Manzanar

I have decided I need to take advantage of the warmer winter we're experiencing in southeastern California and get out and explore and see.  Two weeks ago I decided to trek out to the Owens Valley and visit Manzanar National Historic Site.

The drive from Death Valley in the early hours of the morning, coming over the last ridgeline and seeing the eastern slopes of the Sierras and Mt. Whitney was lovely.  I couldn't have picked a more beautiful day.  As I drove up the valley and approached Manzanar, the guard tower seemed out of place.  Then I thought about all the Japanese American internees who were also out of place here.

Little Car poses with the sign and the Sierras.

At the entrance.  I was speaking with a friend on the phone before the visit and he commented on the fact that these were called "relocation" centers.  I later shared a campfire with friends from Great Basin.  One said this is probably one of the best sites in the park service; not our nation's finest hour, but we still own up to what was done.  The spirit of the Japanese Americans 'relocated' here is truly incredible.

I watched the park film and found it very moving.  I picked up the Junior Ranger program and worked through the activities and read my way through the amazing museum and displays at the visitor center.  Not a whole lot remains of the site other than the gymnasium.  This diorama shows how large this place was.  Manzanar means apple orchard in Spanish.  At one time, it housed over 10,000 individuals.

Despite being behind barbed wire and surrounded by guard towers, the Japanese Americans tried to beautify this harsh desert landscape.  Currently, there are organizations excavating some of the old gardens and waterways the internees built.  Using your imagination, these places were ideal for forgetting where you were and why you were there.

What really struck me, was the cemetery.  Most people are familiar with this monument, or associate the obelisk with Manzanar.  What most pictures don't show, however, is that the cemetery is outside the barbed wire.

I wandered around Lone Pine, California and enjoyed my day immensely.  If you are unfamiliar with the history of the Japanese American internment in the United States during WWII, this is a part of our history we should all know about.