Ian Fleming and Pearl Harbor

In August of 1941 Cdr. Ian Fleming was attached to the BSC - British Security Commission. In that capacity he brought over to the United States another British agent named Popov, a Yugoslavian by birth, but a Brit by citizenship.

Popov had earlier supplied information after the German disaster at Tarino on Sicily. In that attack, the British used carrier based aircraft to annihilate a good portion of the German fleet. The Japanese quickly sent over a team to assess the damage done, and, more importantly, try and get a better understanding of how the attack was mounted.

A month later Popov had information concerning the Japanese. They were requesting information from their local Hawaiin agents as to the strength and positioning of ships berthed at Pearl  Harbor, the progress of the channel dregding, the depth of all channels and anti aircraft capabilities.

This information, coupled with the earlier intelligence, were pretty good indications that Japan was going to attack Pearl Harbor. It was only a question of when.

This information became the property of J. Edgar Hoover at the FBI. He was not pleased with the Presidents directive that he share information with the British. He was a notorious Anglophobe, which is to say that he, like the Japanese Colonel Sato in "A Bridge Over the River Kwai", hated the British. So, this info was locked away in August of 1941, having been dismissed by the Director as "nonesense."

In reality he was disgusted with Popovs playboy lifestyle and had even told others on more than one occassion that he considered the Yugoslavian to "be a double agent, using German and American money to live like a degenerate playboy."

And thus was born that old story about how FDR knew in advance of Pearl Harbor and did nothing. J. Edgar Hoover told him it didn't matter. That was in August.

"Rescue at Los Banos" by Bruce Henderson (2015)

The next time you feel any guilt at all about the internment of Japanese-Americans civilians in America during the Second World War, read this book. Or just look up the history about Los Banos, and then see if you feel the same.

While the American run camps for the Japanese-Americans resembled small towns; complete with high schools, ball teams, elected representatives and even ice cream along with 3 full meals a day; the American civilians in the Philippines were faring far worse; denied access to even the wild fruits and vegetables which grew just outside the fence while the Americans starved, looking at the very food which could have saved their lives.

Fans of prolific non-fiction author Bruce Henderson (count me among them) will dive headfirst into his newest book, which was released this past spring. His style of writing, simple and to the point; coupled with his knack for ferreting out all the smallest minutiae of the topic on which he is writing; serve well to keep the reader riveted.

In this history of the rescue of the American, British and Dutch civilian prisoners (there were actually 7 other nationalities represented in the camps population) he uses both of these skills to tell not only the story of the prisoners and how they got there, but also the story of the formation of the American Paratroopers who rescued them in the end.

In the midst of all the suffering and misery there were stories that need to be remembered; if only to underscore the tenacity of the human spirit. Just as in everyday life, when all is normal, there were individuals who stood out among the rest. Jerry Sams was one of those. He had a knack for mechanics and radios. As a result he lived in comparative “luxury” in the camp. He had a hot plate, a refrigerator and his carpentry skills made it possible for him to transform his small cubicle into a more habitable place.

His saga is also the story of Margaret Sherk, an American woman with a son, whose husband was imprisoned separately from her. She and Jerry Sams fell in love and had a daughter together in the camp. This is one of the most interesting parts of the book, as it sheds light on a subject not often addressed in war memoirs about POW’s. What happens to the relationships between husbands and wives separated for long periods of time; and how do they cope with the unexpected circumstances of that separation?

This is also the story of a group of Paratroopers from the 511th who fought from Thanksgiving to Christmas morning 1944 behind enemy lines. On the way back to camp, after having no regular meals for 31 days, and precious little sleep, they realize its Christmas. After 31 days of non-stop killing someone begins singing “Come All Ye Faithful” in a small voice. Within moments the entire platoon was singing as they trudged through the mud, carrying their wounded. Many of these men would suffer for the rest of their lives with flashbacks and nightmares; which we now call PTSD. One of these men found a unique way to cope with his demons. He wrote short stories. That man was Private Rodman Serling. He would go on to great fame as the creator of the television series “The Twilight Zone.”

And somehow, the author has even managed to recount the history of the advance mission conducted by Paratroopers in retaking the Philippines and fulfilling General MacArthur’s promise of “I shall return.” There are heroes of all shapes and sizes in this quickly read and highly informative book.

For the story of how well we treated our Civilian internees in America you can do no better than to read “Last Train to Crystal City” by Jan Jarboe Russel, but be prepared; the author likens us to the barbarians which the Japanese and Germans really were.

http://robertwilliamsofbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-train-to-crystal-city-by-jan-jarboe.html

Tokens

They're tiny and seemingly meaningless- but in their day these little babies were the gateway to the rest of the world beyond my own neighborhood. They have always held a fascination for me. The first time I saw one was on my father’s dresser with his change. I remember that I didn't need one until I was over 6. I still recall the slogan- "Little enough to ride for free- little enough to ride your knee."

As a coin collector I used to shun these little guys- but I always made sure to save one or two whenever the NYC tokens were changed. I have given them away, one by one, over the years, to friends and my kids. My wife even has one of the older little ones as a necklace. In 1967 I went by "D" train into Manhattan and shopped at Macy's on 34th Street for Christmas using one of these same tokens.

