- Thread starter
- #101
Back in Time to Old Japan
- Thread starter Shinpachi
- Start date
Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
- Thread starter
- #103
"Kokura Arsenal" was a good clue for my further research, tyrodtom.
The northern area of the old Yamada Camp is now under the management of Japan Self-Defense Forces as a training zone.
I like this kind of research very much because there was another US camp in my home town Sendai which is located in the northern part of Japan.
My hi-school English teacher was an interpreter there till the Korean War broke out.
Here are some more pics for you.
Please enjoy
Attachments
Those roofs showing thru the trees are the buildings that had the rubber covered floors and cork walls, intended for low explosives, and incendiary munitions . Even though there were revetments surrounding each, the buildings were too close together for high explosives.
That big building is the barracks I stayed in, it was finished while I was there. My room was on the back side. That building housed all the enlisted men E4 and below, we were 2 to a room. The NCOs had other small buildings, though most lived off post, the officers, all 3 of them, lived offpost also. Illustates how few we were. It's too bad that about the only bulding left, the rest of the offices and buildings were pre-war and in the Japanese style, that barracks the USAF put up was ugly.
The storage silos for high explosives were in the southwestern part of the camp. Those were very substantial buildings, I wonder how they got rid of them.
That big building is the barracks I stayed in, it was finished while I was there. My room was on the back side. That building housed all the enlisted men E4 and below, we were 2 to a room. The NCOs had other small buildings, though most lived off post, the officers, all 3 of them, lived offpost also. Illustates how few we were. It's too bad that about the only bulding left, the rest of the offices and buildings were pre-war and in the Japanese style, that barracks the USAF put up was ugly.
The storage silos for high explosives were in the southwestern part of the camp. Those were very substantial buildings, I wonder how they got rid of them.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #105
- Thread starter
- #106
All of the mountainous area in the first modern aerial or satelite photo was bomb dump when I was there.
The southwest view looks seems to show the concrete pads left when 3 of the buildings were removed, most were at right angles to the road as those are, though they seem too small. I'd say the buidings were about 20-25 ft by 60 ft long. There were some areas of the dump that was off-limits to us, I think it was because it was just in bad repair. Rumour had it that they were suspected to have been booby trapped at the end of the war, but that was probably just the usual bs.
There were somewhere close to 400 storage buildings availibile for our use, I don't remember the number of the buildings beyound that that were off-limits. I was there only 6 months, did a little exploring, but exploring within Yamada Camp was strongly discouraged. I found several old anti-aircraft sites. Most of my exploring was done downtown.
The southwest view looks seems to show the concrete pads left when 3 of the buildings were removed, most were at right angles to the road as those are, though they seem too small. I'd say the buidings were about 20-25 ft by 60 ft long. There were some areas of the dump that was off-limits to us, I think it was because it was just in bad repair. Rumour had it that they were suspected to have been booby trapped at the end of the war, but that was probably just the usual bs.
There were somewhere close to 400 storage buildings availibile for our use, I don't remember the number of the buildings beyound that that were off-limits. I was there only 6 months, did a little exploring, but exploring within Yamada Camp was strongly discouraged. I found several old anti-aircraft sites. Most of my exploring was done downtown.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #108
I tried to find out the old photos of downtown of Kokura but there are not so many.
The attached pics show Kokura in the 60's.
I have ever been to Shimonoseki, near Kokura, in 1958 when I was five.
I feel the similar atmosphere in my memory - dirty but vivid town.
The attached pics show Kokura in the 60's.
I have ever been to Shimonoseki, near Kokura, in 1958 when I was five.
I feel the similar atmosphere in my memory - dirty but vivid town.
Attachments
Sometimes we were working 6 even 7 day weeks, then we'd have a slack period. Our headquarters was at Itazuke air base, sometimes they would arrange free tours,Nagasaki, across Shimonoseki also, thru a 2 lane car tunnel. They had a Sea museum inside a full side whale. We even toured a bathroom fixture factory, Toyotoki.
We could rent motorcyles downtown, if you had a military drivers license for that area, but if the air force found out you were in big trouble. If you were hurt on one the duty time you missed was counted as AWOL time. Not that that stopped me. I think I was in as much danger on those cycles on Japanese highways as I was years later in Vietnam in choppers.
