MILITARY LIFE AT
OKINAWA BEFORE JUNE 25, 1950
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Every week end a group of us would requisition a truck from the motor pool for touring the Island. At that time there were hardly any roads, mostly mud trails under construction by the Corps of Engineers. It really required a truck to go most anywhere. Favorite trips were |
| to Suicide Cliff where reportedly 10,000 Japanese jumped to their death.Also a favorite was any accessible beach area, as they were still covered with landing barges and military vehicles from the war. |  |
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I discovered some vehicles had Cadillac engines. Now how could I remove one and what would I do if I did? Exploration of the many caves proved very dangerous as we found some contained many live rounds of artillery shells. |
| A bulldozer was working on one of the roads which cut very close to a large Okinawan burial area, and clipped the corner of one of the Mausoleums. It appeared the dead were placed in these above ground structures. |  |
A friend accompanied me on the next week end back to the damaged burial site. A large stone had been moved by the bulldozer leaving an area just large enough to crawl through.I told my friend to stand watch while I crawled inside to photograph the interior, never done before. It was so musty inside I could hardly |
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breathe, pitch dark except for a small stream of light coming through the opening. Suddenly I heard a lot of screaming and yelling outside. A group of men from the village were trying to move the stone and close the opening, subjecting me to a horrible fate. I fought my way out, my friend and I were chased and beaten with sticks as we ran for our lives. |
If you are still reading this you are probably wondering how could anyone be so ignorant as to do such a despicable act. I have no explanation, even questioning my own sanity at the time. I am forced to relive this nightmare over and over even to this day