Happy Veterans Day

 

Today is Veterans Day in which we remember and thank them for their service.

Medal of Honor Recipient Hiroshi Miyamura, R.I.P.

Above, Hiroshi H. Miyamura, Medal of Honor recipient.

Medal of Honor recipient Hiroshi H. Miyamura of Gallup, New Mexico passed away on November 29.

According to a Twitter posting yesterday by the New Mexico House Republicans:

New Mexico and our country have lost a shining light. Gallup-hero and #MedalofHonor recipient Hiroshi “Hershey” Miyamura passed away today. Thank you for your service. 

From KOB4:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Hiroshi “Hershey” Miyamura, a Korean War Medal of Honor recipient hailing from Gallup, has died. He was 97.

Miyamura was born in Gallup on October 6, 1925. In 1945, he first joined the U.S. Army and served in the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Infantry Regiment, which consisted of mostly Japanese Americans. He was discharged after Japan surrendered but then was called to active duty when the Korean War started. 

During the Korean War, Miyamura served as a corporal in the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, Third Infantry Division.

Near Taejon-Ni, Korea, on April 24, 1951, enemy soldiers threatened to overrun Miyamura and his machine-gun squad. Miyamura reportedly ordered his men to retreat, then defended them with machine guns and hand-to-hand combat.

Reports indicate he gave first aid to his men and helped them evacuate, all while killing more than 50 enemy soldiers. Before he was captured, Miyamura continued to fight despite being severely wounded.

Fearing revenge, the U.S. kept quiet about his actions until he was released in August 1953.

Two months later, President Dwight D. Eisenhower bestowed the Medal of Honor upon the Gallup native at the White House.

Miyamura had been honored by the city of Gallup with an overpass and highway named for him.  

Wikipedia has a page devoted to Miyamura with details on his heroism during the Korean War. To access it, go here. 

To read more, go here.

Happy Veterans Day!

Above, my dad, second from left, at Camp Cook for basic training prior to being sent to Japan and Korea.

 

Jeeps In Korea

Above, several Jeeps somewhere in South Korea during the Korean War.

Yesterday, I found some photos my dad took while in South Korea during the Korean War.

I posted one of my dad with a Willys Jeep MB (or GPW). The photo above is of some Jeeps somewhere in South Korea. It is not in as good shape as the other one, but it is interesting to see from a historical standpoint. 

I posted it at a Jeep enthusiast Facebook page and this is one of the reactions to it:

Pictures of this is what inspires dreams of others. If you keep them hidden no one would ever know. Salute to your father and to you.

Generational

Sorry, I just couldn't resist!

 

Above, my dad with a Willys Jeep MB in South Korea c. 1951.

Above, your truly with my 1952 Willy Jeep M38A1, 2019.

Generational!

Found Photo For Veterans Day

A little while ago, I was looking for something else and came upon a collection of photos my dad had from his stint in the U.S. Army in Korea. 

The one above is of my dad with a Jeep. I did not know what model Jeep this is, but had asked fellow members of a Facebook Jeep group of they can identify it. A fellow member identified it as a (Willys) MB. Another said that it could also be a GPW (they're almost identical).

Happy Veterans Day!

Above, my dad at Godaido temple in Matsushima,
 Japan in 1951 during the Korean War.

Today is Veterans Day, where we Americans take note of the contributions our military veterans have made to keep the U.S. and much of the word free. 

Thank you for your service!

Japan Today: Matsushima's Moods and Marvels

Above, one of Matsushima's islets. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in 2006, I went up to Matsushima in the Tohoku region of Japan to see where my dad was briefly stationed during the Korean War.

He had sent my mom a photo of himself in his military police uniform in front of the Godaido temple at Matsushima's harbor. I had a local take a photo of me at roughly the same location. After this, I took a cruise that took me around the islets in Matsushima Bay.

Above, yours truly at Godaido in 2006.

Matsushima has often been compared to Carmel-By-The-Sea in California for its scenic beauty. 

Japan Today has posted an article on the moods and marvels of Matsushima.

