848TH ACW SQDN 511TH ACW GROUP

                     OKUSHIRI SHIMA SITE 29

                                            by NICK GUALLILLO

                            A SHORT HISTORY OF THE EARLY DAYS

                               ( FEB 1952 THROUGH SPRING OF 1953)

THE SITE WAS LOCATED ATOP THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN (585 M) ON THE ISLAND OF OKUSHIRI SOME 20 MILES WEST OF HOKKAIDO IN THE SEA OF JAPAN. (AS THE CROW FLIES)

THE MOUNTAIN TOP WAS PREVIOUSLY UNINHABITED AND QUITE REMOTE, THE VILLAGE OF OKUSHIRI BEING SOME 6 MILES AWAY BY A WINDING MUDDY MOUNTAIN ROAD THAT WAS AT TIMES ONLY ACCESSIBLE BY BULLDOZER, BEING ABLY DRIVEN BY OUR J/N CATSKINNER TAKAHASHI.

THE SITE WAS BUILT BY JAPANESE LABORERS, A NUMBER OF WHICH WERE CONVICTS, OR EX CONVICTS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MR. WARD, THE CONTRACTOR SUPERINTENDENT WHO LIVED IN OTARU AND WHO HAD A JAPANESE WIFE THERE.

ONE LIVING QUARTER AND THE SUPPLY WAREHOUSE WERE QUONSET HUTS AND THE COMBINATION MESS HALL, DAYROOM, BAR, AND ORDERLY ROOMS WERE MADE OF WHAT WAS CALLED TROPICAL PRE-FABBED BUILDINGS MADE FROM WHAT LOOKED LIKE PRESS BOARD. OTHER BUILDINGS WERE FRAME WITH TILE ROOFS. OUR MAIN J/N KP AND BAR-TENDER WAS NICK-NAMED "CHIBI", FOR TINY, AND HE ALWAYS HAD A SMILING FACE, AND FRIENDLY ATTITUDE. ANNOTHER J/N KP WAS FOUND TO BE A COMMUNIST, (SPY???),AND SUMMARILYL FIRED.

THE FIRST GI'S WHO COMMISSIONED THE SITE ARRIVED BY LST, (LANDING RIGHT ON THE BEACH), AROUND FEBRUARY OF 1952. THEY BROUGHT THE SCR 270 RADAR WITH THEM AS WELL AS EVERYTHING ELSE NEEDED TO ESTABLISH A FULLY OPERATIONAL RADAR SITE.

THE FIRST SITE COMMANDER WAS CAPT. JEHLI, AND THE ADJUTANT WAS 1ST LT. McKINNEY ??( SPELLING). TO VIEW  THE ORIGINAL MANNING ROSTER CLICK HERE. THE 511TH ROSTER HAS A MCKENZIE , DELMAR D, LISTED AS BEING ON SITE 29. THE NEXT COMMANDER WAS CAPT. ORVILLE BROTHERS, SOON FOLLOWED BY CAPT. NORMAN WALTERS AND THEN ADJUTANT 2nd LT. NOEL WALTHERS.

CAPT. JEHLI RETIRED AS A COLONEL AND IS DECEASED. NO RECORD HAS BEEN FOUND OF THE OTHER OFFICERS, EXCEPT FOR NOEL WALTHERS WHO ATTENDED THE 1997 REUNION IN COLORADO SPRINGS. THERE WAS ONE MORE CO AFTER CAPT. WALTERS DURING THIS TIME FRAME . HE WAS A CAPT. MILLER, WHO HAS BEEN FOUND. AN RCA TECH REP, MR. CONNORS WAS ALSO ABOARD DURING THIS TIME, TO ASSIST IN THE INSTALLATION OF THE RADAR SET, FOLLOWED BY A PHILCO TECH REP NAMED McLAIN OR SOME THING LIKE THAT. (McLEAN???)

TR McLAIN HAD THE HONOR OF COMING UP WITH AN IDEA TO CLEAR THE FREQUENTLY CLOGGED COMMODES. HE STUCK A CO2 FIRE EXTINGUSHIER DOWN THE HOLE, AND BLASTED. IT WORKED VERY WELL. HE SUBMITTED A SUGGESTION REGARDING THIS PROCEEDURE TO 511th HQ WHICH WAS TURNED DOWN, AND GOT OUR HERO INTO SOME FAIRLY SERIOUS TROUBLE FOR MISUSE OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT. WHAT THE HELL, IT WORKED, AND WAS SURREPTIOUSLY USED BY THE TROOPS AFTER THAT WHEN REQUIRED.THIS WAS A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE!! ( A TERM SORT OF UNHEARD OF IN THOSE DAYS).

