Memories...

        Reading of the Battle of Okinawa, as I blogged yesterday, brought back many memories of the year spent in in Asia, 1961-62, while in the Marines. We were first housed at Camp Sukiran, pictured  yesterday. From there we went to cold weather training in Japan, for the months of November and December. We were housed in tents on the base of Mt. Fuji, which explains how I have hundreds of Mt. Fuji pictures. Mt. Fuji with little snow, with more snow, in morning light, mid-day sun, evening light....you get the idea. 😁 Gotemba was the nearest town.

     When we completed cold weather training and went back to Okinawa we settled at the newly opened Camp Hansen, in central Okinawa at the city of Kin.  The camp is named for Private Dale M. Hansen, who won the Medal Of Honor for bravery during the battle. After his heroics he was killed  by sniper fire. This is the base we called home even while we spent months at sea as the 'ready landing battalion.' One of my memories of this new camp was frequent blood poisoning. It seemed as if every scratch would lead to a case of blood poisoning.  

    We occupied the Camp in January 1962, but it wasn't completed until 1965. The picture below shows it after completion. It's much larger than it was when I was there.

Takk for alt,

Al