Smitty in December 1945 w/ the Sword Story
Christmas card
This was the Christmas card sent from Japan to Broad Channel, New York in December 1945. Anna Smith had been waiting to hear this news from her son Everett (Smitty) for over three years. On the back, it reads:
“Dear Mom:
This is the best Xmas card I’ve sent to you since getting in the army. I figured this would be what you have always been waiting to see, here it goes.
“I’m finally on my way, so don’t send any more mail.
Love, Everett
“P.S. I’ll keep you posted on my various stops.”
Smitty in Japan, at far right
Even though Smitty had earned his points to go home, he was still an NCO on General Swing’s staff and was required to finish out his duties as such. After going through combat in the South Pacific, it would be in peaceful occupational Japan where Smitty’s temper would get the better of him.
Non-nonchalantly going about his business at the headquarters of Camp Schimmelpfennig, Smitty just happened to glance through the glass partition that sealed off Gen. Swing’s office. Inside was an officer holding and admiring the Japanese sword that his commander intended to keep and bring home as a souvenir. Smitty didn’t think much of it at the time; he was busy and many people commented on the weapon. so he continued down the hallway. A short while later, the entire office could hear the general demanding to know what had become of his sword. It was gone.
Gen. Swing accepts Japanese sword at Atsugi Airfield
Major General Joseph Swing
My father didn’t think twice, this was his general. He went into the room and told Swing what he had witnessed. Without a second thought, the two men went to the other man’s office, but neither the man or sword was there. The officer in question showed a few moments later. When the general explained why they were waiting for him, the officer became indignant and professed his innocence (just a tad too much). My father said the air of tension in the room became thick enough to use a
Postcards received from a Cavite, P.I. woman
machete on. This was when Smitty’s temper went out of control and with one right cross – sent the officer through his own glass partition.
Of course, this action made it necessary to bust Smitty back down to private, but he didn’t care about that. He was still furious that the sword was never returned. It all could have gone worse if the general had not been there or if he did not believe Smitty’s word. Smitty said it was worth being busted just to wipe the smirky grin off the officer’s face. The officer, I believe, was a replacement and had not seen much (if any) combat, just a blow-heart. Smitty later offered his two Japanese swords to General Swing, but he refused. My father didn’t believe the general would have taken the Emperor’s own sword as a replacement. I can clearly see my father’s face contort when he thought of the thief and he would say, “That know-nothing mattress salesman from Texas!” I’m sure it was for the best that the two men never met again stateside as civilians.
Unfortunately, a similar incident occurred to my father. As he happily began packing to go home, Smitty noticed that an expensive set of carved ivory chop sticks he had purchased somehow had disappeared. They also were never recovered. (I had often wondered if the two incidents had been related, but I suppose we’ll never know.)
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Harold Allen Sr. – Enid, OK; US Air Force
Kenneth E. Blinkal – Chicago, IL; US Army
Robert F. Grant Jr. – Junction City, KS;US Navy, Vietnam, Chief Petty Officer, USS Midway
Leo R. Harlow – Brocton, MA; US Army, 11th Airborne Division
Boyd D. Lee – Lake Toxaway, NC; US Army, Vietnam, 101st Airborne Division, master rigger, Bronze Star, (Ret.23 y.)
William J. O’Neill Jr. – Chicago, IL; US Army, 188/11th Airborne Division, boxing team
Marciano Parisano – Cibolo, TX; US Army, West Point Class of 2023, UH-60 pilot, 1st LT., 228 Aviation Regiment
John T. Phelps – Zanesville, OH; US Army, JAG Service, Chief Legal Advisor to NATO, Bronze Star, Colonel (Ret. 30 y.)
Robert D. “Butch” Pynnonen – Negaunee, MI; US Navy, Korea
Jesse C. Tom – Honolulu, HI; US Army, Korea, 11th Airborne Division
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Strategy Page’s Military Humor and more….
Military Common Sense Rules
A lot of life’s problems can be explained by the U.S. Military and its applications of common sense …
- “Sometimes I think war is God’s way of teaching us geography.”
(Paul Rodriguez) - “A slipping gear could let your M203 grenade launcher fire when you least expect it. That would make you quite unpopular in what’s left of your unit.”
(Army’s magazine of preventive maintenance ). - “Aim towards the Enemy.”
(Instruction printed on US M79 Rocket Launcher) - When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend.
(U.S. Marine Corps) - Cluster bombing from B-52s is very, very accurate. The bombs always hit the ground.
(U.S. Air Force) - If the enemy is in range, so are you.
(Infantry Journal) - It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed.
(US Air Force Manual) - Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons.
(Gen. MacArthur) - Try to look unimportant; they may be low on ammo.
(Infantry Journal) - You, you, and you . . . Panic. The rest of you, come with me.
(Marine Gunnery Sergeant) - Tracers work both ways.
(US Army Ordnance) - Five second fuses only last three seconds.
(Infantry Journal) - Don’t ever be the first, don’t ever be the last, and don’t ever volunteer to do anything.
(US Navy Seaman) - Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid.
(David Hackworth) - If your attack is going too well, you have walked into an ambush.
(Infantry Journal) - No combat ready unit has ever passed inspection.
(Joe Gay) - Any ship can be a minesweeper… once.
(Admiral Hornblower) - Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do.
(Unknown Marine Recruit) - Don’t draw fire; it irritates the people around you.
(Your Buddies) - Mines are equal opportunity weapons.