THE SITE WAS BUZZED BY ENEMY MIGS A NUMBER OF TIMES, AND CAPT. WALTERS MADE SOME UNAUTHORIZED LOW LEVEL PASSES IN HIS B26 JUST TO CHEER UP THE TROOPS.

THE 50 CALIBER MACHINE GUNS AND BROWNING AUTOMATIC RIFLE WERE BROKEN OUT AND WE SHOT SOME TREES DOWN (TO GET A BETTER VIEW), BUT NEVER DID GET TO SHOOT AT THE MIGS.

PARTY TIME WAS FAIRLY OFTEN AND FAIRLY WILD, THE ONE I REMEMBER BEST WAS CAPT. WALTERS SWINGING FROM THE RAFTERS, A GREAT TIME WAS HAD BY ALL! (THAT MAY OF BEEN HIS GOING AWAY PARTY).

THERE WERE R AND R TRIPS TO OKUSHIRI MACHI (TOWN), FAIRLY FREQUENTLY. SOME OF THE GUYS HAD GIRL FRIENDS THEY IMPORTED TO THE ISLAND, COST OF A RENTED ROOM OR TWO, WAS I THINK, ONE CARTON OF AMERICAN CIGARETTES PER MONTH. THERE WERE FEW OTHER ESTABLISHMENTS THAT THE GI'S FREQUENTED. ONE PLACE WE JUST CALLED PAPA SANS HOUSE, HE MADE THE BEST FRIED RICE AROUND AND THAT'S WHERE THE GI'S USUALLY ATE, HE HAD TWO CUTE GIRLS WHO WORKED FOR HIM, MARIKO AND AIKO, THEY SERVED UP THE NIPPON BIRU, TO MY KNOWLEDGE NONE OF THE TROOPS WERE ABLE TO GET CLOSE TO THESE GALS, NOT THAT THEY DIDN'T OFTEN TRY. ACROSS THE STREET WAS ANOTHER HOUSE OF SORTS, FORGOT THE NAME OF THE PRINCIPAL LADY, (JOKINGLY CALLED HER HORIKO). SHE WAS VERY KIND.

ONE WINTER DAY A BIG SNOWSTORM BLEW IN AND WE COULDN'T RETURN TO THE SITE. SHE PUT UP AT LEAST 6 OR 8 OF US ON FUTONS IN ONE LARGE ROOM FOR THE NIGHT AND DIDN'T EVEN ASK FOR PAYMENT. THERE WAS ONE OTHER PLACE DOWN THE STREET WHERE THE LESS FASTIDIOUS STRAYED OFF TO WHEN THEY WERE DESPERATE. (IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OFF-LIMITS). OLD DOC STRAHN WAS CALLED ON TO RENDER ASSISTANCE AFTER SOME OF THOSE VISITS.

OUR J/N INTERPRETER WAS MR. NISHIJIMA, WHO AT 83 YEARS OF AGE STILL TRAVELS FROM JAPAN TO ATTEND OUR REUNIONS. HE IS A WORLD WAR 2 HISTORIAN AND A WORLD TRAVELER, WHO HAS AUTHORED SEVERAL BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT.

THERE WERE FUN TRIPS TO CHITOSE EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE AS COURIER, OR FOR OTHER CONJURED UP REASONS. (ANYTHING TO GET OFF THE ROCK).

THE ISLAND WAS RE-SUPPLIED ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH, (WEATHER PERMITTING). BY AKL 29, AN MSTS VESSEL OPERATING OUT OF OTARU. IT HAD 2 AMERICAN CIVILIANS AND A SMALL CREW OF J/NS. THE AMERICAN CAPTAIN AND CHIEF ENGINEER ALWAYS SEEMED ANGRY AT THE WORLD. THE TRIP FROM OTARU TOOK AT LEAST 12 HOURS, AND THE GI'S TRAVELING BY THIS MEANS WERE CONFINED TO A STEEL BOX (DOG HOUSE) LASHED TO THE DECK, IT WAS NOT A LOT OF FUN. APPARENTLY AT ONE TIME VOYAGERS GOT TO STAY IN A REAL CABIN!

