Central California in late 1941 was quiet and slow-paced, tranquil and idyllic in many ways. It was in this haven that Nina and Gordon had met as second graders and grew into fast friends. Their families lived on the same side of town just outside the city limits, hers on her grandfather’s dairy, his on his parent’s peach and almond farm. The world beyond was in turmoil and the drums of world conflict were pounding a beat in Europe that shook our national shores.
On Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, America awoke to the news that the Imperial Navy of Japan had launched a sneak attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The loss of American servicemen was extreme and the bulk of the nation’s navy lay at the bottom of the waters of Pearl Harbor Bay.
What follows is the tale of two families, both American, but each with very different story lines. Nina’s father enlists in the Army Air Corps and after training ships out to England. The life of loved ones who wait and serve on the home front is played out as Nina and her family deal with an absent father serving his country.
Gordon’s family is subjected to the embarrassment and shame of being identified as “enemy aliens” and forcibly evacuated from their home and interned in a concentration camp in southeastern Colorado for the duration of the war.
Both families struggle with circumstances over which they have little or no control, and each makes do under the protective hands of the mothers. The world outside has gone completely mad, but inside the safety of a cocoon held together by their mothers, Nina and Gordon find some semblance of a normal childhood.
This is a story of two friends, one white, one of Japanese descent, learning to deal with race and the power of fear, and how through their mutual support learn the meaning of friendship and the value of family.
Revised: March 9, 2016
Journeys of a Bent Mind 
Gordon. I lived in Atwater 1969 to 1971 while my then husband was stationed at Castle Air Force Base. Even then it was totally different and felt more rural than its big sister Merced. My first time on your site. What an absolute delight! I have bookmarked you! Thank you for sharing. Gail Katz
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Gordon, I can’t even begin to tell you how much I’ve loved all of your blogs. I’m wondering where in the world you came to have such a talent to be enjoyed by so many people?? It’s truly awesome!Janet
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Hi Gail, Sorry I haven’t responded sooner to your comment – I’m still learning how blogs work and often miss comments left by others to something they’ve seen on my site…
We should talk sometime about Atwater and our experiences there – I remember it as very rural as you do, and like you think of Merced as the big sister, more sophisticated, glamorous, and “faster”…
Castle was a favorite place for me as a youngster – not so much that I visited it more than just a couple of times, but because I could see the big B-29s coming in for a landing from where our farm was situated – I knew the Enola Gay was a B-29 and always wondered if any of the ones I was seeing was that plane…
Let’s talk sometime…
Gordon…
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Hey Janet, Glad you’re liking my blog and what I’m posting – It’s been a fun ride so far and I’m getting so much out of just doing the writing for it….I had a friend help me set it up and he’s been coaching me with how to use it, internet protocol, and the like – It’s just been a whole lot of fun for me, and I’m glad you’re finding it enjoyable….Take care – be well…/Gordon…
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