Monica Sone

In the following essay, excerpted from her memoir Nisei Daughter, Monica Sone describes her family's experiences in preparing for evacuation from their Seattle home and their arrival at Camp Harmony, the assembly center in Puyallup, Washington. As her father made frantic preparations for the care of the family hotel, Sone, along with her mother, sister, and brother sorted through a lifetime accumulation of possessions to determine what was going to be packed and what was going to be left behind. After saying goodbye to the family home and dog, the Sones attempted to settle into the 18 x 20- foot room that served as their home for the next month.

General DeWitt kept reminding us that E day, evacuation day, was drawing near. "E day will be announced in the very near future. If you have not wound up your affairs by now, it will...