(Army Platoon Sergeant) - If you find yourself in a fair fight, you didn’t plan your mission properly.
(David Hackworth) - Your job is to kill the other person before they kill you so that your national leaders can negotiate a peace that will last as long as it takes the ink to dry.
(Drill Instructor)
23. In the Navy, the Chief is always right.
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More Military Humor –
COMMON SENSE??
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Farewell Salutes –
John J. Baker III – E. Orange, NJ; US Air Force, Vietnam, Colonel (Ret.), 535th Troop Carrier Squadron, Maintenance Officer for Air Force One
Last Flight
William I. Berrier – Ellis County, TX; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, Cpl. # 18007819, 21st Pursuit Sq./24th PG, POW, DWC (Cabanatuan Camp # !, Luzon)
Ernest R. Carkin – Barnstead, NH; US Army, Sgt. (Ret.22 y.),10th Special Forces, Green Beret
Alfred S. Fontes Jr. – Oakland, CA; US Navy, Petty Officer 3rd Class, USS Kitty Hawk, Midway & Bon Homme Richard
George A. Hughes – Meadville, PA; US Navy, USS Midway & Coral Sea
Charles H. Jacoby Jr. – Detroit, MI; US Army, General (Ret. 37 y.), 82nd Airborne Division, West Point Class of ’78
Craig H. Mandeville – Chickasha, OK; US Army, Vietnam, 101st Airborne Division, 2-Silver Stars, 4-Purple Hearts, Lt. Col. (Ret.) / Civilian, Douglas Aircraft
Howard E. O’Dell – Poughkeepsie, NY; US Air Force, Korea, Captain # 800582, F-80 pilot, 36th Fighter Squadron/8th FG/5th Air Force, KIA (Taejon, SK)
Edgardo C. Pantaloni – Camden, NJ; US Navy, USS Midway, radarman
Klaus D. Petzold – Coronado, CA; Civilian, USS Midway Museum volunteer
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Norman Rockwell & Willie Gillis
Rockwell by Boyer
Norman Rockwell has been a well-known artist since his first magazine cover. His work helped the home front during the war in more ways than just a nice painting at the news stand. He produced over 300 covers in his 50-year career. His influence is still felt today.
Rockwell’s Willie Gillis Jr.
Willie Gillis, Jr. (more commonly simply Willie Gillis) is a fictional character created by Norman Rockwell for a series of World War II paintings that appeared on the covers of eleven issues of the Saturday Evening Post between 1941 and 1946. With the rank of Private, Gillis was an every man whose career was tracked on the cover of the Post from induction through discharge without being depicted in battle. Gillis and his girlfriend were modeled by two of Rockwell’s acquaintances.
Although Gillis was not exclusively used on Post covers, the Willie Gillis series of covers was a hallmark of Rockwell’s wartime work. In Rockwell’s prime and at the peak of its popularity, the Post had a subscriber list of 4 million, and many of these subscribers believed Gillis was a real person. Rockwell’s wartime art, including Willie Gillis, the Four Freedoms and Rosie the Riveter, contributed to the success of the wartime bond sales efforts.
Robert Otis Buck aka Willie Gillis Jr.
Robert Otis “Bob” Buck served as Rockwell’s model for Gillis and eventually enlisted for service in the U.S. Navy, despite being except from the draft. When the 15-year-old Buck met Rockwell to pose for the first time, Buck only stood 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 m) tall. At that time, Buck had a lock of hair that used to drop down on his forehead. Rockwell had been seeking a model, and met Buck at a square dance in Arlington, Vermont. Buck’s job in Arlington was as a sawmill hand. Rockwell observed Buck from different angles during the dance, and Buck told Rockwell that if he did not stop staring, Buck would knock him flat.
Since 1999 the Gillis series has been included in two major Rockwell tours. From 1999 to 2002 it toured as part of a Rockwell Post cover art retrospective, and from 2006 to 2010 it toured as part of a 1940’s World War II Rockwell art exhibition.
Rockwell did not name his works, but many of them have one or two names by which they are known. The following are the eleven Willie Gillis Saturday Evening Post cover paintings:
- October 4, 1941 – Willie Gillis: Food Package/Willie Gillis: Package From Home
- November 29, 1941 – Willie Gillis: Home Sweet Home/Willie Gillis: Home On Leave
- February 7, 1942 – Willie Gillis: USO
- April 11, 1942 – Willie Gillis: Hometown News/Willie Gillis: On K.P.
- June 27, 1942 – Willie Gillis: What To Do in a Blackout
- July 25, 1942 – Willie Gillis in Church
- September 5, 1942 – Willie Gillis: Girls with Letters/Double Trouble for Willie Gillis
- June 26, 1943 – Willie Gillis: Cat’s Cradle/Willie’s Rope Trick
- January 1, 1944 – Willie Gillis: New Year’s Eve
- Willie Gillis “In Convoy”
- September 16, 1944- Willie Gillis: Gillis Heritage/Willie Gillis Generations
- October 5, 1946 – Willie Gillis in College
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Home Front Humor – ala Saturday Evening Post –
“I’VE BEEN TRYING TO GET MY LIFE IN ORDER FOR 15 YEARS. NOW MY DRAFT BOARD EXPECTS ME TO DO IT IN 10DAYS!”
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Farewell Salutes –
Richard E. Blezard – Pawtucket, RI; US Air Force / Civilian, Dept. of Defense
James C. Damron – Columbus, OH; US Navy, USS Midway/Navy Reserve, HR Chief (Ret. 24 y.)
