Comments on: The Battle of Okinawa http://soldave.thedeepstop.com/2007/02/09/the-battle-of-okinawa/ Scuba diving in Okinawa, and all things to do with Japan Wed, 7 Jan 2009 17:09:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: RALPH E. HOGSTEN http://soldave.thedeepstop.com/2007/02/09/the-battle-of-okinawa/#comment-6475 RALPH E. HOGSTEN Sun, 16 Nov 2008 01:14:47 +0000 http://soldave.thedeepstop.com/2007/02/09/the-battle-of-okinawa/#comment-6475 I WAS ON OKI ...I WAS STATIONED ON YONTAN MT IWAS THERE SHORTLY AFTER THE WAR WE WERE STILL CLEANING UP. I PICKED UP BONES AND SKULLS AND STACKED THEM AT THE BASE OF SUICIDE CLIFFS ...IT WASNT VERY PRETTY,, THE PIT OF THE VIGINS WAS JUST THAT A PIT I REMEMBER ONE GROUP OF FLOWERS AND SOME THING LIKE LITTLE BLACK STICKS PILED AROUND WHAT SUPPOSED TO BE A JAP COMANDER I MADE LOTS OF FRIENDS WITH THE OKI S WHILE I WAS THERE WAS NO LOVE FOR JAPAN NUFF SAID I WAS ON OKI …I WAS STATIONED ON YONTAN MT IWAS THERE SHORTLY AFTER THE WAR WE WERE STILL CLEANING UP. I PICKED UP BONES AND SKULLS AND STACKED THEM AT THE BASE OF SUICIDE CLIFFS …IT WASNT VERY PRETTY,, THE PIT OF THE VIGINS WAS JUST THAT A PIT I REMEMBER ONE GROUP OF FLOWERS AND SOME THING LIKE LITTLE BLACK STICKS PILED AROUND WHAT SUPPOSED TO BE A JAP COMANDER I MADE LOTS OF FRIENDS WITH THE OKI S WHILE I WAS THERE WAS NO LOVE FOR JAPAN NUFF SAID

]]> By: Gary http://soldave.thedeepstop.com/2007/02/09/the-battle-of-okinawa/#comment-6469 Gary Sun, 02 Nov 2008 12:53:41 +0000 http://soldave.thedeepstop.com/2007/02/09/the-battle-of-okinawa/#comment-6469 Very interesting post. I was USN, stationed on Okinawa from 1979 to 1982 and dove the island regularly, but never ventured near the cliffs. There was kind of an unwritten rule about areas like that. A few years ago, I discovered my uncle participated in the Battle of Okinawa, receiving a Purple heart and a Bronze Star. Unfortunately, he passed before my cousin could hear the story, and military records were destroyed in a fire in Missouri. Unless we find a comrad of my uncle, we'll never know the reason for the award. g Very interesting post.

I was USN, stationed on Okinawa from 1979 to 1982 and dove the island regularly, but never ventured near the cliffs.

There was kind of an unwritten rule about areas like that.

A few years ago, I discovered my uncle participated in the Battle of Okinawa, receiving a Purple heart and a Bronze Star. Unfortunately, he passed before my cousin could hear the story, and military records were destroyed in a fire in Missouri.

Unless we find a comrad of my uncle, we’ll never know the reason for the award.

g

]]> By: Big in Japan | Japan rewrites history… again http://soldave.thedeepstop.com/2007/02/09/the-battle-of-okinawa/#comment-2179 Big in Japan | Japan rewrites history… again Wed, 11 Apr 2007 05:38:01 +0000 http://soldave.thedeepstop.com/2007/02/09/the-battle-of-okinawa/#comment-2179 [...] In the story below, Japan is once again trying to rewrite the history textbooks regarding actions during the Battle of Okinawa, and make future generations forget about their actions. This kind of action is quite scary to contemplate, and it’s no surprise that Okinawans are up-in-arms about this. This news article is taken from www.japanupdate.com - an English-language website and newspaper about news in Okinawa. [...] […] In the story below, Japan is once again trying to rewrite the history textbooks regarding actions during the Battle of Okinawa, and make future generations forget about their actions. This kind of action is quite scary to contemplate, and it’s no surprise that Okinawans are up-in-arms about this. This news article is taken from http://www.japanupdate.com - an English-language website and newspaper about news in Okinawa. […]