We could rent motorcyles downtown, if you had a military drivers license for that area, but if the air force found out you were in big trouble. If you were hurt on one the duty time you missed was counted as AWOL time. Not that that stopped me. I think I was in as much danger on those cycles on Japanese highways as I was years later in Vietnam in choppers.
mikewint
Captain
Shinpachi, i have some old pics too. took me a while to find these. in late '64 i was airlifted from vietnam to kishine barracks in japan for medical treatment. after a couple of months, about Feb i was to be transfered back to the states. those who could walk were offered a tour of the tokyo area. these are the pics
1. Kishine barracks Yokohama
2. Yasukuni Shrine
3. view of Tokyo bay from the tower
4. the Emperor's palace
5. The Diet
1. Kishine barracks Yokohama
2. Yasukuni Shrine
3. view of Tokyo bay from the tower
4. the Emperor's palace
5. The Diet
Attachments
Last edited:
I recall the buildings with the elevated tunnels tunnels between them. That river was so polluted you an even tell it in your photo.
My dad and 4 of my uncles had fought in the Pacific in WW2, that 6 months in Japan was a priceless education to me.
I had a camera while I was there, took lots of photos. My house burned to the ground in 1992, lost everything except my detached garage.
My dad and 4 of my uncles had fought in the Pacific in WW2, that 6 months in Japan was a priceless education to me.
I had a camera while I was there, took lots of photos. My house burned to the ground in 1992, lost everything except my detached garage.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #112
Thanks again, tyrodtom, for sharing your nice experience in Japan.
I remember that days in the 60s - the Japanese were still so busy about reconstructing the nation.
On the other hand, when I listened to radio FEN - Far East Network, the US soldiers were hard to fight in Vietnam.
Radio was telling the casualties everyday....
Here is one more picture for you - the Kokura Castle.
I remember that days in the 60s - the Japanese were still so busy about reconstructing the nation.
On the other hand, when I listened to radio FEN - Far East Network, the US soldiers were hard to fight in Vietnam.
Radio was telling the casualties everyday....
Here is one more picture for you - the Kokura Castle.
Attachments
- Thread starter
- #113
Wow, mikewint!
So you are familiar with the Japanese swords.
Thank you very much.
The 1964 was the first landmark of the economic recovery of Japan after the ww2.
Tokyo Olympic was held in October that year.
Kishine Barracks is now Kishine Park.
It is interesting for me to know that the old military facilities were changing into the parks one after another.
Attachments
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #114
mikewint
Captain
Shinpachi, it is good to know that the old US facilities were turned into some thing beautiful for your country to enjoy. i was in the hospital there so really got to see very little of anything but the ward. one quick tour of tokyo and i was gone and i wasn't in very good physical shape to enjoy that trip. Tokyo tower surprised me the most. i did not know that it even existed. reminded me of the Eiffel tower. i found two more pics
1. the mejii temple
2. torigate
don't remember much about the statue
1. the mejii temple
2. torigate
don't remember much about the statue
Attachments
- Thread starter
- #116
Thanks for your more interesting photos, mikewint.
The Tokyo Tower was a symbol of Japanese recovery as well as Shinkansen - bullet train.
The statue shows Masujiro Ohmura - founder of the imperial Japanese army.
BTW, I have known that Charles R. Jenkins once stayed at Kishine Barracks around 1964 till he was assigned in Korea as Sgt.
As you may know, he deserted to North next year. I don't know if he is happy or unhappy after all but no one wants to disturb him and his family any more.
The Tokyo Tower was a symbol of Japanese recovery as well as Shinkansen - bullet train.
The statue shows Masujiro Ohmura - founder of the imperial Japanese army.
BTW, I have known that Charles R. Jenkins once stayed at Kishine Barracks around 1964 till he was assigned in Korea as Sgt.
As you may know, he deserted to North next year. I don't know if he is happy or unhappy after all but no one wants to disturb him and his family any more.
Last edited:
vikingBerserker
Lieutenant General
Wow Kokura Castle is beautiful.
mikewint
Captain
Shinpachi, thank you so much for your comments and information. while i was in japan for about 3 month i remember very little of it. Japan is definitely on my bucket list
- Thread starter
- #119
Good stuff!
