Thomas Jefferson (APA 30) - Naval Cruise Book

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JAPANESE PETTY OFFICIALS THE B-29's MISSED THESE OII. TANKS 26

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SASEBU HEVISITEII Q The rumor was widely circulated that extensive liberty would be granted in Iapan this time, and it proved to be true. After unloading the Army troops the ship granted liberty to as many as the Port Director would allow, and every man on the ship had at least one chance to go ashore. When you approach the city of Sasebo from the waterfront you do not notice the effect of the American bombings. Instead you come to a rather shabby dock-like structure which has not been damaged, but needs repair badly. A large clock points eternally to ten minutes of ten. The hands are rusted. The dock leads through an archway into a building which must have been a customs house of some kind, but now is the station of Shore Patrols and Military Police. Through the archway and through the building walk hundreds of American sailors. Into the streets of Sasebo, on the island of Kyushu in the Empire of Iapan, walk the boys of this ship and other ships, who, several years ago, thought that a trip to the nearest large city was a great event. The street winds onward into 'the city. On sunny days, there is a Hne, gritty dust on the road. On wet days the dust turns into twenty times its volume of mud. in t at 1 ..,. , . gp p, . 5 -, ' V 'A ' E rms .. - - ,lf A 'Q-wavy' I -Af -' X Q .E a 'mf -aa. Y-ff ,f-21 f ,. ' us ew , ,,,,,. V ,. ....fE.jI., 1 f V 4, rxiygiww ff ,, 'Nwuma www . ., aff' ..fr7 'fl?' ' ,...,..,w M ,f f59fv ' 0 N. :wit , fx O- ' 4, '- .. ,, uw. .Z , AU' A 'Z -if 'Ch-A ' ' V 1- ' ,vm-.1 QQ.. THE LIBERTY LANDING AREA 35 i 4 Near the waterfront there are no Iapanese. But on the winding, slowly uphill climb into town they are to be met, women, old men, and many young children. The young men are absent, not having been demobilized. Amazingly, most of the people smile at the Americans. You wonder what sort of people they are. The women and old men smile humbly, like people who wish to be forgiven. The little boys salute you with a wide grin and remind you of the kid brother who brags on you and Wants you to go out to see him play baseball with his gang. The little girls titter and run when you speak to them. You are more than amazedg you are aston-

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ished. You realize the tremendous prestige Amer- ica must have in this proverty striken land. But you remember, by and by, that the fanatics who fought against you are still in the army. Perhaps old people and children are alike all over the world, and these are all you see. The women wear slacks as a rule, very loose and baggy in the seat. They prefer not to have their pictures taken, it is considered indecent in Iapan for a woman to appear in a snapshot. But they realize that when in a city the Romans have con- quered, one can not help doing somewhat as the Romans do. The modern young ladies will some- times pose, but the older ones usually decline. The children pose eagerly and keep trying to edge into pictures where they are not wanted. There are many ruins in Sasebo. It is impossible to tell whether they were homes or factories be- cause nothing but Hat rubble is left. But when you come upon a spot with hundreds of broken dishes, vases, and pots, lying in the debris you conclude a pottery shop must have stood there. Sasebo lies in a valley somewhat like the towns of West Vir- ginia, and the part that is lowest, near the winding v - s r'l'tfcsc y lyyy sq, s s ,, y .s,, up ai., I, . g 65 -f ' I , 24 . izff,,,45g , A STOREHOUSE AT THE NAVAL AIR STATION river, is blown to pieces, while the residential dis- trict of the sloping hillsides is left untouched. These houses seem crowded, poor and ill venti- lated. Every one that has any space around it has its garden, still growing here in October, with a number of strange-looking vegetables. There is not much to buy in Sasebo. One shop, set up in the second floor of a ruined building, is well patronized by Americans. Here you can buy tasteful art objects at little expense. xli- 3 .0 is ZEKE IS IN BAD SHAPE