Years gone by....

[TheSpec4Jim]

As I sit here in my computer room, listening to a beautiful song by Hayley Westenra - "Prayer" and messing with my laptop and desktop computers, I gaze around at my pictures of my wife, daughter, son-in-law and my two wonderful grandsons and yet I have an emptiness within me. I can't help but think back to the days of Okinawa. Though I spent two years there, I can probably some up my time in a matter of two minutes. Young, most people hearing the term "if I could only go back, I would do things differently" would look at you like "why?, you're not missing anything" but, oh how untrue that is and for some or even most, don't realize it until the years go by and so, brings me to here, where I am today. I sit with tears in my eyes listening to Prayer by Hayley Westenra and searching for those days in Okinawa only to have but a few memories. Why, I ask myself? I can give many reasons with no one to blame but myself. At 18, I had one objective with each wakening day on Okinawa, and that was to get off Okinawa. I blamed the US Army for sending me to "the Rock". Why did the Army send me to the "ROCK"? If anyone would've told me I would be setting here 34 years later having these feelings and typing this, I would have told them, you're crazy. Yet, here I am doing just that. My mother-in-law gave a postcard last week to my wife which was post marked Dec 2, 1976. My wife wrote on the back about some problems I had with some surgry while there and I had to stay in the hospital a few more days than planned. Sure we went site seeing, snorkeling and things of the such but, for me I took all that for granted. I can't remember ever taking anything in about Okinawa other than it was just another day and another day down. I mean, REALLY take the time to close my eyes and listen, to stand out on the sea wall and take all the beauty in. To feel the breeze blowing through my hair and on my face. To appreciate the Okinawan culture. I didn't even bother to buy a decent camera to take pictures. What pictures we do have which is not much, are from a polaroid camera. I guess I'm writing this in hopes that if others have the same feelings as I did, then maybe, after reading this, they would wake up tomorrow feeling different about Okinawa. For myself, my days are gone and I wouldn't want other people to go through their time on Okinawa with foolish feelings such as I did. Grasp every single second and enjoy it, because it won't get any better than there. Get a good camera and take pictures until you're sick of taking pictures and then take more because, when those days are gone, the time may come that you too may feel an emptiness inside and long to go back to Okinawa. Of all the stations I have been at and the years in the military, Okinawa was the BEST duty station I have ever encountered, though, at the time, I didn't realize it at the time. The emptiness, I guess, will stay with me the rest of my life. Times then, were so simple and may be one reason why I'm feeling the way I do. I've been blessed with not losing my job unlike my wife who lost hers. I have many blessing and a lot to be thankful for, but I at times contend with these feelings of Okinawa, though few memories, the ones I do have will never be forgotten.

[Oxmix]

Spec4,

I feel your pain. You are not alone, there are many like you.
When I get my time machine up and running I'll stop by and pick you up and drop you off on Okinawa on my way back to 1968 Okinawa.

Stick with the forum, it won't replace your loss, but it will help ease the pain. Think of this forum as therapy, but don't tell DK, he may want to charge you by the hour for the session. :D Just remember how lucky you are to have experienced Okinawa.

Get a copy of B.C.Street by Ed Cooper and be a fly on the wall and enjoy.

Just remember.
They can take you out of Okinawa, but they can't take Okinawa out of you.

My youngest is in Australia right now studying at the University of Melbourne. I told him to take lots of pictures and to keep a diary of daily events, because there will come a time in his life when he will wish that he had.

Regards

Ox

[Munkey]

Well said. Although I didn't spend every minute of my time on Okinawa trying to get off the island as you did, I did spend most of it having a really good time. Now I wish I had taken many more than the the handful of pictures that I now have. I didn't realize at the time how important that time in my life was.

[Tanimaga]

It's never too late to come back to Okinawa. As much as it has changed, much has stayed the same. I'm sure the atmosphere (at least in pockets) is still around. Come to Oki..!