Half Staff; courtesy of: Dan Antion
Elizabeth “Betty” White Dybbro (102) – Olympia, WA; US Army Air Corps WASP, WWII
Harrison Hull – Fort Wayne, IN; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, crew chief
Bruce D. Mills – Asheville, NC; US Air Force, aviation & weapon engineering, Colonel (Ret. 27 y.)
Jimmy D. Parks – Yuma, AZ; US Navy, Vietnam, USS Midway
Jaime R. Reatiraza – Luzon, P.I. – US Navy, USS Midway & Paul Revere, Chief Petty Officer (Ret. 20 y.); Pentagon
John A. Rooke – Inglewood, CA; US Navy, ‘Wings of Gold’ / USMC, Vietnam, A-4 pilot, Marine Attack Squadron (“Black Sheep”). Lt. Col. (Ret 21 y.)
Rudolph A. Wuttke – Fort Wayne, IN; US Army, WWII, Iceland, radio operator
Robert J. Yates – Rochester, NY; US Navy, USS Midway
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G-2 Intelligence/ Nisei part 2
Ben Hazzard (mustache) w/ the 306th Language Detachment
In the Solomons, a thick document emerged from a grounded Japanese submarine. It contained a list of the enemy’s submarines with the code names, ship types that were unknown to the Allies and air squadrons and their bases. Three Nisei enlisted men of the Army translated all the paperwork.
MIS translations included: artillery charts, the Japanese Z Plan, mine field layouts and shipping schedules. The Nisei wrote surrender instructions and even decoded the documents that resulted in the aerial ambush that killed Admiral Yamamoto. Maps were deciphered and read mail. The Nisei donned headphones in the field and listened for that all-important “one-word” signal order directed to the enemy troops.
interrogating a Japanese general
The Nisei flushed the enemy out of caves and bunkers, often while they themselves were unarmed. They fought alongside their fellow soldiers, interrogated prisoners and helped to empty munitions factories on Japan before the G.I.s went in to dismantle them. They endured the racism of the American citizens, some of the soldiers, the navy and even the taunting of the Filipino people. Yet, the Higa team went on to flush 30,000 Japanese men out of the caves and tombs on Okinawa. On 19 April, at 0640 hours, General John Hodge ordered his troops to break through the Naha-Shuri-Yonabaru line. The attack was shattered and 750 Americans died. According to Hodge himself, if the work the Nisei had done was given the attention it deserved – “it would not have happened at all!”
Nisei Soldier of WWII Bronze medal
reverse side of bronze medal
Outside Washington D.C. at Vint Hill Farm Station, MISers translated wires from the Japanese Ambassador, Gen. Oshima, sent to Berlin (via a station in Turkey). They were thereby reading Hitler’s mail to and from Tokyo almost before he did. The Pacific Military Intelligence Research Service (PACMIRS) was situated at Camp Richie, Maryland (later known as Camp David). At PACMIRS, Kazuo Yamane received documents ignored by the Navy and was found to be the Imperial Army Ordnance Inventory. The OWI used MISers and the Nisei proved themselves in the Allied Translator and Interpreter Service (Australia) and the Southeast Asia Translator and Interrogation Center (India).
During the occupation, Nisei helped to track down many of the war criminals. Shiro Tokuno, for one, improved Japan’s agriculture in the Natural Resources Section and later in the fisheries, forestry and boat construction areas. By the end of the war, twenty million pages of documents, diaries, etc. had been examined by the linguists. MacArthur’s Chief of Staff for Military Intelligence gave credit to the MIS graduates by saying that they had shortened the war by two years, saved a possible one million lives and probably billions of dollars. With the occupation still in progress, the MISers continued to be of assistance in Korea, although most Koreans did speak Japanese.
S/Sgt, Dick Hamada, Sgt .Fumio Kido w/ Blakenship 3 Jan. 1946 for Soldier’s Award
They were not without a sense of humor, as James Tsurutani showed. He would lie down on the ground for his buddies while they held a bayonet to have a picture taken to send back home with the caption, “Captured another Jap!”
Upon returning home from Japan, my father and several other troopers from the 11th A/B, including two Nisei, went to a saloon to celebrate their return to San Francisco and the good ole U.S. of A. The drinks were put up on the bar, free of charge for returning veterans, and Smitty began to distribute them. He said he stopped laughing and talking just long enough to realize that he was two drinks shy of what he ordered. He knew right off what it was all about, but he tried to control that infamous temper of his, and said something to the effect of “Hey, I think you forgot a couple over here.” The reply came back in a growl, “We don’t serve their kind in here.” Dad said he was not sorry that lost control, he told me, “I began to rant things like, ‘don’t you know what they’ve been through?’ and ‘what the hell’s wrong with you?'”
By this time, the other troopers had heard Smitty yelling and it did not take them long to figure out the scenario between my father and the bartender. No explanation was necessary. In fact, dad said the entire situation blew apart like spontaneous combustion. The drinks hit the floor and all hell broke loose. When there was not much left in the bar to destroy, they quieted down and left the established (such as it was). The men finished their celebration elsewhere. Smitty said he never knew what, if anything ever came out of the incident. He never heard of charges being filed or men reprimanded. (I’ve wondered if Norman Kihuta, who was discharged on the same date as Smitty, was there on the scene.)
back at the office…
There were very few pictures taken of the Nisei soldiers for two main reasons. many of them had family in Japan and some relatives fighting in the Imperial Army and Navy, therefore their picture, if recognized, could possibly cause undue harm to those families. Another reason was the greed of the press for a spectacular story, which usually meant they were covering the actions of the Marines. The fighting in the Philippines did not seem as glamorous; with the Marines they could cause much more dramatic headlines. (ergo: less print, less photos). The linguists sent to China received very little recognition because the War Department would not admit they had American troops there.
