Frank Kageta was born in Fair Oaks, California on February 15, 1920, the second of four children. Frank grew up working in the olive orchard his father operated. Frank graduated from San Juan High School in 1937. The family moved to Loomis, California, two years before Pearl Harbor. In March of 1942, the family was evacuated to the Arboga Assembly Center near Marysville and then to Tule Lake. Eventually Frank’s parents were moved to the Heart Mountain internment camp in Wyoming. Frank joined the military and served in the 442nd Regimental Combat team that served with distinction in World War II Europe. Returning to Loomis in 1947, Frank and his family resumed fruit farming on newly purchased acreage.
Video Timeline
Note: To listen to a specific clip, move the slider on the video to the designated clip time listed below.
00:00 – Introduction
00:18 – Clip 1
Talks about the first time he understood he was not a white boy, and normal like everyone else.
02:08 – Clip 2
Frank describes his time at Tule Lake.
03:28 – Clip 3
Signing or not signing the Loyalty Oath.
In Memoriam
We are saddened to share that Frank passed away on June 15, 2016 – View his obituary on legacy.com
It was an honor to interview Frank for our Time of Remembrance project. We encourage you to listen to and be inspired by his story of courage and resilience.