Japanese Atom Bomb Survivors-- Part 4: Assistance for Victims

Lee Jong-keun had been bullied at school because of his Korean heritage.

Revealing that he was also an A-bomb victim would have meant even more trouble.

So, Lee lived under a Japanese name, Masaichi Egawa, until eight years ago, when he first publicly revealed his identity during a cruise where atomic bomb survivors shared their stories.

Until then, he hadn't even told his wife that he is hibakusha.  "No ethnic Koreans want to reveal their past as Hibakusha,"  Lee said.

Japanese atom bomb survivors had no government support until 1957, when their years-long efforts won official medical support.  But a strict screening system has left many still seeking compensation.  Assistance for survivors outside Japan was delayed until the 1980s.

--GreGen

Japanese Atom Bomb Survivors-- Part 3: Koreans Forced to Work in Japan During the War and, the A-Bomb

Some 20,000 ethnic Korean residents of Hiroshima are believed to have died in the nuclear attack.  The city, a wartime military hub, had a large number of Korean workers, including those forced to work without pay at mines and factories under Japan's colonization of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

On August 6, 1945, Lee Jong-keun (now 92), then 16 years old and a second-generation Korean born in Japan, was on his way to work at Japan's national railway authority in Hiroshima when the uranium bomb nicknamed Little Boy exploded.  The whole sky turned yellowish orange, knocking him to the ground, Lee said.  He suffered severe burns on his neck that took four months to heal.

Back at work, co-workers wouldn't go near him, saying he had "A-bomb disease."

Little was known about the effects of the bomb, and some believed radiation was similar to to an infectious disease.  Prospective marriage partners were also worried about genetic damage that could be passed to children.

--GreGen

Spam Goes to War, the Pacific, Hawaii and Even Korea-- Part 2: A 'Wartime Delicacy'

The writer of the article, Jim Willard, said his first acquaintance with Spam came during World War II.  he was still a child and meat was rationed, but not Spam.  As such, his mom included it in her meal planning.

He recalled her frying it, after which he covered it lots and lots of catsup.    He confessed that not only did catsup go on his Spam, but also on a lot of other things such as scrambled eggs, bread and butter sandwiches, etc..

The war put Spam on a lot of maps.  In the Pacific Theater, Spam was introduced to Guam, Okinawa, the Philippines and Hawaii, where it was a huge hit.

It remains especially popular in our 50th state.  Hawaii residents have the highest per capita consumption of Spam of all states.  Both McDonald's and Burger King outlets on the islands serve Spam (with catsup available).

The Lend-Lease Act also brought the stuff to the United Kingdom.  British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once referred to it as a "wartime delicacy."  Jim said he'd had British food before  and can understand why she felt that way.

And, what's more, the Korean War brought the 'delicacy" you-know-where.

--GreSpam

Camp McCoy, Wis. --Part 5: Prisoner of War Camp

In addition, the previous CCC  discharge and reception center on South Post, was converted into a relocation and prisoner of war camp.  The camp was the largest Japanese prisoner of war camp in the Continental United States and also housed several thousand German and Korean prisoners.

Camp McCoy is unique in American history because it was both a relocation camp for West Coast Japanese Americans as well as European and Japanese prisoners captured in World War II.

--GreGen

Camp McCoy, Wisconsin-- Part 3: Served As a POW Camp and In Korean War

The South Post of the Camp had served as a Civilian Conservation Center before the war, but during World War II, that was converted into a prisoner of war and Japanese-American relocation camp.  It was the largest holding facility for Japanese POWs in the Continental United States and also housed several thousand German and Korean prisoners.

I had never heard of Korean prisoners of war in World War II.  Koreans who fought for Japan.

The camp was briefly deactivated after World War II, but the Korean War saw its reactivation as a training center until 1953 when it was again deactivated.  In 1973,  the Army reactivated Camp McCoy  as a permanent training center and the following year officially redesignated it as Fort McCoy.

So, it was Camp McCoy until 1974.  Today, it trains some 100,000 troops a year as a Total Force Training Center. It is also the headquarters of the Navy's Mobile Construction Battalion- 25  (Spades and Clubs).

--GreGen

Japan and South Korea Reach Landmark Deal on World War II Sex Slaves

From the Dec. 28, 2015, Detroit Free Press by AP.

An apology will be given by the Japanese prime minister and a pledge of more than $8 million will be given to the survivors.  This has been a point of contention between the two countries for decades now.

Korean women were forced into brothels run by the Japanese military.

This did not only take place in Korea.  Altogether, some 200,000 women became sex slaves.

There are 46 surviving Korean sex slaves, now in their 80s and 90s.

--GreGen

Japanese Hope to Bring WWII Remains Back From North Korea

From the Aug. 28th Fox News, AP.

A Japanese delegation arrived in Pyongyang hoping to reach an agreement to bring back Japanese soldiers buried in North Korea.  The ten-day trip is being made by a group calling itself Seishinka.

Today, Japan and North Korea have no diplomatic ties, but the Japanese colonized Korea from 1910 to 1945.  The group will also visit the graves of Japanese soldiers who died in the final days of the war.

Time to Heal the Wounds.  --GreGen