]]> By: Big in Japan | The Cave of Virgins http://soldave.thedeepstop.com/2007/02/09/the-battle-of-okinawa/#comment-1408 Big in Japan | The Cave of Virgins Sun, 11 Feb 2007 02:32:19 +0000 http://soldave.thedeepstop.com/2007/02/09/the-battle-of-okinawa/#comment-1408 [...] While we are on the subject of talking about Okinawa’s troubled history and the Himeyuri girls, I found a nice piece of poetry on a website called Elite Skills and written by the author “oixi”. I’m not sure if the rhyming couplet idea works with something this serious, but maybe it will give you some idea of what the civilians experienced here. This is called The Cave of Virgins, and is about the girls who were picked from the elite schools in Naha and sent into caves to work as nurses for the Japanese troops. As the conditions worsened, these girls (14-15 years old, if I recall correctly) experienced horrors that you or I could never in their worst nightmares imagine. But they stuck to their jobs until, in the majority of cases, they themselves passed away in the caves. This particular blog entry is dedicated to those Himeyuri girls, the “princess lily girls”: [...] […] While we are on the subject of talking about Okinawa’s troubled history and the Himeyuri girls, I found a nice piece of poetry on a website called Elite Skills and written by the author “oixi”. I’m not sure if the rhyming couplet idea works with something this serious, but maybe it will give you some idea of what the civilians experienced here. This is called The Cave of Virgins, and is about the girls who were picked from the elite schools in Naha and sent into caves to work as nurses for the Japanese troops. As the conditions worsened, these girls (14-15 years old, if I recall correctly) experienced horrors that you or I could never in their worst nightmares imagine. But they stuck to their jobs until, in the majority of cases, they themselves passed away in the caves. This particular blog entry is dedicated to those Himeyuri girls, the “princess lily girls”: […]

]]> By: Big in Japan | The horrific story of the Himeyuri girls in the Battle of Okinawa http://soldave.thedeepstop.com/2007/02/09/the-battle-of-okinawa/#comment-1407 Big in Japan | The horrific story of the Himeyuri girls in the Battle of Okinawa Sun, 11 Feb 2007 02:28:48 +0000 http://soldave.thedeepstop.com/2007/02/09/the-battle-of-okinawa/#comment-1407 [...] Welcome to part 2 of this blog entry on the Battle for Okinawa. While the first part centred around the battle itself and the Peace Prayer Park, this time I would just like to spend a few minutes talking about the Himeyuri girls (translated literally, “Princess Lily girls”). The museum and monuments to pay respects to these girls who played an important and horrific role as the Battle of Okinawa raged on. But what made these girls so special, and worthy of specific remembrance? Well read on and you’ll find out. [...] […] Welcome to part 2 of this blog entry on the Battle for Okinawa. While the first part centred around the battle itself and the Peace Prayer Park, this time I would just like to spend a few minutes talking about the Himeyuri girls (translated literally, “Princess Lily girls”). The museum and monuments to pay respects to these girls who played an important and horrific role as the Battle of Okinawa raged on. But what made these girls so special, and worthy of specific remembrance? Well read on and you’ll find out. […]

]]> By: soldave http://soldave.thedeepstop.com/2007/02/09/the-battle-of-okinawa/#comment-1406 soldave Sun, 11 Feb 2007 00:38:27 +0000 http://soldave.thedeepstop.com/2007/02/09/the-battle-of-okinawa/#comment-1406 The photo is taken at the edge of the park, looking down onto the cliffs. You may have understood me - when I said there was a land bridge, I don't mean that they built a bridge there. It was a time when land existed between Okinawa and Yonaguni. There's a lot os seismic activity around Japan and the land has since dropped off into the ocean. The photo is taken at the edge of the park, looking down onto the cliffs.