The best part of holding one of these in your hands is the unknown, untold story that each could tell. Look at the Honolulu token for instance. I see a sailor on liberty in pre-World War II Hawaii. The trolley probably took him from the docks to the bar district or maybe he even had a girlfriend. Where was this token on the morning of December 7th, 1941? Oh, how I wish these guys could talk!

The Baltimore and the South Carolina tokens are from the days of segregation and were once held in the hands of white, blue collar workers as well as the African American passengers, who, after handing over the fare had to "move to the rear of the bus." How odd that they could share the tokens but not the seats...

The Miami token recalls a time when people from New York went down to Florida for the winter. While there they used the streetcars and rode alongside the Cuban maids and hotel workers. I have a picture of my mother's family in Miami in the 1940's and can't help wonder if my mom; or even my great granddad Max; used one of these on the way to Neiman Marcus to shop. Maybe even this one!

The delicate designs, the flourishes at the edges and the delightful cutouts in the centers give these tokens all the grace of real coins. They are hallmarks to the past.

You can find these little beauties in almost any coin shop- usually in a box marked "Special" and selling for less than a buck. I like to turn them over in my hand and read the inscriptions and spin stories in my head about them, where they were and who used them. Not bad for less than a buck.

"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" - The Merry Macs (1942)

Today is the 73^rd Anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and it may not seem so special. But in a way it is. The attack took place on a Sunday morning; just like today; making it especially poignant when the occasion does fall on a Sunday every 7 years or so.

This song is probably my first real remembrance of Pearl Harbor as recent history. I’ve often said that being brought up in Brooklyn was like being brought up in the shadow of World War Two. So many of the records in our house were 78 RPM’s like the Andrew Sisters doing “Don’t Sit under the Apple Tree” and others just like it; all about sacrifice and faith. This record was a bit different and really appealed to me at the age of 5.

The story I first heard about this song; which is disputed; is a colorful one and involves Doris “Dorie” Miller, the first American to fire a shot at the Japanese in World War Two. He was an African-American steward aboard the USS West Virginia when he saw the gunner knocked out of action and took his place. It was; and still is; a thrilling story. It really fired my imagination and burned the lyrics into my mind forever.

Now that story may, or may not be true as it relates to Mr. Miller’s participation in the birth of this song; but that is of little matter. The real story of what he did was a giant leap forward for African-American sailors of the era, who were relegated to Mess duties and Laundries. He set a new example and was awarded the Navy Cross for his action manning a .50 caliber gun for about 15 minutes; untrained; until ordered to abandon ship. It is actually believed that he hit one of the planes; making it the first Japanese casualty of World War Two. That’s quite a story. And it’s true.

The other, more accredited version is of Chaplain Forgy aboard the USS New Orleans. He is actually credited; by witnesses;  as being the guy who said, “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.” Either story may be the truth; and the above version of the song by the Merry Macs may be the original; but here is the song as I first remember hearing it; the later Kay Keyser version. The illustration at the beginning is actually the cover of the sheet music which my mother had, along with the recording.

   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUOPvtVZwo8

And here are the lyrics by Frank Loesser;

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition

And we'll all stay free

Praise the Lord and swing into position

Can't afford to be a politician

Praise the Lord, we're all between perdition

And the deep blue sea

Yes, the sky pilot said it, you gotta give him credit

For a son of a gun of a gunner was he

Shouting, 'Praise the Lord, we're on a mighty mission

All aboard, we ain't a-goin' fishin'

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition

And we'll all stay free'

Praise the Lord

(Praise the Lord)

And pass the ammunition

Praise the Lord

(Praise the Lord)

And pass the ammunition

Praise the Lord

(Praise the Lord)

And pass the ammunition

And we'll all stay free

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition

And we'll all stay free

"Hiroshima Nagasaki" by Paul Ham (2014)

This is a fascinating book. I say that because it fascinates me the way that two people; in this case the author and myself; can take the same facts and reach two completely separate conclusions about an event. But that is exactly the case with this book. It’s not revisionist history per se; he doesn't change any of the facts; he merely interprets them in a way to make the point that nuclear weapons are bad; and by extension; that the United States is evil for having used them to end the War in the Pacific. So, we are left to examine the facts.

Mr. Ham makes the argument that we killed 130,000 people; that is the death toll from the immediate aftermath of both bombs; in cold blood, knowing that the Japanese had no way left to fight. He makes this assertion in spite of their still drafting 15 year olds as Kamikazes to fly wooden planes to be used as suicide bombs. The Emperor had already declared his opposition to the Potsdam Agreement of July, which stated that Japan would be subject to all the military might of the combined allies should they fail to surrender.

The Emperor and his military staff knew that Russia was about to invade; bringing with her all the hatred stored up since 1905 war between the two.  The author makes the claim that Japan would have had to surrender under this pressure from the Soviets; completely ignoring what the post war world would have looked like for both Japan and the rest of the world. Japan would probably have become another North Korea; or become subject to colonial control, like Vietnam when it was returned to France. That worked out really well, didn't it? And North Korea continues to be a threat to the world today.

