Summary

George recounts some childhood activities that occurred at Camp Rohwer. Some of the children played “War” (82), a game that involved a child pretending to be an American soldier chasing another child pretending to be a Japanese soldier. He also remembers two older boys, brothers named Ford and Chevy, playing a trick on him. They told him if he went to the guard tower and shouted the “magic word” (84), the guards would give him whatever he wanted. The magic word was “Sakana Beach” (85). George went to the guard tower and yelled this phrase as instructed, but the guards only got angry and chased him off. He realized much later that “Sakana Beach” sounds like “Son of a bitch,” and the older boys were trying to get him in trouble.

Because of his position of authority, Takekuma was permitted to borrow the camp's Jeep for...