They start it off with:

MATSUSHIMA, Miyagi - Matsushima, on the coast of Miyagi Prefecture, is widely regarded as one of Japan’s three most scenic destinations, thanks to the pine-dotted islands in its broad bay. For good reason, it has been a popular travel destination for centuries (literally!). It has great natural beauty, religious and historical sites, and delightful local culture.

Cruising the bay

The “must do” activity at Matsushima is a sightseeing cruise around the bay to enjoy the scenery of the bay’s 260 islands.  Although tsunami waters found their way here in March 2011, thanks to the bay’s south-facing opening to the sea and the position of many islands at the mouth of the bay, the inundation was not as bad as at other areas of coastal Tohoku, and the area has recovered well.

To read more, go here. 

Korean War Willys Jeep M38A1 Photos

A little while ago, I scanned a couple of photos from a book my dad left me, The Forgotten War...Remembered, on the Korean War for two M38A1 Facebook pages.

These photos feature a Willys Jeep M38A1 (the same model I have) in them along with the original texts for each.

The first:

"U.S. 3rd Infantry Division tank company coming off the front lines at Capitol Hill Area, North Korea, July 27, 1953."

The second:

"Marilyn Monroe at Tank Co., 35th Inf. Regt., 25th U.S. Infantry Div., March 1954."

Japan Cheapo: Guide To Matsushima

Above, a view of Matsushima Bay islets from a tour boat. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Thirteen years ago, I took a shinkansen from Tokyo to Sendai so I could visit the area where my dad was briefly stationed before being sent to South Korea during he Korean War. I spent a couple of days wandering around Matsushima and Sendai. After this, I headed back to Tokyo to attend the premiere of Gamera The Brave.

Above, my dad at Matsushima in 1951. 

One of the prized family photos is one of my dad standing in front of the Godaido Temple at Matsushima Bay in his MP uniform. During my visit, I had one of the locals take a similar photo of me.

Above, yours truly in front of Godaido temple in 2006.

During my visit to Matsushima, I took a boat tour of the bay, which included passing around the many tiny islets.

Japan Cheapo has a guide to Matsushima that should prove to be useful for first time visitors.

They begin it with:

A short train ride out of the city of Sendai lies Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture. A small town on an island-dotted bay so beautiful that it rendered famous poet Matsuo Basho speechless. And not much left Basho lost for words: he managed a haiku about this gorgeous place, after all. Four hundred years later, Matsushima has lost none of its charms. Still considered one of the Three Great Views of Japan, the Bay of Pines rewards visitors with temples, bridges, caves and islands, with a view at every turn. In this article we explore the temple complex of Zuiganji, the island of Fukuurajima, and a one or two other drawcards.

To read more, go here. 

Travel From Tokyo To Sendai

Above, Sendai Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in April 2006, I took a trip from Tokyo to Sendai. It was, for me, a sentimental journey. I wanted to see the city where my dad was briefly stationed before being sent to South Korea during the Korean War.

He had been stationed in Sendai, but also had duties as a military policeman in nearby Matsushima. He sent my mom a photo of himself in front of the Godaido Temple in Matsushima. I found the temple and had a photo taken at almost the same spot as my dad did, 60-odd years before.

City-Cost.com has an article on different ways to travel to Sendai from Tokyo. I took the shinkansen to Sendai in 2006.

The article begins with:

The largest city in Tōhoku, Sendai is famous for its Tanabata Matsuri, one of the most famous in Japan. Sendai can also claim to be the second largest industrial/commercial center north of Tokyo (the largest being Sapporo).  How much does it cost to travel north from the capital?

By the way, Sendai Station was featured in Gamera 2 and in Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla II.

To read more, go here.

Give Thanks To Our Veterans

Today is Veteran's Day.  Thanks to those who served and remember the ones who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Thanks also to the men and women who are currently serving in our armed forces.

There are two standouts in my family who served:

Above, my dad at the Godaido Temple in Matsushima, Japan.  He was stationed there briefly during the Korean War.

Above, my grandfather was stationed as a Seabee in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska during World War II.