Chikara Don Oka oral history interview, part 1 of 2, March 29, 2009

0:00 - Growing up in Okayama, Japan

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Keywords: cows; farming; Japanese language; kanji; school; strawberries

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5:10 - School-aged years in Japan, continued

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Keywords: Americans of Japanese Ancestry; neighbors; school children; village

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6:53 - Japanese nationalism and American identity

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Keywords: Manchuria; military training; Russia; United States

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11:50 - Economic hardship in Japan and lure of America

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Keywords: Manchuria; oil shortage; United States; war crimes

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13:41 - Japan: Women's rights, political purges, Emperor, etc.

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Keywords: bowing; Catholics; Communists; field trips

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18:02 - Return to America in 1937

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Keywords: draft; international hostilities; Kobe; oil; political parties; ship

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20:50 - Recalling the War's end

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Keywords: atomic bomb; Hiroshima; invasion of Japan; Kyushu; Marines; Occupation of Japan

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23:57 - Feelings about the Emperor and the War

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Keywords: Dissenting opinions; Radio address; secret police

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26:08 - Stationing at Sasebo Naval Base, Kyushu, Japan

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Keywords: debris; destruction; food; Hawaii; Japan; United States Navy

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30:10 - Operation Blacklist: Assignments in Japan at War's end

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Keywords: B-52 bomber; Japanese planes; Kyushu; mines; political prisoners; Sabotage

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32:38 - Scenes of Japanese countryside and bombed airfields

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Keywords: airports; disabling enemy equipment; Jeep; privation

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36:58 - Operation Blacklist: Releasing Japanese political prisoners

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Keywords: Communists; democracy; Occupation of Japan; political crimes; post-war; Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP)

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43:19 - Reflections on post-War Occupation of Japan

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Keywords: Honorable conduct; Japanese citizens; Surrender of Japan; United States Marine Corps

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48:11 - Recovering downed American aircraft

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Keywords: Japanese citizens; Kyushu; United States Marine Corps

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50:56 - Interactions with Japanese citizens and Korean soldiers

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Keywords: duty; honorable conduct; pilferage; respect; spoils

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55:18 - Pride in American occupation and disgust with condition of Japanese people

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Keywords: friends and family; Honorable conduct; post-war; United States Marine Corps

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