One alternative would have been to continue the use of the incendiary bombings which killed 100,000 a night. The author is also critical of those raids as being inhumane. I have heard these claims before, in connection to the fire bombings of Dresden in Germany. Had we continued with those raids over Japan while the Emperor still refused to surrender, the death rate would have been much higher than even the long term death rate by the effects of the two nuclear bombs.

Moreover, the raids would not have been confined to just 2 targets, but rather have been spread over the whole country. This would have been akin to genocide of the Japanese people and Mr. Ham would be writing his book with that in mind. In other words, there is little we could have done to end the war which would have pleased him. In a perfect world the Japanese would have apologized and we would all sing around the campfire again.

But the Japanese Emperor, Hirohito, was still worried about his social position even after the devastation of the first bomb. He had been unwilling to accept the terms of the Potsdam Agreement which called for unconditional surrender. And, even after the first bomb he wanted to wait and see if we had more. The author even documents that himself. In school we were always taught that Tojo was the roadblock to peace; in reality it was the Emperor. And, in the end, he got what he wanted. He was never punished for war crimes; as Hitler certainly would have been. He remained in power until his death decades later.

Since we obviously have different opinions concerning whether or not the United States should have even developed the weapon; although the Nazi’s were working on it and the Soviets were poised to steal that information from them after they had surrendered; I won’t even belabor the differences too much. Suffice to say that if we had abandoned our efforts to obtain the bomb, then either the Germans would have had it first and won the war; or Germany would have been defeated and the Russians become the custodians of the new weapon. And while we have never used our nuclear weapons to gain new territory, Russia has tried. Remember Cuba? If we hadn't had the bomb how might that one have worked out? And what about Ukraine right now? If we didn't have nuclear weapons then Russia would already have conquered them.

But the biggest problem with this book is how conveniently the author ignores over 12 years of barbarism by the Japanese as they attempted to take over the Eastern hemisphere. As a matter of fact he never acknowledges that this was their goal.  He mentions Pearl Harbor and the Bataan Death March; but there is nary a word about the literal Rape of Nanjing in 1933. Thousands of women were tied to chairs and gang raped to death by the Japanese troops. They even took photos as souvenirs. You can view them online if you doubt me. 

The nuns in the Philippines who had their breasts hacked off with bayonets; the babies speared and stuck to trees. These are not things I am making up. These are the facts of what Japan was doing as part of her Co-Asian Prosperity Sphere. As a matter of fact I don’t remember even seeing that name in the book at all.

It is impossible to write a complete and concise history; let alone a conclusive book; about the bomb without exploring all the aspects of what made the development of such a weapon necessary in the first place. When faced with monsters sometimes it requires doing monstrous things in order to survive. Rather than take the position that we are the evil ones for having defeated these monsters, it is more accurate to blame the monsters of expansionism and the architects of war who put us in that position to begin with.

"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" - A Walter Lantz Cartoon (1941)

In this classic cartoon from just shortly after the draft began in 1941, the Ray Price and Hughie Prince composition of the iconic song, which is mostly associated with the Andrews Sisters or Bette Midler, gets a full blown workout as a Chicago bluesman is caught up in the first round of the draft.

This cartoon was made just after the January 1941 release of the Andrews Sisters recording, which was featured in the Abbott and Costello film “Buck Privates.” That film also had an earlier composition in it called “Beat me Daddy Eight to the Bar” which is almost identical to “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”, but is about a piano player instead. But “Bugler Boy” must have hit a stronger, more major chord with the public, as it was even nominated for an Academy Award. (Pardon the puns.)

This is a very fun cartoon to watch, and in spite of claims about racial stereotyping. Walter Lantz did receive many complaints about the cartoon, some even from the NAACP, and eventually stopped doing the stereotypical characters altogether. He even went so far as to see that none of those cartoons which he had produced ever made their way to television; which is kind of a shame; as there are valuable lessons to be learned by viewing the mistakes of the past.

At any rate, enjoy the cartoon for the music and the fluidity of the animation, which are both great examples of the era in which they were produced. And, in spite of the “politically correct” crowd, are still enjoyable to watch today. 

And here are the Andrews Sisters performing the song in the movie "Buck Privates."

"My Hitch in Hell" by Lester I. Tenney (1995)

Today marks 68 years since the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. It is only fitting to post this review today in honor of all those who suffered at the hands of the Japanese during the war. You can debate it all you want to, but the bomb did shorten the war and save lives. And when you read this book you will realize that it was probably the only way to avoid taking Japan one house at a time.

Some people lament that the Japanese had already made overtures to sue for peace just before the bomb was dropped, and therefore the bomb was unnecessary. But, that line of reasoning falls flat when you take into consideration that the Japanese were also negotiating “peacefully” with us while their ships were steaming towards Pearl Harbor.

From the very first line of the foreword by Admiral James Stockdale; Professor Emeritus at Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and a former POW himself; this book rings with all the truth and horror of war and the human consequences it engenders. It is the story of a boy, gone off to fight for his country, who returns home to live a full and productive life. It’s not that his life was perfect; after the horrors which he had witnessed nothing could ever be perfect again; the real story here is how he coped with that burden, both at the time he was experiencing it, as well as in its aftermath.

