by Nancy Hirabayashi as told to Jonathan Hirabayashi
“…he was separated from his family and transferred to Gila River Internment Center in Arizona.”
In the courtyard at Topaz Relocation Center in Utah, the Scouts were in formation and stood at attention during the raising of the American flag. That day there was a moderate desert wind blowing, and as the flag was being raised, it broke loose from its moorings and began to float toward the ground. One Scout broke ranks and ran after it, managing to catch the flag before it touched the ground.
That Scout was Irvin Hirabayashi. He and his younger brother, Robert, were the sons of Kenichi and Koshizu Hirabayashi of San Mateo, California. Both boys were enrolled in the Boy Scouts before evacuation and continued their participation in Topaz.