Mel

In His Own Words: Melvyn Norio Maeda's Story

I  will begin by letting you know that I did not know who my biological father was until my mom, Mildred, told me that my father (Ben Kusaba) passed away. I was 15 years old at that time.

My mother married Ben Kusaba in 1939. I was born on March 6, 1940.

In 1942, our family got interned at Camp Amache, Colorado. The camp documentation showed that my mom and I went into camp as Mildred Yoneko Kusaba and Melvyn Norio Kusaba.

My mom's parents, Takesaburo and Kanayo Maeda, ran a Restaurant/Hotel (Mildred's Cafe) in Walnut Grove, California before the war (1940-1942) then after camp (1945-1954). After Kanayo had a miscarriage carrying her second child, she couldn't have any more children. However, it was important to my grandfather to have someone carry on the Maeda name (Japanese tradition). So I was adopted by my maternal grandparents. My grandparents became my parents, and my mom Mildred became my sister/guardian. So, when we left camp in 1945, our names were written in the Camp Directory as Mildred Yoneko Maeda and Melvyn Norio Maeda.

In 1948, my mom married Harry Fong, and we left Walnut Grove in October 1954. I still then didn't know that Ben Kusaba was my father until his death the following year.

I got drafted into the Army in 1963, staying until 1965. I took my Army Basic Training at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. I received further training at Brooks Army Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, graduating as a Medical Specialist.

It was the beginning of the Vietnam War. I was stationed at Camp Kue, US Army Hospital, Ryukyu Island, Okinawa. When my duty was up, the Army offered me $25,000 to stay another 3 years. I decided not to take the offer because the war casualties were getting heavy.

While attending the 24 Hours Fitness Center in Daly City in 2006, my wife Mitsu became friends with Marion Seiki. One day when I was on a treadmill, Marion was on the treadmill next to me. Marion happened to mention her classmate’s name, “Chris Kusaba." I responded, “Is her husband’s name Dale?” When Marion said, “Yes,” I was shocked.

Because of Marion, I was able to meet and correspond with Dale’s family after 50 years!