| Dear Yuichi:
Taeko Sasamoto may have told you by the time you receive this letter why
I have been delayed in writing to you. I case she has not done so, I will
give you a brief explanation.
In early August, I had to go into the hospital for open-heart-surgery
in order to have the aorta heart valve replaced. An infection developed
which required me to stay for another four weeks in isolation while receiving
antibiotic treatments. I was fortunate in having one of the few and newer
types of Staph infections which coul be treated. Last week was the first
time that I felt able to sit at my desk for a short period at a time and
do some work.
My first over-seas letter was to Taeko because I wanted to thank her for
sending me copies of some documents and to let her know that I had finally
been able to get the identification of some of the X-POWs shown in one
of the photos which she had sent me. These contacts will be of great assistance
to her in learning more about the camps in the Yokohama area.
I was very much surprised to make contact with another person who is shown
in one of the pictures in my book. Lee Harrington was A Navy Signalman,
First Class, aboard the first landing craft carrying Commodore Simpson
and Commander Harold Stassen when it came to Omori. See the enclosure.
He was able to answer several questions which have been in my mind for
a long time and to remind me of an incident at Omori.
1. I have often wondered about what Col.Sakaba and his staff were doing
and where were they when the landing party came ashore by the near gate.
2. I needed verification about the landing party carrying side-arms (
guns ). I recalled that they did have side-arms. However, Harold Stassen
told me at a meeting in San Antonio that they were not armed ( carrying
guns ). He also made this statement at several meetings.
3. I had forgotten about the incident with the machine gun. I still cannot
remember the identity of the other ofiicer and of the Japanese soldier.
Enclosed are several copies of what Harrington told me and my comments.
These can be put in your copy of my book.
It has been a big disappointment for me in not being able to do any traveling.
I had to cancell my trip at the end of August to see my daughter in Charlotte,
North Carolina, ( she did come to see me in the hospital ) and then to
attend the reunion of my bomb group in Greenville, South Carolina. It
would have been the first time the other pilot of our crew ( Jim Mcmurria
) and I would have seen each other since we were at Rabaul. He stayed
there when I was sent to Japan in November, 1943. I also had to cansell
going to the annual symposium at the Adm. Nimitz Museum two weeks ago.
It looks like it will be at least another month before I can consider
going anywheres.
I trust that all is well with you and your family.
Sincerely
Bob
Robert R. Martindale
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Lee Harrington.
12 Kiawah Court, GA 30265(770/252/ 5804)
He was a Signalman (1st.Class ) aboard the U.S.S. San Juan when
the Allied Fleet entered Tokyo Bay on August 29, 1945. He was also aboard
the first of several landing crafts carrying Commodore Simpson and Commander
Harold Stassen, which had been sent in to effect the release of prisoners
at Omori P.O.W. Camp (Tokyo, Japan) on that date. The following observations
were given to Robert R.Martindale by telephone on September 23, 2001.
1. He was ordered to assume a position atop the camp watch tower upon
landing. He went around the outside of the fence to the front gate. Upon
entering the camp, he saw the Japanese Colonel in charge of all P.O.W.
Camps in the Tokyo area and his staff lined-up to formally receive the
landing party. He then proceeded to the watch tower, but did not remain
there because his signal lamp would not have been effective in contacting
the fleet.
mThe landing party was entering the camp through the back gate at that
time. Colonel Sakaba and his staff had to come back around the camp office
buildings and to the barracks area in order to meet Commodore Simpson.n
2.The members of the landing party were carrying side arms and machine
guns.
3. A Japanese soldier asked if he could look at the machine gun which
Harrington was carrying. The sailor was reluctant to let a Japanese handle
his weapon, but someone told him it would be alright to do so. He took
out the magazine clip before handing the gun over to the Japanese.
mLt.Martindale was the P.O.W. Camp Work Officer at that time and he remembered
the incident. He was standing in fron of the camp office talking to another
officer and a Japanese when a sailor with a machine gun joined the group.
It is not remembered with certainty which of the two officers gave permission
to let the Japanese handle the weapon.
4. Harrington went with the landing party up a river and to another P.O.W.
camp located in a railroad yard.
mThe group did go up the Sumida River to a camp at the Sumidagawa railroad
yards. This was been verified by B.J.Martin, who was the Senior P.O.W.
Officer (Captain) in the camp. The Fleet Action Reports covering the
Liberation and Evacuation of Prisoners-of-War stated that two landing
parties were sent from the U.S.S. San Juan early in the morning
of August 30, 1945. One went to the Kawasaki area between Omori and Yokohama
and the other went to the Sumidagawa camp.n
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