Enlisting just after the first peacetime draft in American history, the author joined the National Guard in 1940, over a year before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was determined to do his one year hitch and get it out of the way. He had no idea what the next 5 years held in store for him.

Stationed in the Philippine Islands at Clark Field, he was just in time for the infamous “Bataan Death March” to Camp O’Donnell, a distance of about 100 miles, which was the first prison camp in which he was interred. The brutality of the Japanese towards their prisoners began immediately, and with such unimagined cruelty, that it stretches the imagination to understand it.

Knowing he would not survive long in this environment, Mr. Tenney decided to set goals for himself in order to survive the war. He would focus on the present and only the immediate future in order to make it home someday. He had secretly married his girlfriend just before shipping out, and for the entire war, his wife did not know where he was. For the first few years she had no idea if he was dead or alive.

Escaping from the first prison camp was easier than one would expect, as the Japanese had no numbering system in place at the beginning. After his initial escape he served with some natives operating with the few Americans who had managed to form a guerilla group, fighting the Japanese in their own way, inflicting damage wherever they could, and in any way possible. Eventually, he was turned in by a local youngster who was starving and exchanged Mr. Tenney’s location for some rice. To his credit, the author holds the boy blameless for his actions, which would have severe consequences for himself.

After a second stint in Camp O’Donnell, the author is moved to a prison camp further inland, the infamous Camp Cabanatuan. There was no real hope of escaping this camp, as by now the Japanese had in place a number system, whereby the 5 men before you and the 5 men behind you would be killed if you did escape. So, in essence, escaping meant that you were condemning 9 other men to death for your decision.

After some time there he was among the prisoners who were shipped to Japan aboard freighters which were not identified as carrying POW’s. This meant that our submarines would sink the ships, not knowing that their own fellow countrymen were aboard. Japan had never signed the Geneva Convention and, as such, was not required to mark those ships. That was the excuse they used after the war to justify the barbaric treatment afforded our POW’s.

In Japan the author was assigned to work in the coal mines about 35 miles from Nagasaki, the site of the second atomic bomb drop in August 1945. The prisoners were actually able to see the mushroom cloud from their location. But before that day, they had to go through 3 and a half years of hell working in the coal mines with no proper equipment and no medical treatment to speak of.

The description of life in the POW barracks reads like James Clavell’s “King Rat”, with the prisoners trading and bargaining anything they could in order to survive. They even managed to put on a show, a sort of Ziegfeld Follies, to amuse themselves and keep sane. The author’s description of these shows and the help he received from some of the men who were homosexual is very touching, as he was initially disgusted by these men, but was able to overcome that feeling while working with them. This experience changed his entire view about homosexuality, making him realize that we are all human beings, something which is easy to forget when you are being treated like an animal.

Some of the prisoners would actually pay someone to break their hand in order to get a few days off from the coal minds. There were “breakers” in camp who, for some rice or cigarettes, would break whatever bone you wanted. These men were not considered to be evil in any way. They were merely performing a job for a set fee. Faking skin ulcers on the leg was another way to avoid work, and the author expertly describes how this is accomplished. I have stored this knowledge away for future use should it ever become necessary.

A breathtaking narrative of almost 5 years in hell, this book is a valuable record of what it was like to be interred by the Japanese during the war. It is also the story of one man’s journey into the darkness, and how the lessons he learned from his parents about integrity and hope, gave him the will to survive.

After his return home in 1945 the book really becomes almost heartbreaking, as the author faces the many struggles to regain the life he once knew, the least of which was to get back with his wife Laura. His ordeal in the Japanese coal mines fades into the past as he focuses on regaining his health, and his wife, as well as to find a place in the world for which he had endured so much. I am happy to report that, unsurprisingly, Mr. Tenney went on to achieve those goals, and much more with his life.

This is an extraordinary record of the experiences which thousands of men went through at the hands of the Japanese during the war. It is also the remarkable story of one man’s will to survive it.

Jack Benny's Golden Memories of Radio - (1966)

For decades I have had this album and been meaning to convert it to mp3 so that I can listen to it in the car. Somehow, I just never got around to it. This album is a six LP collection which was designed to be played on an old hi-fi with a spindle. For those too young to know what that is I’ll explain.

Each of the records are numbered from 1-6, but the sides are numbered in accordance with the they will be heard when you placed them; all six at one time; on the “spindle”, which gently dropped the next LP into place when the previous one had finished playing. I’ll bet you didn't know we had something like that back in the old days. When you finished with the first 6 sides, you simply flipped the whole stack over and finished the last 6. In this fashion you were able to listen to about 3 hours of music uninterrupted,

This collection was recorded on “virgin” vinyl, which was a grade superior to the material used for pop records put out by the commercial record companies. Those were “hit” recordings which might last a year or two in the minds of the public before being forgotten. So, the extra expense went into the making of “classical” records, and “jazz”, both of which were considered to be of more importance than popular music.

The reminiscing begins with George Burns and Gracie Allen, and continues with highlights from every show imaginable in radio history. Then the  action shifts to the radios emergence as a means of communicating the news, with the results of the first Presidential Election being broadcast, to the Hindenburg disaster and even Pearl Harbor, as evidence of the world’s growing reliance on the radio to keep them informed.

