Heart Mountain

You know those parts of U.S. history we do not hear much about? Those events that seem to be swept under the rug or just not discussed? Well Al and I had the privilege today to visit a World War II Japanese Confinement Camp outside of Cody, Wyoming called Heart Mountain. We learned that 110,000 Japanese or Japanese Americans living in the “Exclusion Area” (which were parts of Washington, Oregon and Arizona and all of California) were sent to one of these camps. Heart Mountain held up to 14,000 during the time of it’s operation.

Although these camps were not like the Concentration camps we attribute to the Nazis, none-the-less, these families were detained without cause and against their Constitutional Rights. They were still kept behind barbed wire fences, lived in a communal setting, food was scarce, they suffered humiliation, no longer had a purpose and were not allowed to freely move about on their own.

What was really saddening, was at the end of the war when the camps closed, these people were just sent on their way with $25 and a train ticket. They had essentially lost everything: their homes, businesses, possessions, and savings. And to make matters worse, there were few places in the country welcoming them back to the community.

I highly recommend if you ever get a chance to visit one of these camps to take advantage of the opportunity. I found it educational and informative. Furthermore, I felt a little embarrassed that our government was so ignorant and took such measures, especially against U.S. Citizens. Al argued that it was a different mindset back then and we have to take that into consideration. I understand what he is saying, but I don’t think that is an excuse for the injustices these people endured. I feel we need to know more about such events in our history so as not to make similar mistakes. I could just imagine if my husband and his family had been rounded up after the 9/11 attacks.