Biography:
Minoru “George” Horino was born on August 26, 1921, in Los Angeles. He spent his early childhood in Gardena before the family–consisting of his parents, Genzo and Kimi, and five siblings–moved to Los Angeles. Horino graduated from Washington High School in Los Angeles in 1940. He worked as a landscape gardener before the family was forcibly removed to Pomona, arriving at the Assembly Center on May 10, 1942, and at Heart Mountain on August 21, 1942. They lived in apartment 6-24-E. While at Heart Mountain, Horino left often for farm work in the area. At one point, he was able to rent some land in Hardin, Montana, with his brother, Tadashi, and another Nisei man to grow sugar beets and grain. In the midst of his moving around for work leave, he appealed more than once to his local draft board for an occupational deferment. Kimi Horino died in Heart Mountain on June 28, 1943, one month after she arrived from the hospital at Santa Anita. Horino answered No to Question 27 and Yes to Question 28 on the 1943 loyalty questionnaire. According to a later interview with assistant project director at Heart Mountain, Douglas Todd, Horino’s three brothers were already serving in the military and had apparently discussed amongst themselves that the last brother to be called for induction would attempt to remain with the family, in order to help with relocation and setting up a new life after camp. While Horino did not receive a response to these appeals, there was also confusion about his mailing address and so several of his induction notices were sent to the wrong place or arrived days after he was to report for induction. Some time after Horino returned to Heart Mountain to await his induction date, he decided that he felt morally obligated not to report for induction. Horino was arrested on December 1, 1944, and convicted of violating the Selective Service Act on July 9, 1945. He was sentenced to two years in federal prison. Horino was pardoned by President Harry Truman on December 24, 1957. Minoru “George” Horino died on August 31, 1980 in Siskiyou, California.