This album is a unique audio way of looking back on the history of the times in which the broadcasts were made. There is the abdication of King Edward, the Coronation of King George VI, and even the last broadcast from Corregidor, which was sent by a fellow from Brooklyn who lived near Flatbush Avenue. He says goodbye to his mother and wishes he had a Hershey bar just before the line goes dead. He survived the war and is even interviewed on the record about those last moments.

The world of sports is not ignored in either. There is the Dempsey-Tunney fight; or Schemling defeating Joe Louis; and then the return match, where the “Brown Bomber” wins the match and the hearts of his fellow countrymen. Jesse Owens at the Olympics and even Lou Gehrig’s famous goodbye are also included here.

From news to entertainment, this album delivers. There’s a lot of history, and hence education involved in listening to this collection of the Golden Years of Radio. One of the best things is that you can listen to it; or even download it; for free in about 7 minutes. I don’t know the who; or the why; behind this, but I am happy to share the link with you, in the hope that you will actually listen to this fantastic collection of radio history.

http://archive.org/details/JackBennysGoldenMemoriesOfRadio

"Double V" by Rawn James, Jr. (2013)

In this exciting new book by Rawn James, Jr., the author examines the history of the African-American fighting man.  Remember, these were guys who had to fight just to get into the fight! And then when they returned home, they were treated as second class citizens at best; and horrific resentment for their patriotism at the worst.

Author Rawn James, Jr. goes to extraordinary lengths in his recounting not only the exploits of these brave men, but also examines what they hoped to gain by fighting for freedom overseas, while the very freedoms for which they were fighting, were denied to them here at home.

Beginning with the American Revolution and the death of Crispus Attucks in the Boston Massacre, and on through the end of World War Two, when President Truman finally desegregated the Armed Forces, African Americans have contributed greatly to the building of a nation.

From the slaves who built the Capitol city in Washington, D.C., and even on the battlefield, African Americans were a large part of the American Revolution. Officially there were no real “black” troops during the War for Independence, but the hard work of re-supplying the troops, while still working the farms for the sustenance of all, was a very necessary contribution to the Victory at Yorktown in 1781.

General Washington was one of the first to exclude African Americans from the ranks of the Armed Forces. In 1775 the Continental Congress, in an overwhelming decision, voted to bar any blacks; free or slave; from taking up arms in defense of the colonies. The reasoning was simple; since Virginia was the most prosperous colony, with many large plantations supplying the needs of the Continental Army; it was imperative that the slaves remain slaves. The fear of well trained and armed black men was not one that appealed to our founding fathers, who were slave holders.  Any resistance from the northern colonies on the issue of slavery could have scuttled the Revolution before it ever got off the ground.

As a matter of fact, the preceding policy caused John Murray, Governor of Virginia, to proclaim that any African Americans who took up arms against their masters to fight for the Crown would be freed. This action caused the colonies to reverse their course on the ban for African Americans to fight for freedom, and many a Hessian soldier stated that there was hardly a regiment in which African Americans did not take the field, often in the place of their masters.

By the time the War of 1812 rolled around, the Governor of Louisiana would make a direct appeal to President Madison for freed persons of color to be allowed to take up arms in order to oppose the invasion by the British at New Orleans. The permission was granted and hundreds of African American soldiers fought, and died, valiantly under General Jackson at New Orleans. In addition, fully 15%; or more; of all American seamen at the time were black. There was a reason for this.

Just as Crispus Attucks had escaped slavery by becoming a seaman, many other escaped slaves chose this same path to self-emancipation. The reasoning was that if you were aboard a ship at sea, the chances of being caught were slim to none. And; unless you sailed out of a Southern port; you were essentially free wherever you went. It was a form of self-exile, which took many African American men away from slavery, but at the same time denied them a family with a real home ashore.

One of the thornier bumps on the road to integrating the Armed Forces was the dilemma faced by President Lincoln in the Civil War. He was forced to straddle a line between the slave holding northern states of Maryland, Delaware and even Washington, D.C. itself; while attempting to free the slaves held in the Southern states. The reasoning was simple; without the slave labor in the south, the Confederacy would be in short supply of everything imaginable.  The Emancipation Proclamation only freed the slaves in the states under rebellion, giving the northern states an edge in manufacturing and labor to draw upon.

At the beginning of the war, blacks were allowed to work as laborers, blacksmiths, scouts and spies. But by the time the south had gotten as far as Antietam, Maryland Lincoln changed his mind. Within the next year there would be over 50,000 ex-slaves serving in the Union Army.

By the time the United States entered the First World War the nation was reeling under the Jim Crow laws of the south. Lincoln may have freed the slaves, but nothing could legislate the thinking of the people in the South. They remained opposed to African Americans in the military. My own grandfather, while training for service in that war, was witness to a near riot in Spartanburg, S.C. when a black officer entered the lobby of a “whites only” hotel to buy a newspaper. 

The situation was the same in the rest of the country as well, with black soldiers routinely beaten in Houston, Texas.  The soldiers finally had enough and marched out of Fort Logan and before dawn of the following morning, scores of white citizens, and black soldiers were dead.

