[7 pages total, supplied by Kandence Todd Cloud, from the papers of her father: E. B. Todd, Jr] [Dedicated to the memory of E.B.Todd Jr. - Bronze Star] [Transcribed by Michael Stone in 2011. Misspelled words were not corrected although spacing may have been.] Citation: Wildcat Odyssey, Honshu, Japan, 23 October 1945, Hq. 323 Inf., 81st Div, Hachinohe Air Base Herbert W. Browne, Tec 4, Serv Co, 323rd Inf. The war is over at last and one can almost feel the relaxation of the tension among the men. Gone is the feverish activity that symbolizes the American war machine. Now the troops look forward with hopes - some of an early return to civilian life and their loved ones - others to a short per- iod of occupation before they too will commence the long awaited journey back home. Higher headquarters has directed that the 81st Infantry Division is to go to Japan. The 323rd Infantry, our own regiment, is slated for northern Honshu, with the seaport town of Aomori designated as our port of debarkation. After days of preparation and anticipation, our ships drop anchor in the har- bor and all that remains is loading cargo and troops aboard for our new sta- tion. On 18 September 1945 at 1130 our section rode to the beach and boarded an LCVP. Last goodbyes were called and waved to our Filipino friends who came down to the shore to see us off, the coxwain revved his engine and Leyte ceased to be our home. Arriving at the side of the USS Rockwall (PA 230), we were assigned berths in Hold #1 on "A" Deck. Our quarters were comparatively airy but somewhat cramped due to baggage, packs and men, however being old seadogs by this time, we made ourselves as comfortably as possible and went topside for a look around. Contrary to most of the ships we had sailed on during the war, our new ocean home had little deck space for the troops. On top of that, the decks were washed down so often that it was seldom that the fellows could sit down and read or write or play cards. As dark set in and the process of cargo-loading ceased, a port- able movie screen was hung from the mainmast and we settled down as best we could to see what the Navy had to offer in the way of films. The first night we saw "Meet Miss Bobby Socks", with Bob Crosby and two nights later we saw "Swing Fever" with Kay Kyser. These were the only two reels on board and, in the course of our trip to Japan both of them were shown several times. On one occasion, the show was interrupted for about half an hour due to a sudden rainstorm that caught the fellows on deck without their ponchos, but from then on a poncho was a necessity. Entertainment for the most part was impromptu except for one afternoon when a ring was erected on Hatch #2 and we gathered around to watch some bouts between the G.I.s and the Gobs. The honor of the army was upheld by a margin of one bout. In the evenings, after chow, a group of Mexican sol- diers would hold nightly concerts for their own amusement and for the benefit of those of the troops who were attracted by the soft strains of the guitars and the fine old Spanish love songs. Card games flourished at all times and in all places, anything from pinochle to poker was available for the diehard G. I. gamblers and others who merely played to kill time and either lose or win a few pesos. The favorite spots were in the lee of the landing craft lashed to the deck and in the cargo hold where the vehicles had been stowed. -2- Meals were eaten three times a day but the fellows ate standing up because of lack of space and also because the Navy had found out that troops seldom dawdle over their meals when they can not sit down. The food itself was none too palatable and quite often insufficient for the appetites the men had. This dificiency was eked out in part by K-rations that appeared miraculously from duffel bags and packs. Coffee, the mainstay of most servicemen, was hard to get because there was a scarcity of cups or other containers and quite often we would finish our meal and then get a drink of water at the nearest fountain and let it go at that. Navy bread, both white and whole wheat, was very good, as was the various types of pastry turned out by the galley. As had always been the case aboard troopships, the crew ate first and then the troops were run through in groups. This generally caused griping among the G. I.s be- cause it always seemed that the Navy complement got all the better portions of meat and the G.I.s got the leftovers or something handed out in lieu of the original menu. One good example was the day when everyone's mouth was fairly watering for roast turkey. Apparently there were no legs, wings or hocks, or white meat on turkeys, because what we got was dark, tough and quite untasty. The trip up wasn't bad. The sea was choppy but their was no seasickness among the troops, although quite a few had "butterflies" in their stomachs the first day out until they got their sea-legs. Rain came frequently and very suddenly, often out of a clear sky, and when it did there was a mad scramble to the nearest shelter. Two or three nights