Okinawa, Japan

 

 

I landed on Okinawa in the middle of the night in early January 1970. First impressions are lasting, and my first impression was not good. The island was going through civil unrest. The time for Okinawa existing as an American Protectorate was coming to an end. In 1972, the island was either going to be independent, staying as part of the Ryukyu chain of islands, or it and the rest of the Ryukyu Islands were going to become part of Japan. In any event, a big chunk of the population was not happy when I landed.

The base I was going to be stationed on was a small Army base called United States Army Security Agency Field Station (USASA FS) -Sobe, which was located on Torii Station. I was part of a small Navy detachment assigned to live and work on this base. The building I worked in was a SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility). It was the work area for the Army (who were the hosts), Air Force, Navy and Marine as well as a slew of secretive government types. It was located in the middle of a giant antenna farm at the bottom on the hill right before you fell into the East China Sea.

My first six months on the island were not much fun. Most of the time the island remained in "Condition Green" which meant you were confined to base or had severe restrictions. Winters on Okinawa were dreary and cold (not like Minnesota cold). The Navy was short on people with my skill set, so we did out share of port and starboard (12 hours on, 12 hours off) until more troops arrived on station. Of the eighteen months I was stationed there, the first six months were the most forgettable.

However, come spring and summer, the civil unrest on the island subsided, the manning for the base normalized, and we were able to explore the island on liberty time. Only twenty-six years had past since the bloody invasion of the Allies on very unforgiving beach heads. The base that I worked at was located close to one of the main assault points. There were signs on the beach who to call if you found an unexploded artillery shell. Even after twenty-six years of looking, it seemed like they were constantly still finding them.

Being a young man of 20 and 21 when I was stationed there, I did not have the sense of history I do now. To be on that island, to be on that beach where so many brave young American men died, was an honor and privilege. I just did not know at that time how much of an honor it really was.

I left Okinawa on the 4th of July in 1971. It was the longest day of my life. Because I was on the other side of the International Date Line, I lived that day twice. In 1972, Okinawa became a part of Japan and a new Status of Forces Agreement was drawn up. The Okinawa of poverty, the island of huts, shacks and open sewers, the island that I lived on for a year and half of my young life, was to be no more. Being a part of Japan would definitely change their culture as well as up their standard of living.

It was a time and a place which now lives only in the memories of those who lived and served there. On this Veteran's Day, I once again dust off those memories, and honor them by sharing them.