By 1977, the MIS school produced 75,000 linguists speaking fifty languages.
…………………………..Dom’ arigato gozaimashita.’…………..
(Thank you very much for what you have done.)
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Resources: “Yankee Samauri” by Joseph D. Harrington; National Archives; cia.gov; NPS.gov; nisei.hawaii.edu; niseiveterans.blogspot.
I also located a very interesting blog by CGAYLEMARIE who is researching the Japanese-Americans at Oberlin College, if this subject interests you, stop in for a look… http://cgayleguevara.wordpress.com
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Albert A. Aguilera – Riverside, CA; USMC, LCpl., 1st Combat Engineers/1st Marine Division, KWS (NM)
John E. Brasier – Hueytown, AL; US Navy, Cuban Missile Crisis, electrician, USS Midway & Long Beach / Civilian, Idaho National Lab, nuclear physicist (Ret.)
James Blanton Mager Cox – Alvord, TX; US Navy, WWII, PTO, USS Sanborn (APA-193)
Jean Cauchy (101) – Levis, CAN; RC Air Force, WWII, Colonel, 425th Alouette Squadron
Oliver “Paul” Fisher – Maryville, MO; US Air Force, Korea & Vietnam, pilot, Colonel (Ret. 20 y.)
Marcelino M. Gambino – Fresno, CA; USMC, LCpl., 1st Combat Engineers/1st Marine Division, KWS (NM)
Joe B. Griffin – Chillicothe, MO; USMC, USS Midway
Peter D. Hughes – White River Junction, FL; US Navy, Vietnam, USS Midway
Robert J. Lauer – San Diego, CA; Civilian, USS Midway Museum volunteer
Herschel G. Vanoy – Casey County, KY; US Army, Chief MSgt. (Ret.), aviation fuel management
CONTINUED OBITUARIES
James H. Adams – Anchorage, AK; US Air Force, Vietnam, Bronze Star, Lt. Col. (Ret. 20 y.)
Robert R. Boyd – Riverside, CA; US Air Force, MSgt. automechanics (Ret. 20 y.)
Ernest H. Brown Jr. – Lewiston, ME & GA; US Air Force, Vietnam, F-4 pilot, Major (Ret. 20 y.)
Wade R. Davis – Apple Valley, CA; US Navy, USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37)
Thomas S. Depas – Jamestown, NY; US Navy, USS Midway
Bobby Hart – Phoenix, AZ; US Army / singer, song writer, “The Monkees”
Kent D. Hill – San Antonio, TX; US Army Reserve, Sgt. Major / Vandenberg Air-Space Force Base
Jose A. Lynch IV – Middleburg, FL; US Navy, USS George Washington, aviation boatswain’s mate
Teddy Montgomery – McAlester, OK; US Navy, USS Midway, Coral Sea & Hancock, electrician
Tommy R. Phelps – Antioch, IL; USMC, Cpl.
Allen Preslar – Mumford, TN; US Army, Operation Desert Storm, Major, Bronze Star, B Co/2/32/3rd Armored Division
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Japanese-Americans | the Nisei in WWII, part one (1)
Nisei soldiers
Smitty held the Nisei in very high regard and I would be remiss in neglecting to tell their story. Beside, one of these men might have been directly responsible for the safe return of my father. In reality, it would be near impossible to relate a story of the Pacific War without mentioning their service. Some of this unique intelligence force worked ‘behind the scene’ stateside U.S.A. or Australia, but many were up front and fighting at and behind enemy lines.
Smitty always had extreme appreciation for the courage, resilience and down-right crazy stunts they pulled off. They were capable of going behind the lines to acquire information or cut into the radio lines and all the while they remained quite aware that their own units might mistake them for the enemy when they returned. This did happen more than once.
Most everyone is aware of whom the Nisei are, but for clarification purposes, here are some of the terms that might be used in this section or if you continue with your own research:
AJA – Americans of Japanese Ancestry
MISers – the name used for students and graduates of the Military Intelligence Service Language School
Issei – first generation Japanese-American
Nisei – second generation Japanese-American, (this term is for definition only – Nisei prefer to state that they are American)
Kibei – Japanese-American who received education in Japan
At the language school, the students were crammed with courses and put on a strict schedule. Some courses included:
Kanji – a Japanese method of writing based on Chinese logographic characters
Kaisho – the printed form of Kanji and can only be read by someone who has memorized a great number of ideographs
Gyosho – hand written Japanese, very similar to the Palmer Method of Penmanship and is very difficult for Americans
Sosho – the shorthand version of Kanji and almost impossible for an American to learn. Most Japanese field orders were taken down by this method.
Kai Rasmussen
It must be noted that many of these men had family incarcerated in detainment camps and serving in the Imperial Army & Navy, but in school, on the job and in combat they loyally worked to do their level best. The language school began 1 November 1941 at Crissy Field, with Lt. Colonel John Wickerling in charge. His right hand man, educator and recruiter, Kai Rasmussen, was a primary force in the success of the school. He was a West Point grad who spoke Japanese with a Danish accent and would eventually earn the Legion of Merit for his efforts.