out we sailed under a full moon and the fellows stood at the rail and reminisced or argued about what lay ahead of them. It was pleasantly strange to be sailing with all lights on and the hatches open after dark after the long period of wartime blackout that had been rigidly enforced heretofore. As we cut through the water the lights of the other ships in the convoy strung out on both sides and behind our ship made it seem as though we were looking at a causeway lit by the headlights of many automobiles. From time to time the moon went behind a cloud and the silhouettes of the other ships gave the impression of an ar- mada of ghost ships out of the past. The last night at sea the paravanes (a ship's protection against mines) were hoisted overside and lowered into the water where they trailed alongside until the ship reached the harbor of Aomori the following morning. The lead ship of the convoy maintained a vigilant watch with powerful searchlights as added precaution. The morning of 25 September 1945 gave us our first real view of the coast- line of Japan. In the distance we could see the long, gray coastline, some- times blotted out by heavy fog. The wind rose the day we were to debark and the waters in the harbor became exceedingly choppy. All about us we could see the other ships of the convoy, with here and there the gaunt, businesslike out- lines of destroyers and destroyer-escorts riding at anchor. After our office equipment had been lowered to the LCVPs via cargo net we climbed over the side and went down the landing nets and off we went. The harbor was so choppy by this time that we were drenched to the skin during the forty minutes it took us to reach shore. The cold spray was quite differ- ent from the warm waters of our former home on Leyte. As we came in we could see the hulks of wooden ships that had been in the process of being built by the Japs when war ended. The entire shoreline was composed of fishing shacks, with light fishing boats beached in front and nets hung out to dry. -3- We landed at 12:10 and unloaded and stacked the office record boxes and other equipment in an open shed and broke out our K-rations. Fires were built of driftwood and coffee put on to boil in canteen cups. While we were eating several other LCVPs hit the shore, pouring forth troops carrying rifles with bayonets fixed and we, the often-derided typewriter commandos, had the last laugh at having landed on enemy shores before our line troops. Groups of the fellows took off on sight-seeing junkets (army orders were to carry weapons slung on shoulders and a belt of ammunition in case of any friction with the Japs but nothing untoward happened.). The coarse sand of the beach bogged down most of the heavily laden trucks and the army jack-of- all-trades, the bulldozer, was called into use to pull them out and haul them to firm ground. Jap officials bearing police armbands worked with the Mil- itary in directing unloading of the landing craft which was done by Japanese work parties. These work parties were a motley crew of young and old men in nondescript uniforms and various types of wearing apparel. Some wore the famous two-toed sneakers common to the Sons of Nippon; others had civilian oxfords or army shoes, while others were barefoot. AS a general rule, all wore wrap-around leggins. Most of the people wore a sort of silk short- smock with a dragon printed on the back or covered with large Jap characters. When a Jap met a G.I., the Jap would doff his cap and bow several times. Those we saw were short, banty-legged and generally in need of a bath and a shave. Aomori itself (originally a town of some 100,000) consisted for the most part of wooden houses, but in the main part of town and near the railroad junction (narrow-gauge tracks), there were several brick or stucco buildings that had not been burned or bombed. These were either schools or public buildings. The townsfolk looked at the G.I.s curiously but seldom smiled (nor did the troops). The tiny Jap girls looked like dolls, with their shiny black hair cropped in buster-brown fashion, and would peep out of the houses as the soldiers passed. Outdoor sewage canals gave off a definitely offensive odor. All of the Japanese dwellings were of light wood, having multi-paned windows and sliding doors. Nearly every house had a board covered with Jap characters tacked over the door. Our Personnel group was billeted overnight in the grandstand of a former race track or fair grounds near the rail Junction of Naimuchi and spent the night sleeping on the seats, with a canvas tarpaulin stretched overhead in case of rain and to protect us against the cold night winds. K-rations were again broken out and the men built fires and heated cans of pork meat and coffee. Most of the paddock in the fair grounds was covered with salvaged metal from old vehicles, corrugated roofing and miscellaneous pieces of tin. A Japanese temple nearby was visited but, acting on orders of the military, nothing was touched and the temple and its decorations was left intact. An incongruous note was the