如水会
実務英語研究会 |
如水会
実務英語研究会 |
| No.19 January 6,1995 | |
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Dear Yuichi: This past month was a very busy one for me. My last letter to you was sent was sent the day before I left for Costa Rica. It was an interesting trip. Less than a week after I returned home, I went to South Padre Island (southern tip of Texas ) to spend the weekend and Christmas with my son. I left here on the 28th to go to San Francisco to see the man who is doing the documentary on "Tokyo Rose" and to visit several relatives. Unfortunately, I had to cut my trip short due to needing some dental work. I got home last Monday night. Your letter arrived just before I went to see my dentist.He is a good friend. I told him about our correspondence and he said he had been a Sergeant in the 25th Division which was scheduled to land on Kyushu on November 1st of 1945.His unit was to parachute on the island and release the prisoners at a POW Camp. He loaned me his Xerox copies of some of the pages of a book-Ligter Than A Feather by David Westheimer- which he had copied. I am enclosing a copy which you may find interesting. I will get a copy of the book from our public library next week. Another interesting event will occur in March. Each year for the past number of years the Admiral Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg, Texas ( about 80 miles west of Austin ) and several other groups sponsor an annual symposium about the war in the South Pacific. It is usually held in October. This year they will have a special one in March. The topic is about "Prisoners Of War and the A-Bomb". I suggested a few names as possible participates to Helen McDonald, who arranges the meetings. Dr.Lloyd Goad and Frank "Foo" Fujita have accepted invitations to be on the panel.Frank was in Omori briefly before going to Bunka.There will be participates from England, Holland,Japan and etc. It si rather a prestigious meeting. Enclosed is Xerox copy of the preliminary notice. I am looking forward to the meeting. It should be interesting. I cannot identify any of the individuals shown in the photos. However, the second one appears to be the same one, or similar to one I have seen, of POWs arriving at a train station in Tokyo ( or Yokohama ).Perhaps they were ready to leave for either of those starions. I do remember the Japanese girl in the office as she often gave me a smile as I walked by her window, I have also mentioned herin my manuscript and recall her smile. Sgt. Ushio is vaguely remembered. I regret his unhappy experience. Please give him my best regards. Lt.Muragishi was also nice. I would like to have the opportunity to meet with Professor Chaen some time.I have thought about going to Japan several times as I can fly there on an Air Force plane without charges. The high cost of staying there has discouraged me: although I could stay at the New Sanno Hotel (military housing). The flight would take about four days as stops are made at Travis AFB in California, Honolulu, Guam and sometimes in Korea. I will write George Plimer as soon as I finish this letter and sound him out about meeting you when you are in New Zealand. It would be a pleasure to have you visit me if and when you could come to Texas. There ware u number of copies of the surrender documents signed aboard the U.S.S. Missouri. I am sure one copy was retained by the Japanese government and is in Japan. I do have a translation of Watanabe's article and it did not cost me anything. It is true that the Japanese POW Bureau has issued orders for all POWs to be killed immediately if there was an invasion of Japan. I have a copy of the original order in the National Archives. It may have been during the last part of July,1945, when I first heard about it. Commander Maher first heard about the order from a source in the camp kitchen.It was verified by another source ( I do not know). He called a meeting of the senior POW officers in our room.Maher and roomed together, so I got to sit in on the meeting. Maher had been told that we were to be moved to a camp in the mountains and as we marched across the bridge all POWs were to be machine-gunned. The senior officers decided it was best not to inform the men abot his matter; although I feel sure some of them learned about the order. It was decided there was little we could do about it,except to holler-"Everyone to scater". I must close now as there is much more to do now. May you have a "Happy New Year" and accomplish all you wish to do. Sincerely, Bob |
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如水会 実務英語研究会
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