A move was necessary from San Francisco to Camp Savage, Minnesota. The change in location was largely due to the bigotry that had overwhelmed California at the time. The most influential white supremacists included: Earl Warren; The Natives Sons and Daughters of the Golden West; William Randolph Hearst and his newspapers and Congressman Leland Ford. Eventually, the school needed to expand and moved to Fort Snelling, St. Paul.
Rasmussen’s right hand man was John Fujio Aiso, an attorney out of Brown and Harvard and had studied at Chuo University in Tokyo. (He was originally assigned to a motor pool because the Army felt they had no need for additional lawyers.) Rasmussen traveled across the country in attempts to find candidates for the school. The Pentagon had kept the paperwork for the operations of the Nisei secret for three decades, but Smitty began talking about them once I was old enough to ask questions.
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Military Humor –
“AIM FOR THE CAT!”
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Farewell Salutes –
Larry Akeman – Marshall, MO; USMC
David D. Butts – Spokane, WA; US Navy, USS Midway
Berkley T. Cooke – Trenton, MI; US Navy, Korea, USS Midway
John T. Fulcher – Mineola, TX; US Army, Vietnam, 101st Airborne Division, Col. (Ret. 31 y.), Bronze Star, Silver Star, 2-Purple Hearts
Walter F. Griffin Jr. – Boston, MA; US Navy, Vietnam, SeaBees
Clayton “Whitey” M. Hilmoe – Pierre, SD; US Navy, USS Midway
Charles E. Lee – Allisona, TN; US Air Force, Chief Master Sgt. (Ret. 30 y.)
Paul J. Miller – Falmouth, MA; USMC
Hiroshi “Hershey” Miyamura – Gallup, NM; US Army, WWII, 442nd Infantry Division / Korea, Cpl., 3rd Infantry Division, POW, Medal of Honor
Larry G. Paige – Fredericksburg, VA; US Army, Vietnam, Sgt. (Ret. 22 y.)
Roy O. Rose Jr. – Moore, OK; US Army Reserve, Captain
John C. Sims – Louin, MS; US Navy, Korea, USS Midway
Jason C. Struve Sr. – Tucson, AZ; US Air Force, MSgt. (Ret. 24 y.)
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Post-World War Japan and Asia 1945-1951
Cold War map
In eastern Asia, the end of the war brought a long period of turmoil. In the European colonies occupied by Japan, liberation movements were established–some strongly Communist in outlook. In Indochina, Indonesia, and Malaya, wars were fought against the colonial powers as well as between rival factions.
The messy aftermath of war precipitated the final crisis of the old European imperialism; by the early 1950s, most of Southeast Asia was independent. In Burma and India, Britain could not maintain its presence. India was divided into two states in 1947, India (Hindu) and Pakistan (Muslim), and Burma was granted independence a year later.
San Francisco Treaty
Japan was not restored to full sovereignty until after the San Francisco Treaty was signed on September 8, 1951. The emperor was retained, but the military was emasculated and a parliamentary regime had been installed. Japanese prewar possessions were divided up. Manchuria was restored to China in 1946 (though only after the Soviet Union had removed more than half the industrial equipment left behind by the Japanese). Taiwan was returned to Chinese control. Korea was occupied jointly by the Soviet Union and the United States, and two independent states — one Communist, one democratic — were established there in 1948.
The most unstable area remained China, where the prewar conflict between Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists and the Chinese Communists led by Mao Zedong was resumed on a large scale in 1945.
After four years of warfare, the Nationalist forces were defeated and Chiang withdrew to the island of Taiwan. The People’s Republic of China was declared in 1949, and a long program of rural reform and industrialization was set in motion. The victory of Chinese communism encouraged Stalin to allow the Communist regime in North Korea to embark on war against the South in the belief that America lacked the commitment for another military conflict.
Korean War begins
The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when the troops of Kim Il Sung crossed the 38th parallel, the agreed-upon border between the two states. By this stage, the international order had begun to solidify into two heavily armed camps.
In 1949 the Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb. That same year, the U.S. helped organize a defensive pact, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), to link the major Western states together for possible armed action against the Communist threat.
By 1951 Chinese forces were engaged in the Korean conflict, exacerbating concerns that another world war — this time with nuclear weapons — might become a reality. The optimism of 1945 had, in only half a decade, given way to renewed fears that international anarchy and violence might be the normal condition of the modern world.
Click on images to enlarge.
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Military Humor – Saturday Evening Post style –
“I HOPE YOU’RE NOT ANGRY WITH ME FOR TAKING YOU AWAY FROM YOUR FRIENDS.”
“WELL NO…. BUT I DO HELP RUN IT.”
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Farewell Salutes –
James Carpenter – Hopewell Junction, NY; US Navy, USS Midway
Jose Duenez Jr. – Joliet, IL; US Army, Operation Atlantic Resolve, SSgt., 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, KWS (Lithuania)
Ellis “Gene” Fish Jr. – Los Lunas, NM; US Navy, USS Midway, transportation Equipment Assembler
Edvin F. Franco – Glendale, CA; US Army, Operation Atlantic Resolve, Sgt., 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, KWS (Lithuania)
Howard H. Howells – Harrodsburg, KY; US Navy, WWII, USS Gen. G.O. Squire, Midway & Cadmus
Troy S. Knutson-Collins – Battle Creek, MI; US Army, Operation Atlantic Resolve, SSgt., 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, KWS (Lithuania)
Walter J. Parsons – Revere, MA; US Navy, USS Midway, Helicopter Utility Squadron-1
John C. Platt – Missouri City, TX; US Army, Gulf War, 82nd Airborne Division
Michael R. Saxton Sr. – Toledo, OH; US Army, Middle East, 11th Armored Cavalry / US Navy, aviation electronics, (Ret. 20 y.)
