Goodbye, Darkness: Manchester Wraps Up His Story

Finished Goodbye, Darkness last night. Manchester saves his best for last - his own blood letting at the Battle for Okinawa. That battle for a piece of real estate that was to be used for the staging of the final onslaught of Japan's homeland, was long and intense and bloody with deaths in the hundreds of thousands, at least 150000 of whom were civilians. As mentioned before, the Japanese had no doubts about what the outcome was going to be and they accepted their destiny with relish and a cup of sake or two. Remember, for them, surrender was the highest form of treachery and cowardice. Good read.

While in the Navy, we, that would be the Washtenaw County and its sailors, would travel down to Okinawa from Yokusuka quite often. There we would load (and unload) a group of Marines and their rolling stock and other material and head out to roam the Far East, to train and keep ourselves ready for any eventuality. And it was there that I received word of the birth of Number One Son, Martin. As a matter of fact, I was sitting in the Officers' Club while Diane was taking care of all the birthing details. You do your duty wherever you are, right? I was also away with the birth of Number One Daughter, Michele, though was able to leave the ship at Numazu and jeep southeast of Mt. Fuji and o'er the Japanese countryside to get home the next day. And, yes, you are right: both children returned to the States with a little tag around their necks, made in Japan.

Breakfast time, then the golf course. World turns; 25th anniversary of the opening of the Vietnam Memorial.