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March Serial No. 2 April 30, 1942

Emergency Defense Council of the Seattle Chapter, Japanese American Citizens’ League. Box 18. Manuscripts and University Archives, UW Libraries.

Headquarters Japanese Exclusion Area A
517 Main Street Seattle, Washington

March Order No. 2 – April 25, 1942

MARCH SERIAL NO. 2 April 30
MARCH SERIAL NO. 3 Same identical procedure May 1

  1. Pursuant to the provisions of Civilian Exclusion Orders No. 17 and 18, Headquarters Western Defense Command and Fourth Army, and further in accordance with directives pertaining thereto, March Serial No. 2, consisting of approximately 850 Japanese residing in both excluded areas will proceed by motor march to the Puyallup Assembly Area.

Families will be kept intact for the movement.

Japanese evacuees may use their own privately-owned motor vehicles for the movement, with the understanding that such automobiles will be impounded at the Assembly Center. All private automobiles so used will first have been registered with the representative of the Federal Reserve Bank at the Services and Control Station.

Transportation for the balance of March Serial No. 2 will be furnished by the United States Army.

    1. Date: April 30, 1942
      Time: Head of column will clear Starting Point at 10 a.m.
      Starting Point: Junction of Beacon Avenue and Alaska Street at the southern end of Jackson Park
      Route: Junction of Beacon Avenue and Alaska Street south to Columbia Way; east to Rainier Avenue; south of Rt. 5 via Renton, Kent, Auburn, Sumner, Puyallup
    2. Rate of March:
      1. Privately-owned vehicles: 30 miles an hour. In recovering lost distance, a maximum of 40 miles an hour will not be exceeded by vehicles following those in lead.
      2. Busses: The rate of march of busses will be regulated by the accompanying military police vehicle.
      3. Moving vans: Same as busses.

Traffic Regulations: Obey all traffic signs, signals, and local traffic regulations.

Formation: Close column. Distance between vehicles not closer in yards than twice the speedometer speed in miles per hour. Lost distance will be picked up as indicated above.

      1. The column of privately-owned motor vehicles will move in march units of not to exceed 10 vehicles
      2. Motor busses will move in march units of not to exceed 5 vehicles
      3. Moving vans, same as busses
      4. Time interval between march units — not less than 5 minutes
    1. Upon registering at Service and Control Stations, those persons to move with March Serial No. 2 will be designated by the United States Army Liaison Officer. At this time the family head will tell the Army Liaison Officer whether he desires to travel in his own privately-owned car or by government transportation. The Army Liaison Officer will then tell the family head when and where to report with his family and his baggage.
    2. Privately-owned motor vehicles will be directed to form at the Starting Point off the road to the right and will close to one foot distance beginning at 9:30 a.m.
    3. BAGGAGE PICK-UP AND EMBUSSING POINTS: Busses and moving vans will be spotted at pick-up points in accordance with the following time schedule and location designation:

Project No. 25 (northern area)

Pick-up point No. 1: Leading bus spotted at junction of Elliott Avenue West and Virginia Street, facing south on right-hand side of street. Moving vans in rear. Last vehicle in colunm not further north than Bell Street. Total number of trucks: ____. Moving vans: ____. Vehicles will be spotted at 8:15 a.m. and will clear the pick-up point at 9:15 a.m., proceeding via Second Avenue and Airport Way to rear of column forming on Beacon Avenue.

Pick-up point No. 4: Leading bus spotted at junction of Evanston Avenue and 45th Street, facing south on right-hand side of street. Moving vans in rear. Last vehicle in colunm not further north than 30th Street. Total number of busses: ____. Moving vans: ____. Vehicles will be spotted at 7:45 a.m. and will clear the pick-up point at 8:45 a.m., proceeding via the shortest, most practicable route to the column forming on the Starting Point.

Project No. 26 (southern area):

Pick-up point No. 2: Lane Street, leading truck facing east between Eighth Avenue South and Tenth Avenue South. Number of busses ____. Number of moving vans ____. Trucks will be spotted at 8:30 a.m. and will clear the junction of Lane and Tenth South beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Pick-up point No. 3: Spokane Street, leading truck facing west between 19th and 21st Avenues. Number of busses ____. Number of moving vans ____. Trucks will be spotted at 8:45 a.m. and will clear the junction of Lane and Tenth South beginning at 9:45 a.m.

Reserve Transportation

A representative of the commercial firm furnishing the transportation is requested to be present at Area Headquarters, Japanese American Citizens League, 517 Main Street, not later than 8 a.m. The representative should be prepared to furnish reserve transportation to accommodate any overflow of personnel or baggage.

    1. Evacuees are urged to utilize transportation of friends in coming to the pick-up point.
    2. Prohibited parking and traffic control: The Seattle Police are requested to prohibit parking on the sides of the above-named streets designated as pick-up points.
    3. Military control at pick-up points:
      1. Project No. 25, pick-up points:
      a. Pick-up point No. 1
      Officer in charge: Lt. Witschief
      b. Pick-up point No. 4
      Officer in charge: Lt. Bettridge

2. Project No. 26, pick-up points:
a. Pick-up point No. 2
Officer in charge: Maj. Hlavac
b. Pick-up point No. 3
Officer in charge: Lt. Klode

3. Private transportation march units at starting point
Officer in charge: Capt. Rivisto

    1. One quarter ton or half ton command car and driver and two military police will be at each of the above points except at private transportation point.

At the private transportation forming on the Starting Point, there will be established a motor pool consisting of eight quarter-ton or half-ton command cars and all other staff or command cars for officer personnel. This pool will be spotted off the road by Capt. Rivisto. Dispatching of military police vehicles to act as convoy escort will be effected by Lt. Miller.

  1. Supply:
    1. Rations: First meal will be served at Puyallup at about noon or shortly thereafter.
    2. Baggage, as specified in instructions to evacuees, will be loaded at the pick-up points. Information in this regard will be furnished at registration points. One hour’s time has been permitted at each pick-up point for the purpose of assembling and loading the baggage and for personnel entrucking.
    3. There will be no refueling en route.
    4. Traffic control: See Annex No. 3, strip map. Arrangements will be made with state, county, and municipal police to regulate traffic through cities, intersections, and other critical points during the march.
    5. The Army will furnish a wrecker truck to follow the last march unit.
    1. March Serial Commander: ______________ _____________________
    2. Area group and section leaders and monitors among the Japanese will assist in regulating the march of the various march units to which they may be assigned or in which they may find themselves.
    3. Female nurses and medical aid personnel will occupy the last vehicle in each march unit

By order of the Area Director,
William Y. Mimbu

Official:
George Kakehashi, Operations Manager
Paul B. Malone, Jr.
Lt. Col., U.S.A.

27 January 1997