Soul Consoling Tower

This is the iconic tower that stands in the cemetery on the west side of Manzanar.  

There are always offerings left at the tower.  The ever-changing variety is thought provoking.  I have wondered for years about the child who gave a beloved Batman doll to the souls of his ancestors.  Batman now resides inside the interpretive center, safely behind glass.

On the left is a gravestone in the cemetery. Only a handful of people who died at Manzanar remain there.  Most were moved to family plots after the camp closed.  

The internees built a multitude of gardens and fountains to make their living areas more tolerable and to remind them of home.

The internees were American citizens who had committed no crimes against the government.  The only things that set them apart from other Americans were their Asian features and their Japanese names.  Because the emperor of Japan had declared war on the United States, these innocent and law-abiding citizens of the U.S. were forced into concentration camps.