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Post by Super on May 22, 2016 12:49:56 GMT -5
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Post by oldtimer on May 23, 2016 11:54:30 GMT -5
Super Super..... Good story.......Hers one I might have told before, but worth repeating..... Exhausted on both sides there was a lull in the terrible battle of the Shuri Castle Line where there was a combined 15,000 casualty toll...Both sides needed a rest...A supply truck drove up and the driver asked for me by name...I was located...He told me a hometown friend who was a Medic at a Japanese prison tent a few miles back heard our platoon was in the area and would if possible like to contact me...I asked for and received permission to make the short trip back, but I must be back before sunset.....The Medic was Matt I......who lived only a short block away and was a school time buddy... The supply truck drove me back about 5 miles, and the driver pointed out the prison tent a couple of hundred yards away in a small clearance...I thanked hi and walked to the tent...Upon entering Matt ran over and greeted me, and started to show me around...There were about 75 prisoners most who were mostly bedridden...They were in terrible condition...Some did not weigh 60 lbs, other were vomiting up worms and others had eyes closed which were puss ridden...Matt told me that most had been pulled from caves... Along side us was a prisoner who Matt introduced me to and told me he was a Japanese Sgt. that he spoke perfect English and Matt used him as a go between himself and the other prisoners...I introduced myself and knew immediately the Sgt. was a extra sharp person... We spent the rest of the day with Matt attending and horsing around with the prisoners...I also noticed two armed soldiers patrolling outside the tent...I said goodbye to Matt and the Sgt. and caught a ride back to my outfit... Fast forward........When the war ended I returned home...After a few months I had a beer or two with Matt who told me he had received a letter from the Japanese Sgt. who asked about me...They started mailing letters to each other every month or so with the Japanese Sgt. seldom missed asking about me.... This letter writing went on for years...The Sgt. wrote of getting married, having children etc...In about 2008 the letters stopped...About a year later Matt received a letter from the Japanese Sgts. daughter.....She wrote her father had died and while sorting her fathers things she found a box containing Matt's and her fathers letters...Her father had kept the correspondence a secret for over 60 years...Why I don't know and can only guess.... I knew the sports writer for the local paper and one day while having a few beers I related this story...He told it to a feature writer who investigated and wrote a front page story on it that blossomed to other papers... To my knowledge Matt is still alive...and this tale taught me that we are all not so far apart no matter the differences  |
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Post by ic59 on May 23, 2016 17:51:40 GMT -5
Super, OT, thanks to you both. Great stories.
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Post by Super on Jul 1, 2016 12:59:38 GMT -5
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Post by oldtimer on Jul 1, 2016 16:56:29 GMT -5
Super.....That is a rare sighting this far south, but there was a time many years ago when the north end of New Rochelle was sparsely populated and mostly farms and woodlands...When assigned to patrol that area rarely a tour went by that a wild animal such as a deer, fox, wolf, coyote, bear,I did not see or was assigned ro investigate...I also remember a occasional Moose that had wandered down the parkways edge into somebodies back yard...They are a unpredictable animal when aroused will charge..... There was one call that I did not like to respond...That is a report of a snake seen in a home...I did not like them then or now...  |
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Post by ic59 on Jul 1, 2016 22:05:29 GMT -5
OT, on TV, when that happens the officer responds, "I can't hear you. You're breaking up, but suggest you call Animal Control".  |
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Post by oldtimer on Jul 2, 2016 11:20:58 GMT -5
OT, on TV, when that happens the officer responds, "I can't hear you. You're breaking up, but suggest you call Animal Control". [/quote]59 59..........There was a time as a young officer when our radio transmission was unreliable, and you often missed a call by being in a area that reception was poor.....We got to know these areas, and so did our Sgts. who advised us to spend as much time away from there as we could... We had over 50 call boxes in the city...They are no longer in use...When assigned to a foot patrol before we had two way radios you always kept a Traffic signal device within view...At headquarters the dispatchers in a emergency would push a signal button which would set in a flashing motion your areas traffic lights...You immediately went to a call box to receive the message...If you failed to see the signal, you would have to explain why not.......Foot patrols were dangerous as you were all alone without radio or immediate help...Knowing that the Sector cars would always check with you as much as possible...... A Humane Society Officer would response to assist when possible for Animal related calls... And I promise to get into serious Iona Basketball talk as soon as official practice starts...  |
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