The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula brings the powerful story of one family’s life in internment camps during WWII. The presentation will take place on Thursday, April 20th, 7:00-8:30pm at the Northern Rockies Heritage Center’s Heritage Hall (30 Fort Missoula Rd, Yellow Building). The talk is free and open to the public.

During WWII, 110,000 people were incarcerated after the attack on Pearl Harbor, from tiny infants to the elderly. This is a snapshot of one family’s experience. Yukio Shimomura shares his family’s experience during the 1940s when WWII started (Yukio was in grade school), including the effects of Executive Order 9066 on his family, from leaving San Francisco and entering the incarceration camps, first at the Tanforan Race Track in San Bruno then to the camp near Topaz, Utah. Shimomura will also explore how their incarceration impacted all of the members of his family, from his grandmother to his parents to his older brothers and, of course, himself.

Supported by a grant from Humanities Montana, Shimomura will also be doing presentations for students during his visit.

Questions can be directed to Kristjana Eyjolfsson, Director of Education, at keyjolfsson@missoulacounty.us and 406-258-3469