number of bomb shelters on all sides of the place. At meal times some of the Jap working party stood and watched as we ate but we had been given instructions not to offer any food to them. The rigid rules laid down by General MacArthur were not to be treated lightly. At 1530 on 25 September 1945 our group was loaded onto freight cars for the 85 kilometer ride to our permanent bivouac area. By this time we were so used to dirt and discomfort that the long lines of unswept cars (some with straw and manure still on the floor) elicited nothing more than the usual grunts of disgust. Now we knew what the veterans of world War I felt when they first had contact with the old "40 and 8's". -4- Our office record chests and duffel bags were piled at one end of the car and We were huddled into the other end. The train got under way at 2005 and the door of our car was closed. Immediately we had the sensation of riding on a vehicle with square wheels instead of the customary round ones. We bumped, jerked, rattled and jolted over the rails for most of the night. Occasionally the train would stop and we all jumped out and built hasty fires to warm us and to heat our coffee or a can of C-rations. By this time, most of the fellows were so stiff and cold that we could almost hear our bones creak as we climbed in and out of the cars. One of the fellows had a police dog, honorably dis- charged from the K-9 Corps, in his custody and, when we gathered around the fire, the dog would curl up nearby and go to sleep. A G. I. would throw a jacket over the dog and would receive a thump of a tail in thanks. After all, we G.I.s have to stick together. After an interminable halt, during which our officers endeavored to lo- cate an interpreter, we proceeded on our way. Those who had previously hesi- tated to lie down in the dirt on the floor succumbed to weariness and sprawled out and tried to get some sleep. At 0430 on 26 September 1945 we arrived at our final destination, a Jap airport a few miles outside of the town of Hachinohe. Everyone piled out and large bonfires were built, around which everyone gathered until daylight, when smaller fires were started and everyone had a fairly decent breakfast of fried bacon, crackers, jam and coffee from 10 in 1 rations. This was our first half- way decent meal in our last five days and all plates were cleaned hungrily. The trains were unloaded and the troops were assigned to temporary quarters in Jap barracks. Most of the duffel bags were soaking wet from water shipped by the landing craft back at Aomori and were piled by outfits and claimed by the G.I.s as they were found. The bags were opened and clothing was spread out to dry, although some of it was so bad that it had to be discarded. Most of the hangars at the Hachinohe Air Base were gutted by fire or from the precise bombing of the U. S. Air Force. Wrecked planes were piled in one sector of the field. One hangar was given over entirely to Jap small arms ( sabers, pistols, rifles and bayonets etc) and were guarded by Jap sentries un- til we arrived in order to prevent pilferage. Our barracks had a cement foundation, on which was erected a long, wooden structure divided into compartments accommodating about twelve men. The walls were built double for warmth. Sleeping facilities consisted of a raised plat- form some two feet from the floor on which the men spread out their bedding (poncho down first, then shelter-half, then blankets. Field jackets were used as pillows.) One tiny, pot-belly stove was found and put together and the men took turns stoking it with bits of wood and coal found along the tracks. Flashlights were gotten out and fastened to the walls as the fellows settled down to playing cards after supper. The Jap latrines were a far cry from the American version, being a wooden building with an open box along one side, with V-shaped pits of cement underneath and extending outside and covered by wooden trapdoors to facilitate cleaning. One end of the latrine had wooden troughs with dovetailed corners, through which water was piped from a nearby well. At intervals along the sides -5- of the Jap trough wooden plugs or metal faucets were inserted for convenience of the Jap troops as they washed. The next morning we took a little time out for a quick sightseeing tour before getting down to the business of making our new home habitable. We passed by the hangars and could see numbers of Jap planes on the air strip, intact ex- cept for the fact that the props had been removed to immobilize them when war ended. Other plans had been tipped up until they stood on their nose. Guards (G.I. by this time) warned us away until the authorities had had time to make an inventory of everything. Bomb shelters, foxholes and gun emplacements dotted the soft, clayish ground around the airstrip. The 27th and 28th of September were used in gathering together the office equipment, collecting ammunition that had been issued to the troops prior to our original landing, and in setting up the Personnel Office to get ready for garrison duty. On 29 September 