Japan Occupation Period

[dogcountry]

Could there be anyone out there as old as I am who served with the Japan Occupation forces? Am not wishing to sound morbid, but that period to me was the most educational, learning the language enough to get by, taking a great interest in the culture and the difficult period for the Japanese while trying to survive. Do reply and touch bases with me..Russ

[Uncle Frank]

Although I don't go back in time as far as you do, I'm sure we have similer memories. I remember my 2 years in Japan as two of the best in my life. I joined JREF in hopes of finding some of the special friends I made while serving in the Navy in Fukuoka (have not as yet). I had a special lady friend I still miss after all theese years. We have had some "ol timers" join, but most fade away, not much in common with the younger croud(of nice people) here. Hope we get to talk some more , feel free to PM me if you wish.

Frank

[ArmandV]

My Dad was stationed briefly in Sendai for the Korean War in 1951 (before he had to go into Korea) and he told me little about Japan. One thing that sticks to my mind was his description of how human feces were used to fertilize the rice paddies. This practice is no longer being used, but I thought that was pretty gross!

[dogcountry]

Am most pleased that two replies showed up re: my original message. I think I came in to JREf sometime around early 2002. So this message will be directed to Frank and ArmandV for I hope will be starters for a continuing conversation. I served at Yokosuka Navy Base then known as Fleet Activities. I took my discharge there and worked as a deck hand aboard the Army ships shuttling to Korea (pre Korean War period). I spent about three years in Japan beginning about late 1946. When that operation ended I HAD to return to the states, got a bit more education at UCLA, bus. and typing and Berlitz for 500 hours of Japanese and later at Miami Dade College for several semesters of Spanish. So maybe I could be considered tri-lingual. This goes way back and most of those languages have long disappeared. I did, however, retire from the navy with 27 years of duty. I retired from Key West Naval Station in 1984 as Senior Chief BMCS E8 Bos'n Mate. I was for the most part a navy diver (scuba only) and I ate that stuff up. We remained in Florida actually since 1977 when I was sent to Key West. We now live in S. Central Florida at Lake Placid.
My years in Japan also left me with some of the fondest memories. Those were rough days. I also had a lady friend, she was right out of high school and left Toyama for employment in Yokohama. She knew no English as school at her time forbid teaching English. I got her employment at the base as a telephone operator and that worked out well as I was at the base also. Then later I applied for permission to marry and I was shot down on that. I made two more visits to Japan and still the American Consul refused a marriage to a Japanese National.
I am married and been so for 44 years. Many of my years have been as a licensed captain (Master) and been running the dinner cruise sightseeing vessels out of Miami. I narrated these tours in both Spanish and Japanese plus English of course and after leaving that employ after nine years we moved to Costa Rica, bought some acreage there, built a cottage and after two years returned to Florida. We live on lake side and we do some dog boarding as that keps me busy with something I really like to do. Well, come on guys, get back to me..Russ

[Iron Chef]

Great post Russ, sounds like you've had an interesting life. Always nice to get a new perspective from members.

[ArmandV]

Russ:
My Dad was in the national guard in Los Angeles (40th Division) and was called up to duty in Korea in 1951. He was briefly stationed in Sendai as an MP. Most of his duties were mainly getting U.S. servicemen out of local bars where they've managed to get into fights or worse.

This photo of my Dad in his MP uniform was taken at the Godaido Temple in Matsushima in 1951.



This past April, I made a visit to Sendai to see where my Dad was stationed. This was my fourth trip to Japan and the first to Sendai. I went to Matsushima and found the location where my Dad had his photo taken and had one made of myself.



I have most of his memorabilia from this period and included in it was this Japanese phrase book.



If you have any photos of yourself in Japan, I am sure we'd love to see them.

[dogcountry]

Directed to ArmandV/
That was a great post. Keep those memories active they are precious. When I made those trips to Korea, several, I saw much. Most trips were to Inchan (Japanese name) otherwise was named Ginsin There was a very large sign there that said, "The Best Damn Port In The Pacific" That sign made history for years. I visited Seoul also. Another Korean port we unloaded at was Fusan. I would always buy a huge carrying bag of Korean rice to bring back to my girl. Korean rice was considered a better quality to Japanese rice.
I don't think I can find any pictures of myself while in Japan. I recently sent to my daughter in Maine all my Japanese stuff, books, pictures and precious picture albums. I'm up there in years now and thought best my daughter have all my memories, so to speak. I will look around though and see if there is something I overlooked sending to her. I do have a recent picture of myself taken a couple of years ago I could pull down and send that. My vanity is getting ahead of myself. Let me know. I'll have to find out how to send a picture.

[ArmandV]

Russ, thanks for your compliments. Basically, if you have photos scanned into your computer, all you need to do is to get a web hosting account to upload your photos to. I use Photobucket. They're generally free. Once you get the photos uploaded into the web host, you can copy and paste the URL of your photo onto the forum's Insert Image thingy (when you post a reply, you will see a button at top with mountains on a yellow background). You hit that and paste in the URL to your photo that you copied.

The Japanese Phrase Book my Dad had is dated 1950. Did you have this one while in Japan or a different one?

[dogcountry]

No, we had no such animal known as a Phrase Book. To recall, when I was there it was just into the Occupation Period. The base offered a Conversational Japanese course that I got into. Native teacher,of course. It was for six weeks at two nights a week. Most of those courses were geared to officers but I and a few other enlisted men got into it. It gave us a working knowledge of spoken Japanese. I was originally on the USS Fall River CA 131 and at San Diego two months prior to our departing for Japan a Japanese course was offered at Coronado across from SD for officers. I and a few other enlisted managed to take that course. It was extremely tough. Those that dropped out were a few officers but we enlisted men stuck it out. You spoke of Maine, my daughter is in Biddeford and granddaughter in Oakland, ME. I came from Massachusetts originally. If you would prefer to use your email address I would welcome that. I am dogcountry@htn.net It would be much easier if I use my email address to send a picture(s) That is unless I can follow your directions to use JREF. My pictures are on My Documents and I have at present no other program. I am also waiting for Frank White to get back in here...Russ

[dogcountry]

No, we had no such animal known as a Phrase Book. To recall, when I was there it was just into the Occupation Period. The base offered a Conversational Japanese course that I got into. Native teacher,of course. It was for six weeks at two nights a week. Most of those courses were geared to officers but I and a few other enlisted men got into it. It gave us a working knowledge of spoken Japanese. I was originally on the USS Fall River CA 131 and at San Diego two months prior to our departing for Japan a Japanese course was offered at Coronado across from SD for officers. I and a few other enlisted managed to take that course. It was extremely tough. Those that dropped out were a few officers but we enlisted men stuck it out. You spoke of Maine, my daughter is in Biddeford and granddaughter in Oakland, ME. I came from Massachusetts originally. If you would prefer to use your email address I would welcome that. I am dogcountry@htn.net It would be much easier if I use my email address to send a picture(s) That is unless I can follow your directions to use JREF. My pictures are on My Documents and I have at present no other program. I am also waiting for Frank White to get back in here...Russ Not too sure I sent this so am giving it another try.

[Uncle Frank]

Biddeford is 20 minutes south of me and Oakland about 1 1/2 hours north of Portland. I confess to being a cat man, too lazy to walk a dog, LOL. Bet we could talk each others ears off for about 3 days stright. Plan a November visit some year and I'll take you to deer camp. I've got to the point I hate to travel; I figure any day now the airport will start strip searches and body cavity searches on ALL flyers. I'll E-Mail you my E-Mail address.

Frank