Feelings Towards the Japanese People

Heroes Remember

Feelings Towards the Japanese People

Transcript

Interviewer: Tell me, Mr. Ewing, given the experience that you've had, what's your feelings toward the Japanese people? Well, as, as I've sort of indicated on, in, earlier, there, I recognize that there were some good Japanese, that they weren't all sadistic, they weren't all looking for ways to make our life miserable. So, I have nothing against the Japanese people as such. I have certainly against the ones who, who were, many, most of the ones who were in charge of us. I didn't have the worst camps that there were, I wasn't, I wasn't in the worst camps, so I didn't develop the, the feeling about the Japanese that many of our people have. Well, having done all, so many interviews, you, you realize that many are, the Japanese are anathema to, to them, they, but I can't, as I said, my son, for a little while, was, was going out with a Japanese girl, it didn't, it didn't bother me. And it wouldn't have bothered me if, if it had developed into something more, well into marriage.

Description

Though he was taken prisoner by the Japanese and not always treated in the best of ways, Mr Ewing explains why he does not hold a grudge toward the people of Japan.

Kenneth Alexander Ewing

Kenneth Ewing was born in 1925, the 4th oldest of 12 children. His father was a civil engineer for the province of New Brunswick which enabled them to manage fairly well during the Depression. His father was a Lieutenant in the First World War and signed up as an engineer in the Second World War from 1942 to 1945. Mr. Ewing quit school in Grade 10 at the age of 15 to join the army. He was unsuccessful in his attempt to join the Merchant Navy and joined the militia in the spring of 1940. He then joined the N.B. Rangers (militia). In November 1940, he went active with the Royal Rifles. He did his basic training in Botwood, Newfoundland, guarding the port. He did further guard duty in Botwood, Gander, and St. John's, Newfoundland, Valcartier, Quebec, and Saint John, New Brunswick. He was posted to Hong Kong as a rifleman in "A" Company. He was taken POW and sent to a slave labour camp in Japan where he endured beatings, disease, and very poor living conditions but considered himself lucky since other Canadians had been executed.

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