[TheSpec4Jim]

Hi Guys,
Oxmix & Munkey, thank you for the kind words and you can bet I'll stay with this forum. I try to grab every picture that some one uploads of Okinawa especially of Camp Kue since I worked in the hospital. I have one...just one picture of the hospital and it's only of the front entrance with myself standing by it. My wife, myself and a friend who was there with us also in the Army have talked about going back to Okinawa but, had decided against it. The changes to Okinawa from the pictures that we have seen are like night and day. The hospital was due to be moved and was one of the reasons we were going to go back. We talked about the changes and the way it was and the way it appears now, and decided not to take a chance on tainting what memories we do have. Not meaning that tainting would be in a bad way just that it would cause an alter in the memories that we currently have. The decision not to return laid more on my wife and friend than I but, maybe, someday we may return. I remember having to work up North at a port as the medic driving the ambulance. I had that special job for a month and is when I discovered Curry Rice. When I got of work I drove my wife to a small place where I had it and she as well as myself just loved it. She and I both have made it through the years. Not but about 4 months ago we had it. Still hard as we try is not as we remember there. Corndogs can't seem to find any that was as good as the little shop on the side of the road. I remember my wife, myself and our friend, bought a shopping bag full of fireworks, was out shooting them off when a spark made it in the shopping bag and finished them off in a hurry. :-) I bought a 69 Datsun Bluebird 3 speed on the column before I was able to bring my wife over and an E-6 (me an E-2) showed me how to drive the car. I'll try to upload a picture of a magazine that we kept as the last one we got while in Okinawa. Are they still selling them. I'll go for now.

Take care to all,
Jim

[Oxmix]

Jim,
I know what you mean about tainting you Okinawa memories. I had those same thoughts also, but have decided that it would be worth it just to see the changes and form new memories. I have no idea when I will get the chance to go back.

Regards

Ox

[Munkey]

Actually my father inlaw just went throught the same thing. He was stationed at Naha port during the early sixties. A couple of months ago, he decided that he wanted to go back again. I warned him that it would be nothing like it was when he was there. Of course, he didn't listen to me and said that he knew that and was expecting it. He went anyway and stayed about a week. I haven't heard much about the trip since he got back so I think he was disappointed to find out that I was correct and it was basically like he'd never been there before.

[DesertDonn]

Hi Guys,
Oxmix & Munkey, thank you for the kind words and you can bet I'll stay with this forum. I try to grab every picture that some one uploads of Okinawa especially of Camp Kue since I worked in the hospital. I have one...just one picture of the hospital and it's only of the front entrance with myself standing by it. My wife, myself and a friend who was there with us also in the Army have talked about going back to Okinawa but, had decided against it. The changes to Okinawa from the pictures that we have seen are like night and day. The hospital was due to be moved and was one of the reasons we were going to go back. We talked about the changes and the way it was and the way it appears now, and decided not to take a chance on tainting what memories we do have. Not meaning that tainting would be in a bad way just that it would cause an alter in the memories that we currently have. The decision not to return laid more on my wife and friend than I but, maybe, someday we may return. I remember having to work up North at a port as the medic driving the ambulance. I had that special job for a month and is when I discovered Curry Rice. When I got of work I drove my wife to a small place where I had it and she as well as myself just loved it. She and I both have made it through the years. Not but about 4 months ago we had it. Still hard as we try is not as we remember there. Corndogs can't seem to find any that was as good as the little shop on the side of the road. I remember my wife, myself and our friend, bought a shopping bag full of fireworks, was out shooting them off when a spark made it in the shopping bag and finished them off in a hurry. :-) I bought a 69 Datsun Bluebird 3 speed on the column before I was able to bring my wife over and an E-6 (me an E-2) showed me how to drive the car. I'll try to upload a picture of a magazine that we kept as the last one we got while in Okinawa. Are they still selling them. I'll go for now.

Take care to all,
Jim

Here are a few pictures and things I have about Camp Kue that you may be interested in. They are a little before your time. The aerial photo is Sukiran and Camp Kue in 1954 before the hospital was built. I was stationed on Okinawa in the 60's and have gone back since then and much had changed, but I still felt like I was home again.