When these same soldiers returned from combat overseas they expected to be finally accepted as full citizens, having just fought for their country, as well as the cause of freedom. But aside from a parade in Harlem, things quickly went back to normal with a vengeance. By 1925 the Ku Klux Klan would be marching openly down Pennsylvania Avenue, in front of the White House, fully robed. Down south lynching’s were becoming the norm, with many of the African American veterans being openly targeted due to their service in the war.

When the Second World War broke out the country was still of the mindset that blacks were inferior to whites. Indeed, the Supreme Court still upheld “Separate but Equal” as the law of the land.  It made no sense then, and boggles the imagination now. From the very first day of the war, and the attack on Pearl Harbor, African-Americans distinguished themselves countless times in the face of the enemy; both in the Pacific, as well as in Europe.

When the Japanese began bombing and strafing Pearl Harbor, Steward’s Mate Doris Miller, aboard the West Virginia, saw what needed to be done, and without training, or orders, he did it. He manned an anti-aircraft gun and shot at the Japanese planes, even as his white shipmates lay dying around him. For those actions, he became the first black man to be awarded the Navy Cross. It was pinned upon Doris Miller by Admiral Nimitz in Pearl Harbor on May 27, 1942. He died while still serving his country on Thanksgiving Day 1943.

With the outbreak of the Second World War the military needed to rethink its policies concerning race, and on June 1, 1942 the United States Nave began to accept black recruits. They were trained at Camp Smalls, adjacent to Great Lakes in Illinois. This was the first major step in the desegregation of the entire Armed Forces.

No account of the desegregation of the military can be complete without an accounting of President Harry Truman and his Executive Order formally ending segregation in the services. Born in a border slave state to a viciously prejudiced family, the future President had served in the First World War and seen black troops in service to their country. Although he was not without racial prejudices of his own, he was nowhere near as short sighted about racial issues as many of his fellow countrymen.

On July 26, 1948 Harry Truman signed Executive Order Number 9981 which essentially stated that the Armed Forces of the United States needed to reflect the values we fight for; namely; equal opportunity. What made this so fantastic is that Harry Truman was in the midst of a re-election campaign which no one thought he would win.  Indeed there may have been a political component to Truman’s decision; he wanted the black vote. But there can be no denying that his Executive Order, and the resultant Fahy Committee, were the spears which broke the back of institutionalized racism in the Armed Forces.

The Fahy Committee accomplished the task of desegregation in the Navy and the Air Force in short order.  Both of those branches were ready, and willing, to accept the change. With the Marines and the Army it would be a different matter; a matter of time.

By the outbreak of the Korean War the Army was finally on board with the program and the Marines reluctantly followed in the next decade. Today the Armed Forces are fully integrated, with about 38% of the combined services made up of African-Americans. Has racial prejudice completely disappeared from the military? Not likely; but it’s no longer institutionalized, nor accepted. It took too long, but as they say, “You’ve come a long way baby!” Now it’s on to the newest challenge; women in combat. 

The Brooklyn Navy Yard - December 1941

This photograph, released by Life magazine for the 71^st anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, was taken at the Brooklyn Navy Yard within a week of the attack. Probably December 14^th, 1941. It wasn’t a spontaneous demonstration in the immediate wake of the attack that Sunday afternoon; the banners are too well done to have been so hastily prepared.
Several things “pop” out at me in this photo, the first being that the buildings are still there. Fulton Avenue is in the extreme background; with the “dry docks” and the river behind the photographer.

The next thing I noticed was the complete absence of women in the workforce. This was something which was about to change drastically. Within a few more months Rosie the Riveter would make her appearance in every shipyard, aircraft manufacturing plant, and ammunition factory in the country. And, this would have a profound effect on the nation once the war was over.

Women would never again settle for less than they had previously been limited to, although it would take decades to overcome discrimination in the workplace. And, even today, aside from the toothless Lillie Ledbetter Act; women in the private sector still remain paid less than their male counterparts. But, that aside, women were now; for the first time, able to build upon their basis of experience; which brought on by the war, helped them to achieve a future for themselves and their daughters. Fields that were formerly closed to them were now wide open.

Some may say that I am misguided in my belief that many social changes have been achieved only as a by-product of war. But, history bears me out, as in the case of African-Americans proving their worth in battle. Although the change in their status was not instantaneous, their service was a stepping stone on the long path to equality.

So, when I look at this photo I see the harbinger of change. I see the determined faces of men who would largely go off to war; but I also see the future of equality in the workplace for women and blacks. War, as such, is the most terrible dysfunction of mankind. It illustrates a complete lack of understanding and communication. It represents; on the one hand; the breakdown of all social order. Yet; on the other hand; it also represents change. And when that change is for the better, you have to wonder about the nature of mankind, and why it takes a war to recognize that. That’s what this photo says to me.

"The Guard" with Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle (2011)

When Irish police Sergeant Gerry Boyle, played by Brendan Gleeson, is teamed with FBI agent Wendell Everett in an investigation of a drug smuggling ring, neither man is sure of what he has gotten into. With Sgt. Boyle displaying every stereotypical trait of a bigoted Irishman; and Agent Everett being overly sensitive to racism; the investigation quickly morphs into high gear as it alternates between a very good plot line and some politically incorrect humor.

