Thu, Mar 7, 1946: a fabulous city

"I finally got here... Washington is a fabulous city.  All of the places I've read about and which have appeared in geography and history textbook pictures can now actually be seen.  Last night as my taxi pulled out of Union Station I caught my first glance of the capitol building with its peacetime halo of light.  This impressive sight seemed very familiar -- as if it were a place I had known long ago....

"Cmdr. Steele seemed pleased when Bill McKeon and I asked for overseas duty; but he wasn't overly optimistic about the possibilities Six months ago there was a crying need for Japan bound language men - now things over the Pacific are being wound up and Gen. McArthur's army men are handling the situation in Japan."

--Letter from my father, Washington, D.C., to his family, Bloomington, Kans., Thursday, March 7, 1946.

My mother, upper right, as a sophomore at Southwestern College with the Wesley Fellowship group, 1945-1946.  Her roommate, June Winchester is back row, center.

Thu, Feb 28, 1946: heresy

"Nice to get your letter yesterday.  No, it is not heresy to think of flying to Washington, but it is heresy if you do it.  However, even if you do we may welcome you anyway....

"The most interesting event which has transpired to-day was the sudden transfer of Bob Durden to the Marianas (SP?) where he will be an interpreter in the War Crimes Commission.  I knew the job was open and suppose I could have had it, but it seemed at the time that I should like to stay here in Washington for just a few weeks more.  However, they didn't ask Bob.  He arrived here for his first day's work this morning and had just been issued his dictionaries, a desk, etc., when Hindmarsh called him up and told him that he was leaving tomorrow to arrive in the Marianas on the fifteenth of March, all the way by air.  He was pretty happy about it although just slightly surprised."

--Letter from John Howes, Washington, D.C., to my father, Bloomington, Kans., Thursday, February 28, 1946.  John Howes was a fellow student with my father in the Navy Japanese language program.  Howes had already completed the program and been stationed to Washington, D.C., where my father was also scheduled to move to once he completed language training.

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.