1945, one of our buddies went down with battle fatigue and another fellow and I went with him in an ambulance, heading for Aomori. Since the roads were unfamiliar and we had no interpreter with us, we drove in circles for several hours, trying to get directions via sign language and finally had to return to the base, where our buddy was taken over by the medics. During the unsuccessful ride to Aomori we passed through several villages and had an opportunity to get a closer look at our new neighbors. All the girls had buster-brown haircuts and the young boys had what is commonly referred to as a "baldy". The females (young and old) all wore balloon pantaloons (Japanese custom forbids females from even showing the outline of their figure). The tiny babies were carried in slings on the back of their mother or sister (indian pa- poose fashion). The old men wore long, black kimonos, while the younger men wore either army garb or what appeared to be long drawers, with wrap-around leg- gins. Shoes varied from wooden sandals with wooden blocks to keep their feet out of the mud to two-toed sneakers and civilian oxfords. Most of the females had high color on their cheek bones (most likely from applying artificial color- ing) and almost dead white cheeks from rice powder. The yoiung girls were quite pretty and apparently friendly, although none spoke English. Most of the homes seen enroute were barn-like structures with heavily thatched roofs like those commonly found in Africa. Others were ordinary wooden shacks with flimsy tin roofs. Stones were laid on the tin strips to prevent their being blown off by the wind. The more ornate dwellings fronting on the main roads (only the main street of a town is paved) had sliding sections with many small panes of glass to permit easier access of light. Stores for the most part were plain wooden affairs, through whose doorways could be seen such goods as were still avail- able to the public. As a rule, however, little may be bought in Japan these days because most of the food and clothing had been taken over for the army. Occasionally one could see rickety, horse or ox-drawn carts that go from one sewage canal to another, where the human waste is gathered and carted away to be spread over people's gardens as an aid to fertilization. For this reason, American troops have been warnedd against eating any fruit or vegetables not ap- proved by the army medical officers. Tobacco raising and farming are the main occupations of the people in this vicinity, with the balance of the people engaged in fishing. Most of the roads are in poor condition and little attempt is made to keep them in repair. Those portions of the road running through towns were of con- crete but even that was crumbled and broken, making riding quite rough. Other -6- stretches of the road would be of dirt and gravel foundation, while still others were plain dirt, with deep ruts cut in them by water running from the banks of the road on either side. Traffic travels on the left side of the road and horse or ox-drawn vehicles wind in and out of the people walking from one town to another. However, all civilian vehicles pull to one side when an army vehicle drives down the roads. Japanese people travel from town to town on foot, with large bundles strapped to their backs, or by bicycle, or by means of buses powered by coal or charcoal burners fastened to the rear of the bus. Formerly these buses had been operated as all Americdan vehicles are run but due to the war and the resultant scarcity of gas, they had been adapted for coal or charcoal burning units. From time to time we could see about ten or twelve little kids trudging down the road to school. They walk in a column of twos and always stare curiously at us as we pass them. They seem to be afraid of cameras be- cause they run and try to hide when we try to take a picture of them. The other day we were given passes (good for four hours) into the nearby town of Hachinohe which normally has a population of 35,000. It was arranged that a special train would haul the soldiers in to town at noon and call for them again at four in the afternoon. One has to ride on a Japanese train to appreciate the difference between the Jap and the American version. Although our camp is but five miles from town, it took us almost an hour to get there, during which time we rode forward, backed up and changed engines three times. In the town itself, all the streets off the main one were plain dirt, with all sorts of rubbish in the streets. The main street, extending for about a mile, was paved and fairly clean. A Japanese policeman stood at the intersection directing traffic but most of the G.I. wandered all over the sidewalks and streets without regard for him. Any store that looked as though it might have something in the way of souvenirs was promptly invaded by the soldiers and from then on it was every man for himself. All the money that the soldiers had in their possession when we landed had been changed to Jap yens and sens (100 sens making one yen and 15 yen making one