WHAT WAS FUN, AS I REMEMBERED, WAS THE TRIP FROM CHITOSE TO THE ISLAND VIA THE JNR AND RON STOP-OVER IN HAKODATE THEN CONTINUING TO ESASHI VIA JAPANESE RR, THEN FERRY, (READ THAT FISHING BOAT CARRYING A TRUCK OR TWO) . IT SEEMED LIKE THAT WAS ABOUT A 4 HOUR TRIP, THE BOAT WAS PROPELLED BY A FAIRLY LARGE SINGLE CYLINDER DIESEL ENGINE. I REMEMBER THEY STARTED IT BY FIRST HEATING UP THE CYLINDER HEAD WITH AN OPEN FLAME RING OF FIRE FROM A PROPANE TANK, THEN SPINNING OVER THE LARGE FLYWHEEL BY HAND, AND IT ALWAYS FIRED UP ON THE FIRST SPIN.

YOU COULD TELL WHEN YOU WERE GETTING CLOSE TO THE ISLAND, BY THE INTENSE SMELL, I'D GUESS 5 TO 10 MILES OFF SHORE, IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE STINK IN THE SUMMERTIME, THE ODOR OF MILLIONS OF DRYING SQUIDS, CAN NEVER FORGET IT. ONCE ON THE ISLAND FOR A WHILE, YOU GOT USED TO IT AND DIDN'T SEEM TO NOTICE IT.

MAIL WAS BROUGHT IN BY THE SITE COURIERS, THE PAYROLL OFFICER, OR WHOMEVER WAS RETURNING FROM CHITOSE, IT GOT OUT ABOUT THE SAME WAY, SPORADIC TO SAY THE LEAST.

ANYWAY, I FOR ONE HAD A GREAT TIME THERE, ROAMED ALL OVER THE MOUNTAIN, JUST ME AND MY SHOTGUN, BLASTING AT CROWS, GETTING TRAPPED IN SOME RAVINES I ALMOST NEVER GOT OUT OF, VISITING THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLAND WHERE NO GI HAD EVER BEEN, FINDING VERY FRIENDLY PEOPLE, WHO HAD VIRTUALLY NOTHING BUT WERE MORE THAN WILLING TO SHARE A WATERMELON OR CUP OF TEA WITH THE FOREIGNER. ONE TIME GETTING LOST AND ENDING UP IN THE COMMUNIST, OFF LIMITS TOWN OF AOANE AND HAVING TO HIKE BACK 13 MILES ALONG THE COAST ROAD TO OKUSHIRI TOWN, WHERE I CONTACTED THE SITE THROUGH THE JAPANESE POLICE TO THE SITE CO TO LET HIM KNOW I WAS ONLY LOST BUT NOT AWOL. CARRIED MY ENGLISH-JAPANESE DICTIONARY WHERE EVER I WENT, AND FINALLY AFTER 4 YEARS, DIDN'T NEED TO CARRY THE DICTIONARY WITH ME. AFTER, I DID DUTY IN WAKANAI, MISAWA, ERIMO-MISAKI, AND OMINATO, AND FUNAGAWA, BUT OKUSHIRI WAS THE FIRST AND THE BEST PLACE I REMEMBER VIVIDLY AFTER 46 YEARS AND FOR SURE WILL NEVER FORGET THE ISLAND AND THE COMRADES WHO SERVED THERE.

THANX TO DON WORMLIGHT AND JACK REARDON FOR INPUT TO THIS DATED HISTORICAL EFFORT, CAN NOT VOUCH FOR COMPLETE ACCURACY FOR MY PART, AS THE YEARS CLOUD THE MEMORIES, BUT THIS IS ABOUT THE WAY IT WAS, AS REMEMBERED.

TO VIEW A CURRENT ROSTER OF SITE 29 PERSONNEL PLEASE CLICK HERE. IF YOU NEED AND ADDRESS AND/OR PHONE NUMBER FOR ANY NAME, RETURN TO THE WEB SITE MAIN PAGE AND SEND AN EMAIL AS DIRECTED.

SITE 29 REUNION ATTENDEES:

1994 SAN ANTONIO TX- UNKNOWN

1995 NEW ORLEANS LA- ART DELEMUS

1996 DAYTON OH- ED DIXON, JACK REARDON,

NICK GUALILLO, ROLAND

SKINNER, JIM WALSH, BOB

MALASKI, MR. NISHIJIMA.

1997 COLORADO SPRINGS CO - ED DIXON, JACK

REARDON, SID TURNER, KEITH

DENIO, NICK GUALILLO, JOHN

HEINEMAN, LT. NOEL WALTHERS,

MR. NISHIJIMA.

1998 NASHVILLE TN- (ANTICIPATED) ED DIXON,

JACK REARDON, NICK GUALILLO,

DON WORMLIGHT, JOE BARBER,

BILL WOODALL, MR. NISHIJIMA.

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