You may have understood me - when I said there was a land bridge, I don’t mean that they built a bridge there. It was a time when land existed between Okinawa and Yonaguni. There’s a lot os seismic activity around Japan and the land has since dropped off into the ocean.

]]> By: Guy at the airport http://soldave.thedeepstop.com/2007/02/09/the-battle-of-okinawa/#comment-1399 Guy at the airport Sat, 10 Feb 2007 01:55:19 +0000 http://soldave.thedeepstop.com/2007/02/09/the-battle-of-okinawa/#comment-1399 Let me get this straight Dave, the picture from the suicide cliffs is taken from the Peace Prayer Park or are you looking at the cliff and the park simultaneously? The distance between Okinawa and Yonaguni is staggering, try to comprehend tht thee was a bridge over that distance. Mindblowing. The Okinawans are like the Limburgers in the Netherlands than, they're my brothers and sisters! Let me get this straight Dave, the picture from the suicide cliffs is taken from the Peace Prayer Park or are you looking at the cliff and the park simultaneously?

The distance between Okinawa and Yonaguni is staggering, try to comprehend tht thee was a bridge over that distance. Mindblowing.

The Okinawans are like the Limburgers in the Netherlands than, they’re my brothers and sisters!

]]> By: soldave http://soldave.thedeepstop.com/2007/02/09/the-battle-of-okinawa/#comment-1396 soldave Fri, 09 Feb 2007 20:27:22 +0000 http://soldave.thedeepstop.com/2007/02/09/the-battle-of-okinawa/#comment-1396 Glad you enjoy the articles. Yeah - the Okinawans have a definite bone to pick with the Japanese and it is still the poorest prefecture, and the one which receives the least funding from the government. The suicide cliffs are quite a sad place to visit, and the Peace Prayer Park is right on the edge of the cliffs. It's an amazing but thought provoking view from there. There is no real diving around suicide cliffs, but it is a popular surfing spot. Yonaguni is 509km/316miles from the Okinawan mainland Glad you enjoy the articles. Yeah - the Okinawans have a definite bone to pick with the Japanese and it is still the poorest prefecture, and the one which receives the least funding from the government.

The suicide cliffs are quite a sad place to visit, and the Peace Prayer Park is right on the edge of the cliffs. It’s an amazing but thought provoking view from there. There is no real diving around suicide cliffs, but it is a popular surfing spot.

Yonaguni is 509km/316miles from the Okinawan mainland

]]> By: Guy at the airport http://soldave.thedeepstop.com/2007/02/09/the-battle-of-okinawa/#comment-1393 Guy at the airport Fri, 09 Feb 2007 15:33:15 +0000 http://soldave.thedeepstop.com/2007/02/09/the-battle-of-okinawa/#comment-1393 Hi Dave, This is great stuff, very interesting and staright down my alley. Thanks for sharing. Never knew that the Okinawans were so opressed by the mainland Japanese for instance. If I ever make it to Okinawa, the Peace Prayer Park is definately on my list. I'm just fascinated with war memorials and/or battlefields. The suicide cliffs sound like a haunted place, do you dive around there? Regarding the start of your article, how far are Okinawa and Yonaguni apart from each other? They had bridges between each other? Wild. Keep it coming Dave, this is good stuff! Hi Dave,

This is great stuff, very interesting and staright down my alley. Thanks for sharing.

Never knew that the Okinawans were so opressed by the mainland Japanese for instance.

If I ever make it to Okinawa, the Peace Prayer Park is definately on my list. I’m just fascinated with war memorials and/or battlefields.

The suicide cliffs sound like a haunted place, do you dive around there?

Regarding the start of your article, how far are Okinawa and Yonaguni apart from each other? They had bridges between each other? Wild.

Keep it coming Dave, this is good stuff!

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