dollar). Buy- ing was difficult because the soldiers had large denomination bills, whereas the townsfolk seldom had sufficient to make change. On top of this, many of the soldiers were still unfamiliar with the rate of exchange so they would hold several bills in their hand and the shopkeeper would take what evidently was the correct number of bills and give them several smaller ones if they had too much for the article they desired. The soldiers had been requested by the military authorities to make no more than two purchases at a time so as not to buy up everything in town the first time and cause prices to rise. One store had been designated as a souvenir store and in it was gathered everything that could be found in the homes of the people (they themselves donated or sold them to the storekeeper, there was no question of being forci- bly relieved of anything) and the articles ranged from post cards, tiny porce- lain dishes and chopsticks to silk baby dresses and richly embroidered kimono sashes. Kimonos couldn't be found anywhere in town. Saki and Japanese apple beer was also hard to get although it could be found if one contacted the right person. All geisha houses were placed "off limits" to troops. However, since the soldiers wandered up and down all streets and side streets, some of them most likely gained access to one of the geisha houses from the rear. Most of the souvenirs purchased my the fellows cost anywhere from 50 sen (about 3½¢) 45 yen ($3.00). Inside of two hours the fellows had about all they could stand -7- of the town. As a goodwill gesture, the army arranged to show two films in the local movie house, one in English and the other in Japanese. Just be- fore leaving town a number of us decided to visit the theatre but had no sooner entered the foyer of the theater than we changed our mind. The same system of sanitation that we noted in every other Japanese building evidently was used in the theater and the odor from the open toilets was too much for even a battle-hardened G. I. Little by little the fellows made their way back to the railroad station where they swapped stories and showed their souvenirs until the train arrived, when everyone heaved a sigh of relief and boarded the trains for camp and the better comforts there. Like all travelogues, this one has to have an end and what is more fit- ting than to close with a note on those lucky fellows soon to be discharged? Several days after our return from town orders came down from higher headquarters for the release of those soldiers having over 85 points. From then on the Personnel Office really went to work making out records for the high-pointers and typing up requests for discharge for those fellows who were 35 years or age or older. Between now and 2 November 1945 it is expected that all soldiers with 70 points or more and all fellows over 35 years of age will be on their way to Yokahama and the disposition center preparatory to the long and eagerly awaited trip back home. Let us hope that before the year is out all the original men of the Division will be out of the Army or at least on their way back to the States. [Handwritten follows:] Herbert W. Browne Tec 4, Serv Co. 323d Inf. (briefly, the information on this document includes) 1945 9-18 11:30 LEYTE, HQ company of 323rd boards LCVP for USS ROCKWALL (PA 230), hold #1, "A" deck, to sail in convoy. 9-20 or 21, Full Moon 9-25 ? coastline visible Aomori city, harbor, port, LCVPs ferried office equipment and soldiers to shore (40 minute trip). 12:10 landed and started unloading. 323rd HQ personnel group billeted overnight in grandstand of a former race track or fair grounds near rail junction of Naimuchi. 9-25 15:30 HQ company loaded onto freight cars for 85 km trip to permanent bivouac 20:05 train gets under way - bumpy ride with a few stops 9-26 04:30 arrive at airport a few miles outside town of Hachinohe. After daylight, everyone had breakfast and trains were unloaded. Duffel bags piled in groups by outfits. Most had been soaked. Troops assigned to temporary quarters in Japanese barracks. 9-27 morning quick sightseeing tour. Most of the hangars at the Hachinohe Air Base were gutted by fire or from the USAF bombing. Wrecked planes were piled in one sector of the field. Some planes had props removed. Some were tipped up on their noses. One guarded hangar contained small arms (sabers, rifles, pistols, bayonets). 9-27/28 Hq group gathered together the office equipment and previously issued ammunition; and set up the personnel office for garrison duty. 9-29 One fellow with battle fatigue was attempted to be taken to Aomori by ambulance but had to return for lack of directions/communication. 10-? (early October) 4-hour passes (noon to 4 PM) given for soldiers to visit town of Hachinohe (five miles away) via train (almost one hour). 10-? (mid October) Orders came down for release (discharge) of soldiers with over 85 points (also fellows 35 or older). Dischargees to be sent to Yokahama disposition center prior to long trip back home. Personnel staff begin processing discharge requests.