Dante D. Taitano – Dedelo, Guam; US Army, Operation Atlantic Resolve, Pfc., 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, KWS (Lithuania)
Sylvester “Butch” Wheeler – Hutchinson, MI; USMC, Cpl., USS Midway
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Japanese Occupation – Feeding a Nation
MacArthur’s first priority was to set up a food distribution network; following the collapse of the ruling government and the wholesale destruction of most major cities, virtually everyone was starving. Even with these measures, millions of people were still on the brink of starvation for several years after the surrender. As expressed by Kawai Kazuo, “Democracy cannot be taught to a starving people”. The US government encouraged democratic reform in Japan, and while it sent billions of dollars in food aid, this was dwarfed by the occupation costs it imposed on the struggling Japanese administration.
Initially, the US government provided emergency food relief through Government and Relief in Occupied Areas (GARIOA) funds. In fiscal year 1946, this aid amounted to US $92 million in loans. From April 1946, in the guise Licensed Agencies for Relief, private relief organizations were also permitted to provide relief.
MacArthur and Hirohito, first meeting
Once the food network was in place MacArthur set out to win the support of Hirohito. The two men met for the first time on September 27; the photograph of the two together is one of the most famous in Japanese history. Some were shocked that MacArthur wore his standard duty uniform with no tie instead of his dress uniform when meeting the emperor. With the sanction of Japan’s reigning monarch, MacArthur had the political ammunition he needed to begin the real work of the occupation.
While other Allied political and military leaders pushed for Hirohito to be tried as a war criminal, MacArthur resisted such calls, arguing that any such prosecution would be overwhelmingly unpopular with the Japanese people. He also rejected the claims of members of the Imperial family such as Prince Mikasa and Prince Higashikuni and demands of intellectuals like Tatsuji Miyoshi, who sought the emperor’s abdication.
By the end of 1945, more than 350,000 U.S. personnel were stationed throughout Japan. By the beginning of 1946, replacement troops began to arrive in the country in large numbers and were assigned to MacArthur’s 8th Army, headquartered in Tokyo’s Dai-Ichi building.
Of the main Japanese islands, Kyushu was occupied by the 24th Infantry Division, with some responsibility for Shikoku. Honshu was occupied by the 1st Calvary Division. Hokkaido was occupied by the 11th Airborne Division.
By June 1950, all these army units had suffered extensive troop reductions and their combat effectiveness was seriously weakened. When North Korea invaded South Korea in the Korean War, elements of the 24th Division were flown into South Korea to try to fight the invasion force there, but the inexperienced occupation troops, while acquitting themselves well when suddenly thrown into combat almost overnight, suffered heavy casualties and were forced into retreat until other Japan occupation troops could be sent to assist.
Groups involved and running parallel to SCAP (MacArthur),
two women in Sasebo, Japan, Sept-Oct. 1945
The official British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF), composed of Australian, British, Indian, and New Zealand personnel, was deployed on February 21, 1946. While U.S. forces were responsible for the overall occupation, BCOF was responsible for supervising demilitarization and the disposal of Japan’s war industries. BCOF was also responsible for occupation of several western prefectures and had its headquarters at Kure. At its peak, the force numbered about 40,000 personnel. During 1947, BCOF began to decrease its activities in Japan, and officially wound up in 1951.
The Far Eastern Commission and Allied Council for Japan were also established to supervise the occupation of Japan. The establishment of a multilateral Allied council for Japan was proposed by the Soviet government as early as September 1945, and was supported partially by the British, French and Chinese governments.
Click on images to enlarge,
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Donald L. Abrams – Winslow, ME; US Army / Rohr Aircraft
Robert D. “Popcorn” Corn – Hendersonville, NC; US Navy, USS Midway & Enterprise
Lloyd A. Delveaux Sr. – Oconto Falls, MI; US Navy, USS Midway
Robert Forloine – Alloy, WV; US Air Force, Captain
John L. Hueser – York Haven, PA; US Army, Vietnam, 11th Airborne Division, Recon Platoon/Co H/2/187th RCT, 127th Engineers, 187th Medical Unit, pilot (Ret. 20 y.) / Civilian, US Army test pilot
Frederick A. Hummel – Sidney, IA; US Navy, Vietnam, USS Kitty Hawk, Hancock, Ranger, Enterprise & Midway, (Ret. 25 y.)
John D. King – San Diego, CA; US Navy, USS Midway & Saratoga / NATO (Ret. 21 y.)
Robert M. Ponsonby – Brookfield, IL; US Navy, USS Midway, air traffic controller
Harold G. Rieber Jr. – Danbury, WI; US Navy, Petty Officer 3rd Class, USS Midway & Champlain
Harry Stewart Jr. (100) – Bloomfield, MI; US Army Air Corps, WWII, 332 Fighter Group “Red Tails”, LT. Col. (Ret.), Distinguished Flying Cross
Robert G. Uecker – Menomonee Falls, WI; US Army / MLB Catcher & announcer
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Me and My Computer!
