I'm trying to find out how much an IJN pilot badge would cost as I'm thinking of getting one for a former IJN pilot whom I know.
My wife attends a Japanese Christian church in Campbell, CA .... this church is interesting in that three of the older members are all US citizens but they served in the Japanese military. Induction into the Japanese military was not uncommon to what are called 帰米二世 "Kibei-Nisei" [Returned from America - Second Generation]. These US citizens were sent back to Japan to receive a "proper" education, many of whom were drafted into the Japanese military.
One man, Jimmy Matusda [87] went back to Japan and began schooling at the 6th grade level. Because of his good grades and ability, he was drafted into the IJN as a pilot and was assigned to the Tokotai. He was never deployed, but many of his friends were. When he came back to the US he was immediately drafted into the US Army to be sent to Korea. He told his chain of command about his "Kamikaze" training, experiences, etc., and received a letter from the President authorizing him not to go to Korea.
Mr. Matsuda told me yesterday that his American sergeant "took" one of his two IJN pilot badges; the other badge has been lost through the years. I was just wondering if the badges are very expensive (if so, I'll probably try for a repop).
He said he had the best job in both militaries. In the IJN the school girls would make lunch boxes for them and lined the roads to wave as they went around the country -- he said the chicks really liked the uniform (he looked around to verify his wife was not within hearing distance). In the US army he dealt with supply and was able to wheel and deal.
Another church member is Frank Higashi [94], on the left:
NHK TV recently produced a documentary about his story. He also was in Japan getting his education when war was declared against the US. He was drafted into the IJA .... and his brother in the USA was drafted into the US Army. They were in the same battle together ... in Okinawa ... on different sides. blog interview-Japanese. [In Japanese]
After the war he became an Intelligence Officer. Here is a slight preview ... but it's in Japanese (begins at the 40s time mark:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlvCWCqkszc
Thanks for reading!
--Guy
Another vet is Mr. Yanagi~ [can't remember his full family name]. While in school he, too, was drafted into the IJA. He was captured by Russian troops and sent to a Soviet gulag for five years, working in the mines. He has survivor's guilt still ... why he survived and his comrades didn't. He was able to communicate with some of the Russians who spoke English ... but he was not able to get the medicines, etc., that his friends needed. A very nice and plesant gentleman, he is now getting forgetful ...
When in Monterey in the mid-1980s I knew a retired Japanese language teacher who retired from Defense Language Institute, Mr. Oyama [尾山]. He was sent to Japan for schooling, then to Shanghai for university because his uncle was there. While in Shanghai he was drafted into the Kenpeitai as a field operative (he spoke English, Mandarin, and Japanese) -- searching out communists; when the surrender came, he was a captain. As a POW, it was determined he was drafted while a minor (under 21), therefore he was still a US Citizen. He was given a US Army commission and worked in counterintelligence, working to break up the black market. He said it was great! He had all the money he needed, could buy all the illegal items he wanted, and drove in a US-made car. After he came back to the USA he became an instructor at the Defense Language Institute; later he became the head of the Japanese Language Department. He had an officer's gunto over his mantle. I asked about it, and he said it was NOT his sword, but he obtained it because he used to carry one. Really interesting man.
All men are/were native-speakers of English, some are true-bilingual [or speak Japanese with a slight accent].
Interesting people!
--Guy
My wife attends a Japanese Christian church in Campbell, CA .... this church is interesting in that three of the older members are all US citizens but they served in the Japanese military. Induction into the Japanese military was not uncommon to what are called 帰米二世 "Kibei-Nisei" [Returned from America - Second Generation]. These US citizens were sent back to Japan to receive a "proper" education, many of whom were drafted into the Japanese military.
One man, Jimmy Matusda [87] went back to Japan and began schooling at the 6th grade level. Because of his good grades and ability, he was drafted into the IJN as a pilot and was assigned to the Tokotai. He was never deployed, but many of his friends were. When he came back to the US he was immediately drafted into the US Army to be sent to Korea. He told his chain of command about his "Kamikaze" training, experiences, etc., and received a letter from the President authorizing him not to go to Korea.
Mr. Matsuda told me yesterday that his American sergeant "took" one of his two IJN pilot badges; the other badge has been lost through the years. I was just wondering if the badges are very expensive (if so, I'll probably try for a repop).
He said he had the best job in both militaries. In the IJN the school girls would make lunch boxes for them and lined the roads to wave as they went around the country -- he said the chicks really liked the uniform (he looked around to verify his wife was not within hearing distance). In the US army he dealt with supply and was able to wheel and deal.
Another church member is Frank Higashi [94], on the left:
NHK TV recently produced a documentary about his story. He also was in Japan getting his education when war was declared against the US. He was drafted into the IJA .... and his brother in the USA was drafted into the US Army. They were in the same battle together ... in Okinawa ... on different sides. blog interview-Japanese. [In Japanese]
After the war he became an Intelligence Officer. Here is a slight preview ... but it's in Japanese (begins at the 40s time mark:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlvCWCqkszc
Thanks for reading!
--Guy
Another vet is Mr. Yanagi~ [can't remember his full family name]. While in school he, too, was drafted into the IJA. He was captured by Russian troops and sent to a Soviet gulag for five years, working in the mines. He has survivor's guilt still ... why he survived and his comrades didn't. He was able to communicate with some of the Russians who spoke English ... but he was not able to get the medicines, etc., that his friends needed. A very nice and plesant gentleman, he is now getting forgetful ...
When in Monterey in the mid-1980s I knew a retired Japanese language teacher who retired from Defense Language Institute, Mr. Oyama [尾山]. He was sent to Japan for schooling, then to Shanghai for university because his uncle was there. While in Shanghai he was drafted into the Kenpeitai as a field operative (he spoke English, Mandarin, and Japanese) -- searching out communists; when the surrender came, he was a captain. As a POW, it was determined he was drafted while a minor (under 21), therefore he was still a US Citizen. He was given a US Army commission and worked in counterintelligence, working to break up the black market. He said it was great! He had all the money he needed, could buy all the illegal items he wanted, and drove in a US-made car. After he came back to the USA he became an instructor at the Defense Language Institute; later he became the head of the Japanese Language Department. He had an officer's gunto over his mantle. I asked about it, and he said it was NOT his sword, but he obtained it because he used to carry one. Really interesting man.
All men are/were native-speakers of English, some are true-bilingual [or speak Japanese with a slight accent].
Interesting people!
--Guy
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