The Power of Fear

This past weekend we visited the Topaz Internment Camp. I am sure that most of you are unfamiliar with what exactly the Topaz Internment Camp is so I will give you all a little history. I myself was a little amazed to learn about it, especially when I grew up only 75 miles south of it's location. I can remember back in school hearing a little bit about it but it never stuck with me. I hope that our visit has made an impression on tailEnd, seeing as how he had no clue that we had ever done anything like this in our country.


During WWII fear ruled our hearts, which is the truth in most cases of war. In our case the fear came from the fact that in our country there were a lot of Americans of Japanese ancestry, and Japan had just bombed Pearl Harbor. What to do?


Our government and the US Army, citing "military necessity", locked up over 110,000 men, women, and children in 10 remote camps. One of those camps was the Topaz Internment Camp located west of Delta, Utah.

As you can see it was a pretty desolate area located in a semi-arid desert where the temperatures can range from 109 degrees in the summer to below freezing in the winter. The camp opened on September 11, 1942, the 5th largest city in Utah at the time, although many barracks as well as the schools were not completed. The barracks, crudely constructed of pine planks covered with tarpaper as the only insulation, and sheetrock on the inside, provided little protection from the extreme living conditions. The camp housed over 8000 individuals.

As we explored the site we came across the ruin pictured above. The red sign states that this was the sewer and it is still a dangerous place, tailEnd wanted to look down the hole, we told him no. The white sign states that on 11 April 1943 James Wakasa, age 63, was shot by a guard when he was standing near the southwest section of the fence, which was just on the other side of this ruin. While reading on the Topaz Internment Camp website, which can be found HERE, I could find no reason as to why he was shot and killed. It is a good reminder of what fear can do to the human mind.

( We think this might be a well or part of the sewer)

These Americans, whom we placed in this internment camp, after much abuse and neglect, were asked by our president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, to volunteer to serve their country. 105 volunteers soon left Topaz for active duty. I find it almost unimaginable that these Americans choose to volunteer and serve and protect a country, and it's citizens, that did not show them the respect they deserved. What true Americans they are.


In 1976 the Japanese-American Citizen League erected a monument near the site of the camp. When we pulled up to the monument, we saw an older gentleman, clearly of Japanese decent, wiping a lot of tears from his eyes. What an impact, I had tears in my own eyes. It made you wonder, was it his dad that was interned here, or maybe his mother, or even himself. We made eye contact but I didn't feel that I should intrude, although I did want to apologize for what was done. My heart breaks for the people interned at this and all of the other camps. Fear can have so much power.


Fear. Such a little word.


Love to All,


midRae