Even though Okinawa has changed physically, the people are still the same and that is what makes Okinawa....Okinawa.

http://aztrader.home.mindspring.com/sukkue54.jpg

http://aztrader.home.mindspring.com/bpkue1.jpg

http://aztrader.home.mindspring.com/bpkue2.jpg

http://aztrader.home.mindspring.com/bpkue3.jpg

http://aztrader.home.mindspring.com/bpkue4.jpg

http://aztrader.home.mindspring.com/bpkue5.jpg

http://aztrader.home.mindspring.com/kuepcbw.jpg

http://aztrader.home.mindspring.com/kuepcc.jpg

[Tanimaga]

Looks pretty much the same..

[TheSpec4Jim]

Hi to all,
Thank you so much Donn, for the pictures, I have downloaded them and will treasure them. Oddly enough, my wife told me today that she missed exploring on Okinawa. I think she may have hit the nail on the head by stating "that's where our youth started". Summing up the fact of having no more than three or four bills life there was so simple. Mama san and Papa san of the second apartment were so nice to us. Papa san was a cab driver and if I remember right after a cab driver put so many years in for a company there, they were able to retire, keep the cab, and still be a cab driver if they wanted using their cab. I have a picture of myself and my wife setting on the floor at a table in mama san & papa san's house with one of their children with a couple of parakeets, I guess mama san took the picture. Those days in Okinawa, have got to be the most simplist days of our lifes. I had a commanding officer who wouldn't hear of an E-2 bringing their wifes over and leaving two weeks after just being married, was something very, very difficult for me to deal with. He stated that it would be talked about ONLY after making E-3 which for most E-2's just getting to the island, was several months down the road. Needless to say, I was almost kicked out of the Army with a chapter 5. The commanding officer didn't seem to care for me much, not because he wouldn't let me bring my wife over because he was like that with all E-2's but with his physical movement and gestures not to mention his rank empowerment. Course I guess copping an atittude and not doing well in my work would be one very good reason. I was still very immature and is one very big reason I have the emptiness I feel inside. The atittude only got worse when I seen that two other guys had brought their wifes over and were still E-2's. One guy, though I liked him, was a bit strange in that he hardly would bath and wear deordorant, plus, he liked to get high a lot. He didn't last though as somehow he manage to get discharged out of the Army and him and his wife went back to the states. I honestly don't remember what happened for him to be discharged. When I saw the two guys had brought their wifes over, I decided to talk with a chaplin. I told him that I believed that I would do better if my wife were with me and could go home at night to her. He told me that there's more than one way to bring your wife over. So, as time was coming up to six months on Okinawa without my wife, I persude a route and started the process. I stopped the XO who was walking down the hospital hall with the CO (calling the XO over to me as I was getting on the elevator) with thought the CO kept walking through the double doors but found out he was ease dropping in an instint as soon as I mentioned to the XO that I was sending for my wife. The CO stepped around, looked at me with a furious look and said when is she leaving. I looked at my watch and stated that she should be leaving now if not already left. This was Thursday and he stared at me with intense anger and stated I want you and your wife in my office Monday morning at 7:00 AM. Do you understand? By his voice, look, & the way my OX looked at me, I knew I was in some very serious trouble. I will continue with what happened if anyone wants to know but, I might add that I wish I could say I'm adding things to this to make it more interesting. In reality though, I'm not, it is in fact what happened.

Take care to all,
Jim

[chiefk]

Hi to all,
The CO stepped around, looked at me with a furious look and said when is she leaving. I looked at my watch and stated that she should be leaving now if not already left. This was Thursday and he stared at me with intense anger and stated I want you and your wife in my office Monday morning at 7:00 AM. Do you understand? By his voice, look, & the way my OX looked at me, I knew I was in some very serious trouble.

Imagine the nerve of him ordering your wife to his office! I hope your wife told him to f--- off!

[chiefk]

OK, so what happened next?

[Oxmix]

Jim,
I remember One of the guys I served with at McGregor, nice fellow, showed up on Okinawa and the 44th Ordnance. He told me he had gotten married and his wife was in town in a hotel until he could get living quarters. I don't think he was authorized to bring his wife over but he did. I don't remember hearing if he got in trouble over it.

