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Final of the season Friday,run February 8 • 2013 for the little ones Local figure See Page 20 skaters shine at Kootenay regionals See Pages 21 & 22
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Vol. 5 •search Issue 64 Nelson crew in the spotlight FirePages rips through See 14-15 North Shore home See Page 3
UPROOTED
More than 65 years ago Japanese Canadians were forcibly removed from their homes on British Columbia’s coast and brought to internment camps in places like the Slocan Valley during the height of the Second World War. The families of two Kootenay men who bravely fought and risked Today those who lived through the ordeal tell stories of struggle, sadness, and forgiveness. Here’s one such tale... their lives in a dangerous mission against the Germans in World War II reach out to one another after discovering a link on the Internet GREG NESTEROFF
celebrates BC Family Day Nelson Star Reporter Feb 11th! POWDER $ BC residents ongtime Nelson resident Yosh Tagami mi remembers working for 25 cents an 1st & 6th day FREE receive 50% off n hour building internment shacks on ON SALE OCT. lift tickets with1 the Popoff farm near Slocan City. He valid photo ID! was 17 and his family would soon move intoo T: 250.354.4944 Toll Free: 1.800.666.9240
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whom he served on a dangerous mission during World War II. This past Remembrance Day, the Nelson Star profiled Cox, who stormed the beach at Normandy with the Canadian Scottish Regiment and also figured in a 1945 Star Weekly one of those houses, which measured 14 x article by journalist Matthew Halton. It chron25 feet. icled the attempted capture of a prisoner from “The first winter was cold with four feet behind enemy lines at Little Tobruk, Holland. of snow, and icicles formed inside so we It was, Halton wrote, “Nothing titanic or historic — just another patrol,â€? but demonstrated put cardboard from boxes on the walls,â€? how a few young Canadians did their duty he says. “brilliantly and bravely.â€? There was no insulation beyond paper Huscroft, a young Creston Valley and shiplap, and no indoor plumbing. man who’d just received word he Wooden bunk beds lay at either end of had a three-day-old son named the house with a kitchen in the middle. George, led the way. During a They used a wood stove for cooking and three-hour reconnaissance, he and heating. Cox saw several machine gun posts “Rice was rationed and we made green surrounded by mortar and decided tea from alfalfa leaves,â€? he says. “We had a garden arden and also it was impossible to safely snatch a bought vegetabless from the DoukABOVE —Even prisoner. They reported back, but hobors who camee in horse horse-driven driven before World the offi cer in charge told themWar to II, ABOVE — Lt. Denis Huscroft at hiswagons. Wynndel â€?home in 1942 Japanese Canadians try again. Huscroft protested: “I when he was 18. Huscroft fought side-by-side with NelTagami, now 85, was born at howlike don’t know anybody could Yosh Tagami son’s Ron Cox in World War II but tragically did not return. Genoa Bay on Vancouver Island get in there, sir. Only one openwere ďŹ ngerprinted and raised at Paldi, aing sawmill through the dyke and in that and photographed GREG NESTEROFF community near Duncan. He moonlight we’re a sitting duck. â€? for identity cards Nelson Star Reporter had four brothers and But two the colonel was adamant, when they turned 16. sisters. linked Their father Jirosaku, a relented. wo Kootenay families by so Huscroft “Okay, sir, RIGHT — Thoumillwright, was injured fall but a war correspondent’s battleI willingoa again, the men are sands of internees field dispatch have conandmade unable to work, so the sons were sent to Slocan tact for the first time almost as teenagers. RIGHT — Nelson’s Ron Cox holds the beganinlogging City where they en70 years. letter he received from Denis Huscroft’s dured primitive living Nelson’s Ron Cox, 92, was sister Muriel Lasuta after she read a Story continues to conditions. astonished to receive a letter early last‘Tagami’ month on story about the Pageat3 nelsonstar.com Toyota photo) from the sister of Lt. Denis Huscroft, with 92-year-old military(Tak veteran. Greg Nesteroff photo
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done in. If I can have fresh men ...� The colonel agreed, but asked “Will Cox go with you again?� “There was a painful silence then as we waited for Cox to speak,� Halton wrote. “At last Cox said ‘I’ll go with you, sir, I’m all right.’ The tension seemed to snap and Huscroft turned to Cox almost eagerly. ‘You mean you will come with me and have another spit at it?’ And slowly, Cox replied, ‘Sure I’ll come again.’ They looked at each other, the lieutenant and the corporal, two brave men, friends. It was like a film.� Story continues to ‘Letter’ on Page 12