>Kasumi Kawaii ((A nice big welcome to you by the way.))
      
Arigatou gozaimashita.
      
*There is great animosity between Okinawans and our "northen cousins." 
*Okinawa people blame Japan for starting the war in the first place, for
the 
*loss of half of our poplulation during that war and for the ever-present
*American occupation army that is on our ancient lands.
      
>This is just mostly curiosity, but is that the general opinion
>of the Us forces stationed there?
      
Yes, and I am being very polite about it here.  I wish you had been able to 
see the MASSIVE protest marches on Okinawa, and seeing BOTH the American and 
Japanese flags burned by the protestors.
 

>I mean that we ((I'm in the Air Force)) are an occupation army?
      
Yes.  Okinawan people are VERY upset that our islands are forced to unfairtly 
host the bulk of the American occupation forces.  There are approximatesly 
50,000 American troops (and I am including all branches) in all of Japan, and 
35,000 of them are on Okinawa.  This has resulted in one-third of the main 
island of Okinawa being given to Kadena AFB and related military sites.  
Okinawa is ONLY 454 square miles in size, including all of the outer 
islands.
 
      
>I know the base isn't really all that well liked in the area, but I'd thought
>((from what I'd heard)) that it was largely due to the despicibal way that 
several
 
>military members have acted in the past((truly discusting thing that)).
      
Yes.  Most of the trouble you will hear about in THIS country are the 
repeated rapes of Okinawan schoolgirls, and most recently, an older girl.  
All of these outrages were done by members of the 1st Marine Amphibious 
Division, which is stationed in Naha, if I remember right.
 
      
>That and the fact that, most of the military folks that I've met definately
>fit the bill for the "Ugly American" stereotype. Although now
that I think
>about it, having a forien military base on your land can't be
the most fun
>thing in the world.
      
It did not USED to be that way...  Back in the "good old days" just following 
the Korean war, 99.9% of Okinawans supported our American allies.  Almost 
every civilian employee at Kadena AFB was an Okinawan, and the base provided 
over 75% of the Okinawan economy at the time.
 
      
In those days, there was NOT the animosity that exists now.  Part of this 
comes from the fact that, as the outward bases close down, it has been 
ruining the economy there since the jobs no longer exist.  The Japanese 
government has been TRYING to build up Okinawa's economy by relocation 
certain manufacturing there...  Mostly manufacturing that would be considered 
"too hazardous" to exist on Honshuu or Kokkaido.
 

Then too, American soldiers are NOT what they used to be.  America is not 
what it used to be.  You must remember that the "Battle of Okinawa" was the 
bloodiest fighting of the entire war in the Pacific.  It all began on April 
7th, 1945.  The American fleet opened fire on Okinawa with their entire 
combat fleet as a precursor to invasion.  Okinawan people STILL call it "the 
Typhoon of Steel."  All of southern Okinawa was totally destroyed, including 
the prefectural capitol.
 
      
Since Okinawan people are not "true" Japanese (a belief the Japanese military 
commander held), the Okinawan volunteers KNEW that they had to prove 
themselves in combat.  When the invasion finally came, over 250,000 Okinawans 
were killed by the American invaders between April 7th and April 14th, if I 
remember right.  Some fought hand-to-hand without any weapons at all.  If 
they HAD been armed bny our Japanese masters, the outcome MIGHT have been a 
little different.
 
      
Facing the possiblity of extermination... and worse... Okinawan parents 
killed their own children rather than to have them fall into the hands of our 
enemies where they would no doubt be raped and tortured.  Much better to give 
them an honourable death than to let them suffer.  Parents killed their 
children with farm tools, drowning, burning oil and anything else they could 
find.  The bones of the children still litter many of the caves on the 
island.
 
      
The most horrible example of the deaths of the children happened when 203 
little schoolgirls all killed themselves in a cave rather than to be captured 
by the Americans.  This cave is now called the Himeyuri (Princess Lily) Peace 
Museum, and pictures of the little girls line the cave walls.  It is truly an 
emotional experience to go there and to feel their gentle little spirits from 
the next world.
 
