When finally Fujimura was permitted to return to Salinas, four years after he had been transported out of town on a darkened train, he found that his temple had not been able to fully recover from the forced relocation of all its members. Only 26 of the 300 families who once attended the temple had returned, and those who did complained of a chilly reception from the locals. Many of his former congregants, however, had settled in nearby Monterey, and he soon followed them.

At his new temple in Monterey, he found himself providing services not only for those who had endured internment, but for young men in uniform.

The Military Intelligence Service had moved its language school to the Presidio, which at the time was a satellite of nearby Fort Ord. There were seven different chapels for various religions to use on the base, but not one for Buddhists, and so once a week, a bus full of soldiers appeared in their dress uniforms to hear Reverend Fujimura speak on the teachings of the Buddha.

At first most of these soldiers were of Japanese descent, either those who had been too young to serve during the war or the next generation, for whom the Japanese homeland was but a grandparent’s memory. As the weeks passed, however, when Fujimura looked out over his military congregation, he saw that they were no longer all Japanese. There were soldiers with English and Norwegian names, as well as African Americans and Filipinos. Some were there to practice the language they were learning in order to serve in the U.S. occupation force in Japan. Others had genuine interest in learning about Buddhism. Many came for the food. Sushi, udon noodles, and other traditional fare were regularly offered after the service.

When news began to spread of how popular Fujimura’s sermons had become with the soldiers of Fort Ord, the head chaplain of the base grew concerned that non­-Buddhist soldiers were sneaking away from other commitments to hear talk of the dharma.

“You seem to have altogether too many soldiers here for your Buddhist service,” he said to Reverend Fujimura. “There must be some Christians among them. Could you ask the non­-Buddhists not to attend?”

Given that he had spent many of the preceding years under armed guard, taking orders from soldiers, it was perhaps with both trepidation and delight that Reverend Fujimura told the chaplain that he would like to help but that his temple was open to all.

“Our custom is to welcome everyone who comes,” he said. “How can I tell anyone not to attend?”

This post has been adapted from Peter Manseau's recent book, One Nation, Under Gods: A New American History.

We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.