Text 2487, 41 rader
Skriven 2010-01-04 04:23:24 av Bob Ackley (1:300/3)
   Kommentar till text 2388 av Robert Bashe (2:2448/44)
Ärende: The Evil That Men Do
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Replying to a message of Robert Bashe to Bob Ackley:

 BA>> Same for the bases in Japan and FTM at Guantanamo.

 RB> Japan may bitch about Okinawa, but just wait until the
 RB> Americans decide to pull out and hear the weeping, wailing
 RB> and gnashing of teeth. Of course, the bases in Japan are to
 RB> monitor China, Korea and the rest of the far east.

I was stationed on Okinawa from 1965-1971.  At the time the island
was a US possession with a local government run under the auspices
of a high commissioner appointed by the US government.  There were
three political factions on the island, one wanted immediate, unconditional
reversion to Japan (note that the Japanese had always treated the Ryukyuans
as second class citizens - if as citizens at all), one wanted to keep things
just as they were (they were milking the US government and GIs for as much
as they could get out of them) and one (the only one with brains, IMO) wanted
complete independence.  The immediate reversion people staged several riots,
including a major riot that resulted in several burned automobiles owned by
GIs,
the burning of the gatehouse at one entrance to Kadena AB, the burning of a
credit union used by Okinawans who worked on the base and the burning of part
of a school for US dependent children just inside the base perimeter (a
"spontaneous" riot - at 2 o'clock in the morning).

The reversion people got their wish, and the US gave the island back to Japan
in about 1973.  However, before control was turned over, the US closed several
military installations on the island beginning in 1970 or 1971 - including most
of the little ones and one good sized air base (Naha AB, now Okinawa's civilian
airport).  Of course, when the bases closed a lot of Okinawa's population found
themselves without jobs, and they started complaining about that.

One rather humorous note about that downsizing on Okinawa.  The AIr Force's
498th Tactical Missile Group (Mace B missiles, but there were no nukes on
the island - wink,wink, nod, nod) was shut down and all the missiles removed.
About two weeks prior to the formal elimination of the unit there were *still*
people arriving at Kadena being transferred *into* that unit - basically they
were told not to unpack.

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 * Origin: Bob's Boneyard, Emerson, Iowa (1:300/3)