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Submarine Clean-up in Japan
In a dry-dock at Kure Naval Base, Japan, 19 October 1945. There are at least four different types of midget submarines in this group of about eighty-four boats, though the great majority are of the standard “Koryu” type. The two boats at right in the second row appear to have an enlarged conning tower and shortened hull superstructure. The two boats at left in that row are of the earlier Type A or Type C design, as are a few others further back in the group
By definition, a midget submarine is less than 150 tons, has a crew of no more than eight, has no on-board living accommodation, and operates in conjunction with a mother ship to provide the living accommodations and other support. The Japanese Navy built at least 800 midgets in 7 classes, but only a fraction had any noticeable impact on the war. Their intended purpose initially was to be deployed in front of enemy fleets, but their actual use would be in harbor attacks and coastal defense.
The Japanese midget subs were not named but were numbered with “Ha” numbers (e.g., Ha-19). These numbers were not displayed on the exterior and operationally the midgets were referred to according to the numbers of their mother ships. Thus, when I-24 launched Ha-19, the midget was known as “I-24tou” (designated “M24” in some texts). The “Ha” numbers were not unique either; some Type D’s were numbered Ha-101 through Ha-109.
US officials overlooking captured Japanese submarines in Kure, Japan.
In mid-1944, with coastal defense requirements becoming urgent, the Japanese Navy developed the Koryu Tei Gata Type D. More than just another improved version of the Type A, this was a new design. They were the largest of Japan’s midgets, displacing about 60 tons, 86 feet (26 meters) in length, with a five-man crew, featuring a more powerful diesel engine, and had improved operating endurance. Koryu’s armament consisted of two muzzle-loaded 17.7-inch torpedoes. As with the earlier types, individual boats had alpha-numeric names in the “Ha” series beginning with Ha-101.
Some 115 units had been completed when Japan capitulated in August 1945. At the end of the war, Allied Occupation forces found hundreds of midget submarines built and building in Japan, including large numbers of the “Koryu” type; nearly 500 more were under construction. Some of these submarines intended for training pilots for Kaiten type manned torpedoes, had an enlarged conning tower and two periscopes.
Kaiten aboard surface vessel
Kaiten submarines were designed to be launched from the deck of a submarine or surface ship, or from coastal installations as a coastal defence weapon. The cruiser, IJN Kitakami, was equipped to launch Kaiten and took part in sea launch trials of Type 1s. In addition, several destroyers of the Matsu class were also adapted to launch the weapon.
In practice, only the Type 1 craft, using the submarine delivery method, were ever used in combat. Specially equipped submarines carried two to six Kaiten, depending on their class.
Partially from: Rare Historical Photos.com
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Thomas J. Alfred Jr. – Newnan, GA; US Army
David W. Bias – Barboursville, WV; USMC, motorpool, MSgt. (Ret. 24 y.) / Civilian, USMC employee
Herbert L. Currie – Buda, TX; USMC (Ret. 30 y.)
Richard B. Davenport – Cheyenne, WY; US Navy, Vietnam, corpsman w/ 1st & 4th Marines / USS Midway
Robert Fernandez (100) – Lodi, CA; US Navy, WWII, PTO, USS Curtis, Pearl Harbor survivor
Raymond C. Hanley – Waterbury, CT; US Navy, electrician, USS Bennington & Midway / US Coast Guard
Robert D. Jarman Jr. – Union, NJ; US Navy, radarman, USS Wasp & Midway
William R. Lucas (102) – Newbern, TN; US Navy, WWII / Director of the Marshall Space Flight Center
Lawrence E. “Wooly” Miller Jr. – Panama City, FL; US Navy, USS Midway & Ranger, aircraft electrician
William H. Pratt (103) – Bloomington, IL; US Navy, WWII, USS Nevada, Pearl Harbor survivor / submarine service, USS Tuna
Art Schallock (100) – Mill Valley, CA; US Navy, WWII, PTO, radio operator, USS Coral Sea / MLP LHP Yankees, 3 World Series
Dennis Washko – Gary, IN; US Army
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Poem – P.V. Cannon replies to Smitty
For Smitty’s Letter IX: A Day’s Venture, Paul Vincent Cannon was kind enough to answer my request about him writing a poem for that letter. He created a post to respond. Here is his poem, please visit his link and tell him how much you liked his work!!
: George Strock: Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images found on bing.com Crude crosses mark American Graves at Buna (PNG). Note the grave registrar’s glove accidentally pointing toward the sky.
“Photo The war continues working, day and night.” Dunyah Mikhail
3 G.I.’s lie dead on Buna Beach
photo by George Strock
Bloody Paradise
Some things catch us by surprise
like the irony of a sabbath amidst
the trail of death and destruction
in an ever moving theatre of war,
feelings about shame and waste
momentarily cleared by
observations of the ordinary and
mundane albeit cultural experiences
allied with peace and quiet
buddies swimming in
pristine bejeweled water
shaded by coconut trees majestic,
a veritable paradise
framed by a cemetery screaming
“death becomes us,”
as Buna now breathes
Buna becomes today
tomorrow …
if not this war,
then the next.
All Rights Reserved ®️Copyright 2025 ©️Paul Vincent Cannon
LINK for P.V. Cannon’s site – Click Here!