Sergeant Boyle is the type who loves confrontation, lives with his dying mother and has a penchant for prostitutes. He could care less about the International drug smugglers. Paired with the very professional and uptight FBI Agent produces some very funny moments as the two learn to accept the fact that they have been thrown together. For better, or worse, the two begin to know each other a bit better as they tray their best to identify and ensnare all the players in this rapid fire comedy.

This film was the Official Selection at both the Sundance and Los Angeles Film Festivals for 2011. Director Michael McDonagh keeps the film on pace, delivering one of the most unusual comedies since “Saving Grace.”

 Pearl Harbor - Too Much Negotiation

This is the USS West Virginia on the morning of December 7, 1941. Negotiations for peace with Japan were underway in New York with the Japanese at the time of the attack. Remember this as you read today’s newspaper; sometimes there can be too much negotiating. The attack on Pearl Harbor is proof of the old adage that “the only thing new is the history we don’t know.”

 

"Hell In the Pacific" by Jim McEnery (2012)

I  used to live in Baltimore, across the street from an ex-Marine who had actually seen the hell that defined the Battle for Guadalcanal in World War Two. He was in his late 60’s at the time, and even visited my son’s 5^th grade class with some captured enemy souvenirs from the battle. His stories were almost unbelievable in their nature; but they were true. I wrote about him last December; it was a little piece about his courtship of his wife, and their eventual marriage after the war. I have never forgotten him; he was one of those guys you never do; being, as he was, a living link to one of the most unforgettable battles in our war against the Japanese, waged across the Pacific Ocean for over 3 and a half years, beginning with the attack by the Japanese on our naval Station at Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii.

So, when I saw this book by Jim McEnery, who is from Brooklyn, New York, at the library last week, I had to pick it up. Mr. McEnery is in his 90’s now, but his memories of what he went through on that island, so many years ago, are still sharp and vivid; as only the recollections of someone who has actually seen what he is writing about can be.

There aren’t too many World War Two Veterans left anymore to provide the firsthand accounts of that war. But, fortunately for us, Jim McEnery, a Marine who enlisted before Pearl Habor, is still alive and kicking, living in Ocala, Florida. Not bad for a guy with only an 8^th grade education. He is one of the last survivors of the Battle for Guadalcanal. And the story he tells of that battle are exactly the same as the ones I heard from Mr. Watts so many years ago.

As a member of Rifle Company K/3/5; or K Company of the 3^rd Battalion of the 5^th Marines; he landed on the island August 7, 1942, a little less than a year after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and only 4 months after our first victory in the pacific at Midway. That battle was a struggle between naval forces from both sides; the Battle for Guadalcanal would be the first real test of resolve on the part of the United States to repel the advancing forces of the Japanese Empire. This would be the first island invasion of the war in which the steel bayonets of our Marines clashed with those of the Japanese Imperial Army .

For the first month the Marines of K/3/5 would hack and hike their way across the island. They were tasked with holding the line at the canal, which was really just a tributary of the larger creek which ran through the island. It was, however, the line in the sand which protected the American Base at Henderson Field from being overrun by the Japanese. The Bottom of Iron Bottom Sound, in which our Navy suffered severe losses, would set the stage for the withdrawal of the Navy’s supply ships, leaving the Marines stranded with little or no supplies.

Mr. McEnery is unstinted in his praise for his fellow Marines, who came from all parts of the country, some the sons of immigrants. Cultural differences and customs were cast aside in the heat of battle. All Marines were Americans, fighting to stave off Japanese domination of the Pacific. He is also equally unstinted in his criticism of General “Dugout” MacArthur, who commanded his troops from a safe haven in Australia, emerging only a few times for photo ops in safe areas which had been won by the men who did the real fighting. MacArthur was not one of those. His opinion was that “the Marines got all the glory of the last war, and they’re not getting any from this one.” This attitude which was the main reason that the Marines are not listed on the Presidential Citation given to the Army and Navy for the battle fought mainly by the Marines, and that omission still stings the author today, a full seven decades later.

Mr. McEnery is also very critical of President Roosevelt’s policy of saving the European theater first, sending all the latest supplies and weapons to England, rather than the Pacific. In Roosevelt’s defense it must be realized that Germany was working, with Russia, to develop the world’s first rockets, the V-2, and also the atomic bomb. Had they been successful in those endeavors; and they were perilously close to those goals; both the war in the Pacific, as well as the war in Europe would have been lost.

Surprisingly, Mr. McEnery lets the Navy off rather lightly for their desertion, citing; correctly; that they had no air cover from the Army Air Corps. This lack of air cover left our own ships vulnerable to attack by air from the Japanese. When those ships were forced to leave the area, they left the Marines without the materials they needed to win the battle, and the war itself.

This is a wonderfully candid book by a kid from Brooklyn who was right on the scene of one of the worst island invasions of the war. The Battle for Guadalcanal set the tone for the island hopping which lay ahead as the marines made landing after landing on the route to Japan. And all along that route, it was guys like Mr. McEnery, and his comrades, that paved the way to victory in the Pacific.

