sanitation facilities. There was also a shortage of food and medicines.

The internment camps were located in remote, uninhabitable areas. In the desert

camps daytime temperatures often reached 100 degrees or more. And sub-zero winters

were common in the northern camps. Some of the camp names were; Angel Park, Sharp

Park, Tuna Canyon and Manzanar. The camps were guarded by barbed wire and guard

towers. Armed guards patrolled the perimeters and were instructed to shoot anyone

attempting to escape. The barracks consisted of tar paper over two-by-six wood

boards with no insulation. Many families were assigned to one barracks and lived

together with no privacy. Meals were served in mess halls and the lines for food were

very long. These people lost their homes and businesses. Over 120,000

Japanese-Americans were involved in these relocations. Some had even lost their sons

who had fought for the country that had imprisoned their parents. On December 17,

1944 President Roosevelt announced the revocation of Executive Order 9066.