When Fear and suspicion gripped WWII Petaluma

It was January of 1942, just weeks after the bombs fell on Pearl Harbor.

America had entered the second World War and nerves were especially rattled on the entire Pacific Coast from San Diego to Canada. Preparations for defending against a Japanese invasion were underway, and there was fear that another Pearl Harbor could happen here.

The Argus-Courier Editor Duncan Olmsted wrote, “We must be prepared. The menace is real.”

The world, that January, was filled with war news. As Franklin Roosevelt pledged the trillions (in today’s dollars) that we would devote to defense, Hitler and his minions were bragging that, “No force on earth can dominate us,” and Japanese naval forces were sending submarines to check out our coast.

Adding to those fears was the growth of the American Nazi Party.

Still, prepare we did.

Preparations in the San Francisco Bay included a definition of specific areas in which “illegal aliens” would be excluded. The Chronicle stated, “Army power to clear all strategic areas is in place, and attitudes of sweetness and light to enemy aliens are now blasted.”

Thousands of Japanese, Germans and Italians faced evacuation as fears heightened here, and that “exclusion” also meant the revocation of “alien” business licenses in a rush to halt possible sabotage.

San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf had long been home to such successful Italian families as the Tarantinos, Gottis and Sabellas, and the Chronicle even questioned whether the San Francisco family of baseball star Joe Dimaggio would be affected.

“Area Exclusion” meant stern investigation, even though most second and third generations were U.S. citizens. Army intelligence had warned there was an espionage net of Japanese aliens here, with both first and second generation working underground. They said, “A violent outburst of coordinated sabotage” was expected, and the FBI had started random search-and-seizure raids in California.

The beginning of the war saw a lot of changes in our country. Mass production of weapons meant that car and tractor makers, tool and die companies and others were switching over to make war machines, and rationing of many items, including gas, tires, silk and food stuffs was imposed.

In Petaluma, registration of aliens began at the Post Office. All those over the age of 14 had to fill out IDs, provide three photos and answer questions about any property they owned in Sonoma County. The Argus-Courier reported that a survey would be made to determine how many “Japanese aliens illegally held farm lands in Sonoma County.”

By the end of the month, immediate internment of the Japanese commenced as seizure of their property went into effect. In other new regulations, all U.S. men over the age of 18 were required to register for the draft no later than Feb. 16. Mayor Woodson stated, “We must be ready to cope with any emergency.”

He had organized an immediate volunteer force of 175 to start working shifts to report all planes approaching Petaluma, and to patrol streets during blackouts, enforcing the ban on visible lights. Stiff fines for that offense were $150 or 75 days in jail. The mayor said, “Petalumans must learn to take orders, when orders are given. Petaluma is fortunate to have a full company of the California State Guard for emergencies and also WPA workers can be re-assigned at any time, in any capacity.”

Per FDR’s “Executive order No. 9066,” all Germans, Japanese and Italians were ordered to register in the following month. However, on Jan. 6, it was reported that Marin County rancher, Edward Heims and his wife Hildegard, had been arrested and sent to a detention camp.

“Heims, who last year purchased 1,100 acres in the vicinity of Point Reyes, was detained upon neighbor’s complaints that their occupation was not all for dairy usage and that war equipment might be secreted there,” the newspaper said. It was said that officers had found a powerful 32 tube radio in one of Heims’ barns.

By Jan. 16, Hildegard Heims was released and allowed to return to Marin.

But this story is quite typical of many “alien” arrests during the war.

Executive Order No. 9066 was acting upon “fear itself.” Petaluma Historian Ed Fratini told me that he went to the Petaluma train depot to see some of his Japanese friends off to detention.

“It was tragic, they had done nothing illegal,” he said. “Many of them came back after the war, to find that all they had worked for was gone.”

Now, I feel compelled to pass on this interesting comment made that January of 1942 by California Governor Olsen about Order 9066.

“Removing the Japanese from California might mean the troublesome necessity of importing large numbers of Mexican laborers.”

War rationing was a “means of control,” said Argus Editor Olmsted. “Hoarding would have been prevalent without rationing. Don’t get the idea that you can stock up with enough groceries or any other commodity to last out the emergency. It can’t be done. At least the First Lady says it can’t, so it must be so.”

A bit of sarcasm there about the outspoken Eleanor Roosevelt.

But, rationing soon became a way of life. Even though gasoline was just 15 cents a gallon, you were only allowed three gallons per car, per week.

“American ingenuity will be put to the test,” forecast Editor Olmsted.

Petalumans weren’t so sure they’d pass that test. However, they did.

And, they did it with flying colors.

And our Pacific Coast was never invaded.