Pearl Harbor

I know I did this last year, and I try not to replicate too much, but this was such a tremendous event in the lives of our parents, that it became a huge part of my own upbringing. The stories of the war, and the blackouts, are something I think about every day. Actually, the first thing I thought about after the attacks of 9/11 was, "Why aren't we going on rations?"

The Second World War grew out of an Isolationist policy on the part of the United States after World War One, as well as the inequities in the Treaty of Versailles. And every year I keep wondering when we will ever begin to learn from our past? When will we ever stop repeating the mistakes of both Isolationism and Appeasement? I have no answers...

Anyway, here's a photo of the USS Shaw, DD-373, during the attack on Pearl Harbor, just after the first wave. Remember as you look at this photo that there are people trapped inside the ship and dying. The ship was repaired early in 1942 and served at sea for the remainder of the war. It's one of a larger, remarkable set of photos that were e-mailed to me a couple of years ago from a shipmate on the USS Milwaukee Googlegroup, of which I am a proud member. If you'd like a set of these photos, just e-mail me and I will zap them right over. There's about 12 in all. Many are quite similar to the ones circulating today on the Internet, although from slightly different angles. They appear to have been taken with a Speed Graphic camera, the preferred tool of news photographers at the time.

To the few who served that day and are still with us - thank you. And to the many who are gone - you are never forgotten.

"The Imperial Cruise" by James Bradley

If the Treaty of Versailles was the harbinger of World War Two in Europe, then what was the catalyst for the Japenese expansion in the Pacific that led to Pearl Harbor? I have often wondered where the connection was. In "The Imperial Cruise" James Bradley provides the answers.

In 1905 President Theodore Roosevelt, acting as his own Secretary of State (John Hay had recently passed away) initiated a series of treaties and negotiations that would have devastating effects and rock the world for a hundred years or more. We are still in the grip of what was begun in 1905. It is of interest to note that some of these treaties were illegal under our Constitution. Only Congress has the power to draw up, or agree to, treaties for the United States. "Big Stick" Teddy once said-"I took the canal and let Congress debate."

Sending his daughter Alice, who was the Jackie Kennedy of her time, on the cruise provided great cover for the mission her father had decided to undertake. With the Presidents' Secretary of War, William Howard Taft, at her side she embarked from San Francisco on a voyage to Hawaii and on to Japan, Korea and 3 stops in China before returning via the Phillipines.

The treaties and agreements negotiated and signed on this trip led Japan to embark on an agressive campaign to modernize her military. This eventually led to attacks on China, Korea and ultimatley to Pearl Harbor. Ironically it was left to Theodore Roosevelts' cousin Franklin Roosevelt to clean up the mess. FDR was also left with the need to apologize to the Phillipine Government for the treachery of his Uncle Teddy.

The book delves into the reasons that the elder Roosevelt felt the need to undertake this mission. His vision of American style democracy included importing it beyond our West Coast and Hawaii. He was also an avid Aryan. That's right- a race purist. He believed that we are descended from the Tuetons and Aryans and as such had the responsibility to civilize the whole world west of our Pacific border.

The real aim was to establish "coaling" stations for ships crossing the Pacific. It is several thousand miles from the West Coast of the United States to Hawaii. From there we were seeking other islands for the same purpose. To this end Roosevelt decided that the Japenese were the most civilized of the Eastern nations and he set about in securing conflicting "treaties" with Japan and Korea and China. He called this his "Pacific Monroe Doctrine." This policy, and the treaties, became the vehicle by which Japan militarized and began invading other Asian nations.

Eventually they got too big for our liking and we cut off all of their access to the raw materials they needed to wage war. This led to increased aggression on the part of Japan and opened the door for the later Japenese atrocities in Nanking and the road to Pearl Harbor.

If I have over simplified things here it is because the scope of the subject is so vast- beginning with Commodore Perry in Japan. The insights into this period of Japanese history are an essential part of understanding what happened then as well as what is happening now.

The book is carefully researched, as are all of Mr. Bradleys' books. He has a unique way of putting history in its' proper perspective and looking beyond the facade of what we were taught in school. This book will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about the road leading up to World War Two and beyond. It will also make you wonder why we honor Teddy Roosevelt on Mt. Rushmore.

An informative and gripping read, I highly recommend this book.

Pearl Harbor- 68 Years- Nothing Learned

Today is the 68th Anniversary of the Japenese Attack on Pearl Harbor. This was a day that changed America. It brought us out of the despair of the Great Depression and may have been the last altruistic war we ever fought. Our Nation pulled together in a common cause- people did that back then. And I want to take this opportunity to say thanks to all those who fought in it. Abroad, and here at home.

But my focus is not on the war, right or wrong. Instead it is on the faces in the photographs of that day. They are so vivid, so real- almost larger than life. Bigger than the moments they portray.

The faces of these young men as they face a devastating surprise attack cannot be seen without affecting the viewer. What were they thinking as the attack raged all about them?

War is never pretty- even when it is a just war fought for valid principles. These pictures serve as a reminder of the wasted potential of the good within us all. That we have not moved beyond war as a means of settling our disputes is not encouraging. It is a reminder of how much work still needs to be done if we are to survive as a world united.

Take a moment today to reflect on a world free from war. A world in which all people would be free to maximize their potential. What a world that would be...