Sat, Jan 5, 1946: shot another pigeon

"Sunday morning I shot another pigeon.  District Supertend Brown and Joe were there. Sunday afternoon I walked up to Billy's but he wasn't at home.  Dad got a new tire for the car last week and is worring about his income tax receits."

-- Letter from my uncle, Stanley Reeves Brown, Bloomington, Kans., to my father, Sidney DeVere Brown, Boulder, Colo., Saturday, January 5, 1946.

Sat, Dec 15, 1945: Yamashita trial

"Speaking of the Yamashita trial--our alumunus as of July 28th -- Major Harry Pratt has been getting some more publicity.  He is shown standing beside General Yamashita in the AP photo of the General hearing the death sentence pronouncement.  As head interpreter Pratt was supposed to be merely a supervisor.  However, the nisei boys assigned to the actual questioning were so bad on English that the major had to take over the job personally.  (He wrote this in a letter to Mr. Ozamoto one of our instructors.)  It seems that Yamashita told Pratt that he couldn't understand his Japanese -- or, at least made some complaint about it.  Pratt mentioned the incident in his letter and added 'That's all right, I couldn't understand his either.' "

-- Letter from my father, Boulder, Colo.,  to his family, Bloomington, Kans., Saturday, December 15, 1945.  General Yamashita was executed on February 23, 1946. 

Tue, Dec 11, 1945: still in a bit of a fog

"I didn't make a mistake in applying for a transfer, though for quite awhile it seemed certain I had.  I'm now thick in the midst of military government for this district of Jiniya in Okinawa, occupying the post of military head of the departments of Welfare and Labor.  As I just arrived I'm still in a bit of a fog as to what I do.  In general, the function of MG seems to supervise and prod the natives on a little....

"Contrary to opinion prevelant [sic], Okinawans, with the exception of a few ancients, speak good Japanese. I wish I did.  The second day I was here the officer-in-chg. of the dist (only one MG co for the whole island) used me as an interpretor - with horrifying results.  Things like 'How long since the pump broke down?' and Do you have a lock for the jail' floored me completely.  Ah me."

-- Letter from Jim Allen, Okinawa, Japan, to my father, Boulder, Colo.  Tuesday, December 11, 1945.

Sat, Dec 8, 1945: the heartiest of handshakes

"Did I tell you abour our latest distinguished student?  He's Mike Forrestal, son of the Secretary of the Navy.  Mike is here to study Russian -- probably just a jump ahead of the draft.  He's a civilian and barely 18.  The kid has a lot of energy.  And he should do as well as his dad in politics.  When I was introduced to him he gave me the heartiest of handshakes -- as if he were never so glad to meet anyone in his life as me -- when somehow I had the feeling he didn't care whether my name was Brown, Jones or Smith.  I shouldn't have said that.  Mike really seems to be trying to make friends."

--Letter from my father, Boulder, Colo.,  to his family, Bloomington, Kans., Saturday, December 8, 1945.  My father was right about Mike Forrestal.  He went on to be a key advisor to McGeorge Bundy, John F. Kennedy's national security advisor.

Tue, Dec 4, 1945: spondulix

"Daddy took some calves to Wichita to-day.  Two of them were yours so I expect you'll be having a little extra spondulix.  They brought $12.00 a hundred but Daddy didn't stay to see how much they weighed."

--Letter from my grandmother, Bloomington, Kans., to my father, Boulder, Colo., Tuesday, December 4, 1945.  “Spondulix” means money.

Thu, Nov 29, 1945: carnival

"We had quite a good time at the carnival and everything went off pretty well except some of the children as usual got too 'rambuctious' and threw everything from confetti to cold cream at everyone.  However we cleared $117.72..."

--Letter from my grandmother, Bloomington, Kans., to my father, Boulder, Colo., Thursday, November 29, 1945.

Sat, Nov 24, 1945: Thanksgiving dinner

"My Thanksgiving dinner was at 5 P.M. in Denver.  (It probably would have been called a supper back home.)  John Howes invited me to accompany him to Carlton's, former neighbors in Hinsdale, Illinois.  The meal was a dandy - like something out of a story book.  The well-browned turkey was brought in steaming from the kitchen; after that Mr. Colton, a jolly chap who would have fitted perfectly into an English Christmas dinner, had the maid bring forth the carving set and proceeded to slice off individual servings.  Cranberry sauce, potatoes, pumpkin pie, and home-made ice cream made it seem like a Thanksgiving like the ones we used to celebrate in Kansas....

"We got a glimpse of one of our school's recent graduates in last week's Navy movie.  In a newsreel shot of Gen. Yamashita's war crimes trial in Manila we caught sight of Major Harry Pratt, a marine who graduated with the July 28th class.  He's acting as official translator."

-- Letter from my father, Boulder, Colo.,  to his family, Bloomington, Kans., Saturday, November 24, 1945.

Sat, Nov 17, 1945: roamed the countryside

"Buel has an interesting story to tell - he has been through a lot of excitement since leaving August in '43.  Most of it centers around his capture by the Germans and subsequent stay of ten months in a prison camp until the Russians came through.  Previous to the Red Army's arrival they had been deserted by the Germans; so for 10 days they roamed the countryside on their own -- butchering cows for steaks, etc.  Then it was back to America where he was quite impressed by the welcome -complete with jig band-given their ship when it docked."

--Letter from my father, Boulder, Colo., to his family, Bloomington, Kans., Saturday, November 17, 1945. Buel Robinson was a high school classmate of my father. 

Sun, Nov 11, 1945: terribly high

"Yesterday was another teacher's meeting.  This time at El Dorado.  Ruby Seal went to El Dorado with me to buy some new clothes.  Clothing is hard to get and is terribly high.  I got a new dress and hat and they both cost two or three times as much as they should."

-- Letter from my grandmother, Bloomington, Kans., to my father, Boulder, Colo., Sunday, November 11, 1945.

Sat, Nov 10, 1945: men outnumber the women

"The civilians are getting settled in school here. 800 veterans brought the total enrollment up to an all time high of 4600 -- and for the first time since 1942 men outnumber the women!"

-- Letter from my father, Boulder, Colo., to his family, Bloomington, Kans., Saturday, November 10, 1945.