How he met his wife and his wedding was interesting. Before coming to Okinawa he went home on leave. He was from the South and stopped in a small town to get something to eat. He started talking to the waitress and when he finished his meal he left the diner with the waitress and they went off and got married.

Regards

Ox

[TheSpec4Jim]

Hi Omix & Chiefk,

What happened next was my 18 year old wife which whom never has gone out of the state before in her life, flew half way around the world to be with me. She landed in Tokoyo on Friday and the workers decided to stage a sit down strike. I and my friend were at the airport which I guess was/is in Naha when we got word. I remember being upset and feeling very helpless with my friend trying to calm me down. The Okinawan's at the airport explained that the company was working with the workers to come to an agreement. After six long hours, work resumed and flights started leaving Japan. My wife was excited until she saw the bars on the windows of our 1st apartment. I explained that it's not as bad as it seems. Anyway, Monday morning came with the time of 0655 and my wife and I sitting in the CO's office and I believe the XO was there too. Without asking my wifes name, he started chewing me out about rules, regulations, and his decision as to why he wasn't allowing E-2's to bring their wives over. I told him that he couldn't judge all E-2's alike and he told me that he could because he knew for a fact that E-2's could not make it on the economy. He then stated that I haven't been performing well in my job and was another reason why he wasn't concidering letting me bring my wife over and in fact was thinking of giving me a Chapter 5 ( unable to cope with the way of the Army). He then ask how much money do you have in the bank? I said after paying for my wife's plane ticket I only have $200.00. He got even more upset with me when he heard that. He turned and looked at my wife and said give me one damn good reason why I shouldn't just put you back on that plane, you don't even have enough for another plane ticket. My wife if you knew her, being young she was not happy that the CO was chewing me out and actually was getting mad about it. She jumped up and pointed her finger at him and stated that she came half-a-way around the world to be with her husband and that he was wrong about the money because she had over $1100.00 saved back home and if she needed a plane ticket she could get it. His looks changed to surprise and he stated to my wife, "Well he didn't tell us about the money back home" and my wife said that's because he didn't know about it. I've been working the whole time he has been here. He ask where we were staying and we told him Awaze (can't remember the spelling). He said that since my wife came over on a Visa, he was still going have to sign for her to stay and that we had to prove to him we could make it. He stated that we had to make up a budget and bring it in a week from Tuesday. So, we made a budget up took it in on that Tuesday and he found some errors on it and said go back and try again and bring it back next Tuesday. During this time things started looking up at work. So, the next Tuesday came and the CO again found a flaw and said make up another one and bring back on Tuesday. We brought it back that following Tuesday and he found something minor that was like the others basing the budget on "What if". Once again, we had to make another one for the following week and while all this was going on, we noticed that he wasn't really being as hard on us as he was in the beginning. Then, Thursday came and he called us in his office and ask us how we were doing and of course we said we were doing ok. He then smiled and said I'm signing for your wife to stay and be command sponsered. I thank him as did my wife and things just continued to get better. One thing that I left out was that I was on one ward in the hospital and they didn't like me to the point of going to the Chief wardmaster and they kicked me off of the ward and sent me down to another ward. My friend whom at the time was also my roommate worked on the ward I was to report to. He told me that the wardmaster called a meeting and told them that there was a F**Kup coming down and we don't want him on our ward. After three weeks on the ward on a Friday evening, my friend told me that the wardmaster was going to the Chief Wardmaster and telling him, he didn't want me on his ward. I ask my friend if he would go and talk to the wardmaster and ask if he would give me one more week. He said he would and so, I drove him to the bowling alley where the wardmaster was at. I waited out in the car for several long hours and then my friend came walking back. Being that it took that long, in mind he wasn't going to give me that week. My friend got in and he said that the wardmaster said ok. Now, I can't tell you what I did differently because I just don't know nor remember but I wasn't kick off. If I remember right, that was about the time I sent for my wife. Once the CO signed for my wife to stay, it was a big weight lifted off of our shoulders.

Omix, I did go on leave and marry my current wife but, she was/is my high school sweetheart and we have been married almost 34 years.

Take care to all,
Jim