Sat, Feb 9, 1946: graduation ceremonies

"I'd better prepare you for a disappointment on those graduation ceremonies.  This morning with 10 graduates they didn't last over 20 or 25 minutes -- and until about five minutes before Kryper Sensei's invocation it looked as if graduates would outnumber the audience."

-- Letter from my father, Boulder, Colo., to his mother, Bloomington, Kans., Saturday, February 9, 1946.  My father was preparing to graduate from the Navy Language Program in Boulder.  The program had graduation ceremonies every few weeks as people completed the program.

Sun, Feb 3, 1946: make the best of them

"I believe you had a birthday last Tuesday, just a short 31 years ago I was your age, the older you grow the greater your responsibilities so make the best of them as they come your way."

--Letter from my grandfather, Bloomington, Kans., to my father, Boulder, Colo., Sunday, February 3, 1946. 

Sat, Feb 2, 1946: the dope on procedure

"Dad, I'd like to get straightened out on voting this fall.  Being a "man" -- of 21 -- I'd like to get the dope on procedure."

-- Letter from my father, Boulder, Colo., to his family, Bloomington, Kans., Saturday, February 2, 1946.

Sun, Jan 27, 1946: a little blue

"This afternoon we went over to Causey's. Jay is home and brought not only his discharge button but also a bride. She is an Alabama girl; seems rather attractive but acted like she was just a little blue."

-- Letter from my grandmother, Bloomington, Kans., to my father, Boulder, Colo., Sunday, January 27, 1946.

Sat, Jan 19, 1946: Japanese movie

"Thursday was the usual Japanese movie.  But it was novel to me because I took a date.  I believe that she had a better grasp on what the movie was all about than I.  It's amazing how little of the movies you can understand after 14 months here -- and I'm doing better than average."

-- Letter from my father, Boulder, Colo., to his family, Bloomington, Kans., Saturday, January 19, 1946.

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.