      
The Imperial Japanese forces lost over 500,000 troops, the Americans had over 
100,000 killed and almost a quarter-million wounded.  For the Starblazers 
fans, this was when the battleship Yamato was lost during the war.  The baka 
sent her into battle without any air support at all and the Iowa-class 
American battleships tore her to pieces after the American divebombers got 
done with her.
 
      
Speaking of planes, this was when the kamikaze (divine wind) attack became 
common.  During that time, three American ships were sunk by kamikaze attack 
and the American forces lost over 5,000 troops.  Among all this, a NEW weapon 
was used.  It was called the "baka."  It was a small, rocket-powered flying 
bomb made of plywood loosely based on a mix between the German Me-162 Komet 
and the V-1 "buzz bomb."  It was towed into the battle area by a twin-engine 
Nakajima bomber and then released.  The pilot would find his target, point 
the nose of his Baka towards it and hit the rocket engines.
 
      
When one is considered to be inferrior, as the Imperial Japanese forces 
regarded all Okinawans to be, one must be twice as good to be considered half 
as well.  But the Battle of Okinawa was what prompted the Americans to use 
the atomic, bomb rather than to invade the main islands of Japan.  After all, 
if one tiny island full of starving, unarmed peasants could kill so many 
Americans, what were the Japanese themselves capable of?  The estimates were 
of 10 million Japanese civilian dead and well over one million American 
troops.  If it had no0t been for Okinawa, history might have been different.
 
      
When the battle of Okinawa was over, and the surviving Okinawan people could 
see WHO our enemy had been, it was a shock!  They were children!  All 
children!  The ones who had shelled our home...  The ones who had fought 
hand-to-hand and house-to-house in some cases, had all been children.  They 
drove down the Blue Road (which is now Highway 58) and tossed candy to the 
little Okinawan children.  Our Japanese masters had told us that the 
Americans were MONSTERS!!!  But now, we could see the truth.
 
      
If an entire nation could cry, it would have been Okinawa.  So much death.  
So much loss.  Almost an entire generation of children totally gone within 
one bloody week.  At that realitization, we "adopted" the American soldiers 
into our hearts and into our families to make up for the loss of our most 
precious blood.  Yes, we loved the Americans back then.  We would say, "Once 
you are here, you are our family."
 
      
The older Okinawans still feel this way in spite of the rapes, the accidental 
bombings of the coastal villages, the pollution, the gas leaks or having the 
Okinawan elders run down and killed in the middle of the streets by 
irresponsible American troops.
 
      
I am sorry to tell you all this, but it is the ONLY way to BEGIN to 
understand how Okinawans feel about the governments of Japan and the United 
States.  One day, I shall go home myself, even if it is in a little white box 
so that my earthly remains can be spread across the East China Sea.  I do not 
want to die in this country.  I find it increasingly harder to tollerate what 
I see in this country now.  I think that the turning point for me was when 
the United States Congress didn't impeach that pervert Bill Clinton.  America 
has no honour left anymore.
 
      
>Oh by the way, I'd like to comend you on the whole trying to like folks bit. 
I try
 
>it myself. Sadly I'm not 100% successful...some people out there just make it
>so _hard_ for you to like them.
      
You are SO right, I am sorry to say.
      
My home town was what USED to be the little fishing village of Onna, which is 
along the West coast of the main island.  Now they tell me that it is a BIG 
tourist trap, as Okinawa is now supposed to be the Japanese version of 
Hawaii.  Tourism to replace Kadena AFB?  Maa!  Actually, if I were able to, 
I'd have an inn, just like the one in "The Two Akanes.  Ranma Look At Me." 
OAV story.  The Doll Inn?  It was MADE for me!  ^_^  I collect Japanese 
dolls, including Jenny and Licca, as well as the anime dolls when I can find 
them.
 
      
As we say on Okinawa, "Nuchidu otakara desu!"  "Life is the greatest treasure."
      
Jaa, ne?


 Kawaii Kasumi
      
 "Make sushi, not war!"  ^_^
      
http://www.angelfire.com/anime2/kasumiskitchen
      

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