Dear Yuichi:
　
This has been a very busy and active month for me. Fortunately there has not been any disaster like I had last month when a water line broke in the concrete floor of my apartment and they had to use jack-hammers ( drills ) to find the leaks. A four by one foot wide and eighteen inches deep hole had to dug in the living room floor. This made it impossible to work at my desk for parts of the three weeks they were working here. This month is a time of traveling. I attended a two day symposium at the Nimitz Museum. Several days later I went to San Antonio to meet with Joe Water. The editor of The Quan, which is the newsletter for the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor ( ADBC ). He agreeded to publish the photos that Taeko S. had sent me which showed some American POWs on Corregidor. Hopefully, some of the readers will be able to identify themselves and then I will send them copies of the photos. Valter was in S.A.for a board meeting of ADBC. More about this a little later in this letter. Your letter arrive the day before I went to the(delete??) see Vater.

Then I flew down to Brownsville ( the southern tip of Texas ) for a high school reunion. This was the first one I have attended. It was interesting to visit with some of the people who(m?) I have not seen since before the war. I spent a week there and returned two nights ago. Friday, I will go to S.A. again to be with my oldest daughter and her family and with my son to celebrate my 81 st birthday. I have to go to Temple ( 60 miles north of Austin ) on Monday in order to have a check-up at the Veterans Administration Health Center on Tuesday. The doctor, who discovered the lung cancer, wants to see how I am doing physically. Then the month will be over and I can get back to trying to catch up on my correspondence and other things which need to be done before I go to be with my youngest and her family at their beach house near Charleston, South Caroline, for the Thanksgiving holidays.

Fortunately, the weather has been cool and this area has finally received a lot of rain which has helped to raise the underground water levels and reservoirs a little more. Much more is needed.

Now to reply to your letter and post card.

I do understand and appreciate the various concerns about Joe Alexander, the "Letter of Apology" and Nori K. and Takeo S.'s possible visit to Virginia in May. Although each area of concern has raised many questions and doubts, which make(s?delete?) it rather difficult and complexed for me to answer because my reply can only be based upon what I know or understand. Your detailed letter and card were a big help to me in clarifying the Japanese concerns. Unfortunately, I do not similar information about the American positions; therefore I can only give brief replies and comments.

First about Joe Alexander. Two people who are member of the ADBC, but who were not at the meeting in May when Joe was elected the National Commander, have told me that they cannot understand why he was selected because they consider him not suitable for that position. They thought he was too " flighty" ( not stable enough ) for the job. I can only guess that these was no one else who wanted that position.

Questions and comments about a "Letter of Apology" from the Japanese companies are difficult for me to response to because I am not a lawyer and I do not wish to take sides ( American nor Japanese ) on this issue nor upon the demand for compensation. Also, because I was an officer, I am not a participant in either matter. Previously, I have expressed my personal views about the principle of so many people wanting to sue someone else for some grievance ( rightly or wrongly ) or to request a "letter of apology " as an admission of guilt or wrong. I can understand why Joe A. and the ADBC want the letter and also why the Japanese firms are reluctant to give such a letter. Perhaps, a "letter of regret" in which there is only a statement of sorrow about the conditions which existed at that time might be a partial compromise for both sides.

I did not sit in on the ADBC's board meeting in S.A.because I am not a member of the organization. Therefore, I do not know what they said or what was done there. I was there for a very brief time in order to talk to Joe Vater and did not have the opportunity to discuss anything with Joe A. because he did not stop long enough with me. I was told by someone else that the group was not asking for compensation, but only wanted a "letter of apology". I feel sure that Joe A. wants it in order to enhance and glorify his position as the national commander. He would use it to get all of the publicity he could get for himself. My concern in this matter is that if such a letter was given and received by Joe then I want him to acknowledge it was due to the efforts of yourself, Nori., and the others who made it possible. I believe in giving credit to those who deserve it and not in Joe taking all of the credit as if he did it by himself.

I cannot advise Nori N. and Takeo S. to go or not to go to the ADBC meeting in May. That is a decision they will have to make themselves based upon how they feel about being there. I can only say how I feel about their visit. First, do not judge the whole organization ( the other members ) by Joe's behavior. There are many very nice people in the group who would welcom Nori and Takeo. There are times when I get very upset with Joe and I also feel like not going there, but I try to not let that feeling cloud ( obscure ) my judgement. I do not think their presence at the meeting would effect any relationship or friendship between Joe and Jackfert. I cannot be certain about this because I was unable to find out or to learn for sure how Joe feels about their coming to the meeting. I did get the impression or feeling from him that he has no objections. I will try to learn more about his feelings. I also have difficulty in determining Joe's true feelings and in getting a positive answer from him. I will write Nori in about a week from now and after I return from having a physical check-up in Temple.

Joe A. did tell me that he was planning to go back to Japan in November or December. It may be in December because the November flight schedule from Kelly AFB in San Antonio did not show any flights to Japan in that month. However, it could change at any time.

I must close now because I have many thingt to do before going to San Antonio and then to Temple. I hope I have responded adequately to all of your concerns.

Sincerely
Bob
Robert R. Martindale