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Robert W. Allen – Athens, TN; US Air Force, Vietnam, SSgt., aircraft mechanic
Don Alspaugh – Sterling, KS; US Navy, Vietnam
Eugene A. Hackman – Danville, IL; USMC, field radio operator / Beloved actor
Bruce Hain – Phoenix, AZ; US Navy, Vietnam, USS Midway
Clint Hill – Washburn, ND; US Secret Service, agent who covered JFK & Jackie during assassination shooting / author
John W. Morrison – Wilmette, IL; US Navy, air controller, USS Midway
Edgar W, Roberts Jr. – Vista, CA; US Army, Sgt., communications, specialist / volunteer: USS Midway Museum, Gillespie Field & San Diego Aerospace Museum
Neal Rudder – Bronx, NY; US Navy, bombardier
John A. Smith – Rockland, MA; US Army, Military Police
Colgate Solomon – Norfolk, VA; US Navy, pilot, USS Midway, Commander (Ret. 25 y.)
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WWII Glider Stands as a nod to Camp MacKall, NC
Glider at Camp MacKall
HOFFMAN, N.C. (Tribune News Service) — The Army’s Special Forces, Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations soldiers have been tried, tested and trained at Camp Mackall for decades.
But long before the first Green Beret was built amid the remote satellite installation several miles west of Fort Bragg, Camp Mackall was home to the nation’s parachute and glider training amid World War II.
Airborne, Camp MacKall
The U.S. Army Special Warfare Center and School honored that history as it dedicated a replica of a Waco CG-4A glider that now welcomes visitors from Camp Mackall’s Ashemont Road entrance.
The glider — which is raised above an intersection that also features a flag pole, historical marker and welcome sign — was built to be a sturdier version of the original CG-4A gliders. The nose of the glider includes a metal frame salvaged from an actual glider that was found, crashed, in a nearby swamp in recent years.
Glider at Camp MacKall, 1943
The glider has replaced a UH-1 Huey helicopter that had been on display at the location. Officials said the Huey is being refurbished and will eventually be relocated to another part of Camp Mackall.
Several World War II veterans attended the ceremony, including a paratrooper who jumped into Normandy, France, on D-Day alongside glider forces, a glider infantryman and a glider pilot.
Glider training
Russ Seitz said he could remember riding in a glider very similar to the one now on display as a soldier at Fort Bragg in 1944 and 1945. It would have been towed by a C-47, quietly pulled through the air behind the much larger plane.
Seitz pointed to how the nose of the glider had a hinge to allow it to open upward so jeeps or other equipment could be driven inside.
“There’s a bench on each side,” he said. “There is a sensation when you’re being towed.”
Camp MacKall postcard
During the war, the Army ordered 13,900 gliders, made of wood and metal covered in fabric. And they would be used across Europe, China, Burma and India and were often used as a complement to paratroopers, carrying additional troops, howitzers and vehicles.
The flying machines, which used a set of skids to land, were nicknamed “Gooney Birds,” “Flying Coffins,” “Tow Targets” and “Silent Wings.”
Lt. Col. Seth A. Wheeler, the commander of 1st Battalion, 1st Special Warfare Training Group, said the ceremony was a unique opportunity to reflect on Camp Mackall’s past and commemorate its history.
Now a small but growing camp housing mostly special operations facilities, Camp Mackall was once a bustling Army installation 7 miles from Fort Bragg’s western training areas.
Smitty, 187th RCT/11th Airborne Division, Camp MacKall 1943
Construction at the camp, originally named Camp Hoffman, was begun in late 1942, according to officials. And most of the work was finished in four months, with buildings created out of temporary materials such as plank siding and tar paper.
The installation was renamed Camp Mackall on Feb. 8, 1943, in honor of Pvt. John Thomas Mackall, who was thought at the time to be the first paratrooper casualty in World War II.
The glider’s tail number, 111242, corresponds to the date Mackall died, Nov. 12, 1942.
Wheeler said Camp Mackall is the only Army installation named after an enlisted soldier.
Now a relatively austere camp, Wheeler said the installation has a lofty wartime past.
“Camp Mackall was an installation to behold, with over 65 miles of paved roads, a 1,200 bed hospital, two cantonment areas with five movie theaters, six beer gardens, a triangle-shaped airport with three 5k foot runways and a total of 1,750 buildings including three libraries and 12 chapels,” he said.
The camp was home to U.S. Army Airborne Command, which needed greater maneuver areas and airfields to train the expanding airborne and glider units.
All five U.S. Army airborne divisions have ties to Camp Mackall, officials said. The 11th, 13th and 17th Airborne Divisions were headquartered at the camp. Additionally, the 82nd Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Division at Fort Bragg trained at Camp Mackall.
Camp Mackall was home of the airborne and glider infantry for three-and-a-half years.
At the war’s end, Airborne Command moved to Fort Bragg. And a few years later, the Army began using Camp Mackall as a training location for a new kind of unit, Special Forces.
Drew Brooks can be reached at dbrooks@fayobserver.com
(c)2018 The Fayetteville Observer (Fayetteville, N.C.)
Click on images to enlarge.
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Military (Airborne) Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Charles R. Abrams – Avondale, AZ; US Navy
Denny “Shorty” Allen – Sun City, AZ; US Army
Mark E. Babbitt – Orange, TX; US Navy, Medical Corps, Captain
Donald L. Burton – Hewitt, TX; US Army, Vietnam, Bronze Star, Colonel (Ret. 30 y.)
Mark V. Evans – Odessa, TX; USMC, USS Midway
Ralph Screnci – Boston, MA; US Army, Ranger
Henry S. Stewart Jr. – New York, NY; US Army Air Corps, WWII, Tuskegee pilot
Warren “Red” Upton (105) – San Jose, CA; US Navy, radioman, Pearl Harbor survivor / Korea
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Pacific Paratrooper 