Jay and Debra Johnson were the last couple to leave Taylor Camp. The baby had arrived, and the little family didn’t have anywhere else to go. They were evicted the day that the state burned down the camp. Jay was a Vietnam Viet.
“I was there when we burned down Taylor Camp. We were tasked with something that was not a pleasant thing to do. However, you get caught with situations in your work life that are not to your liking, but you proceed based on what you are ordered to do. I do not believe there was any questions on the legality of what the state did—otherwise they would have been litigation and we would have certainly been stopped from doing what we did. Personally, it was not a happy experience and I did not enjoy doing what we had to do, but I was resigned to making it as painless as possible for everyone involved. I am sure people who were removed probably have another version of things.”
“What a great spot, the ocean, the beach, the trees and the Napali coast, it was paradise. I supposed we who wear collared shirts, pants, socks and shoes to work every day probably felt envious, a little bit jealous of those folks who lived such a life, such great life. I’m sure they had their social issues. We are all humans and when you get more than two human beings together, there is conflict sometime somewhere. But over quite a few years they managed to live happily, coexist and survive.” —Sam Lee, State Land Agent