Category Archives: World War II

World War II

Iwo Jima

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The horrific battle for Iwo Jima would start in a few days 75 years ago. The iconic flag raising would be one week from now.

A story I wrote in 2013 about Iwo Jima and a little known fact that 50 Japanese-Americans US Army soldiers also fought there.

Mustang.Koji's avatarMasako and Spam Musubi

DC My two smallest kids had the honor to see the memorial first hand in June 2010.

Life has been quite unpredictable for me for the past six weeks or so – as well as tiring.  I am quite behind in reading many of your fine blogs and that is on my priority to-do list.  But it is a hollow descriptive for me to say I am tired.

I am still alive.

Twenty-nine thousand are not.

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The battle for Iwo Jima began 68 years ago on February 19, 1945.

Sixty-eight years ago.  Just yesterday for many.

Sixty-eight years ago, about 29,000 young men met horrible deaths on that demonic volcanic island – 22,000 Japanese soldiers and 7,000 Marines.  That unforgiving island still has not given up all of her dead to this day…  American and Japanese.

Kan Japanese Prime Minister Kan in blue visited Iwo Jima (now renamed Iwo To) in…

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World War II

Operation Detachment – The Battle for Iwo Jima

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Iwo Jima was 75 years ago this month… God bless the Corps.

World War II

Hilarious Impersonations by an 8th Grader!

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This is kid was phenomenal! Performed at his graduation, he imitates President Trump, President Obama, Cruz, Bernie and Hillary. (ps I cannot figure out how to show a screen preview. It is just a link.)

https://www.npr.org/2016/06/16/482344060/watch-8th-grader-impersonates-trump-clinton-sanders?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20160616&fbclid=IwAR3sRdY62_0MO4kq38WjdS7qcdybLs6pUnVoRyTNkSQmaDuf8xYeajppNR8

World War II

Operation Collar

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“Tally ho!” as the Brits say…

World War II

Pearl Harbor – your opinion? / “Leora’s Letters” review

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Just thought the videos were interesting… 🙂

GP's avatarPacific Paratrooper

This subject is still a topic of debate, even to this day.   Please watch these 2 videos before giving me your opinion.  Thank You.

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Book Review – “Leora’s Letters”  by:  Joy Neal Kidney

No one warned me that when you read this book – you must be prepared to join the family.

Reading Leora’s Letters, you do not merely become acquainted with this close-knit, hard-working family – you become one of them.  In this tumultuous period of our history, you are transported into the  heartland’s home front and the different areas of combat of that age.  You can understand their dreams and hopes; feel their anguish, trepidation and heartaches and you pull for each member of that family to succeed just as you do for your own loved ones.

One need not be a WWII buff or knowledgeable of military operations to comprehend the Wilson brothers’ correspondences. …

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World War II

The Eighth Marines – Okinawa

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A most excellent report on Okinawa’s history and the battle to gain control of it in 1945.

World War II

Combat! – Part 1

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lalanne

I just remembered one other TV “macho man” my mom was infatuated with along with Vic Morrow… Jack LaLanne! Remember him? The fitness guy who wore grey workout clothes? LOL Geez, mom always gave my poor dad some sharp words about how “unmanly” he was…

Mustang.Koji's avatarMasako and Spam Musubi

c-10-645

Back in the very early 1960’s, my dad picked up a used B&W TV set from an appliance store’s outdoor parking lot sale at Atlantic Square in Monterey Park, CA.  It was loaded into the cavernous trunk of his 1955 Ford Victoria coupe, also bought (really) used.  He probably should have spent the money on repairing the car instead of buying that TV.  Anyways, the TV was our first one, dust covered vacuum tubes and all.  At least it turned on.

Well, mom commandeered it.  Don’t ask me why.  After all, she didn’t speak much English at all having come here just a few years earlier.

While I was able to watch The Mouseketeers, Sheriff John and Engineer Bill in the morning, the night belonged to mom.  She decided what to watch.  I don’t recall dad ever saying anything either, but then, he never did.  (ps Sheriff John read off…

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World War II

Vintage Japanese Art

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Since Aunt Eiko passed away a couple of months ago aged 93, it reminded me of all this wonderful artwork she had inherited from her great grandfather. Remarkable these fragile pieces had survived the bombings from WWII.

Mustang.Koji's avatarMasako and Spam Musubi

dragonfly

My Aunt Eiko had these in a brown paper bag of all things.

Hundreds of old Japanese artwork kept by my Great-Grandfather Wakio Shibabayama.  Born August 17, 1874 in Kaga City of the Ishikawa Prefecture.

Sumi-e.  Watercolors.  Sketches.  On thinner-than-tissue rice paper.  Dog-eared from what appears to be many years of handling by my Great-Grandfather.

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My Aunt Eiko’s knowledge of Wakio (her grandfather on her mother’s side) is unfortunately sketchy.  No pun intended.

Her knowledge of these paintings is even sketchier unfortunately.

But they survived the war and I don’t know how they did.  They are so fragile to say the least.

Surprisingly, some artwork was painted on several sheets of rice paper glued together.  I don’t know what kind of glue it was but it sure beats Krazy Glue.  And it’s non-toxic to boot.  I think.

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armor An apparent samurai in full armor.

Aunt Eiko knows Wakio was…

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World War II

The Eighth Marines – Saipan

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Since the Japanese had begun building defensive fortifications on Saipan as early as 1934, one cannot imagine the terror these young Marines encountered… and endured.

World War II

The Eighth Marines – Tarawa

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The carnage… So many young men and still younger boys…

The fear must have been unimaginable. The heart of the Marine Corps as they say rests with their brothers in arms standing – or laying down – by you. The carnage was something one could not part from, either there on that godforsaken atoll or in the surviving souls for the rest of their lives. Yet, among all that carnage and fear, God must have tapped a young Marine on the shoulder and whispered, “You are a US Marine…”

God bless them all, Sir.