THE SQUADRON PULSE
For the Men of the Fightin’ 3rd. Published in Atsugi, Honshu, Japan
VOL 2 NO 4 Weekly SPECIAL 3rd Airdrome Squadron, APO
[The APO number is missing because there was not
yet an army post office (“APO”) in Japan. - Ed.]
[cartoon caption and labels:
WELL, THIS IS IT, MEN.
WE’VE DONE A LOT OF
LEAPIN’ SINCE BRISBANE---
NOW FOR THAT BIG
LEAP---STATESIDE!
JAPAN
IE SHIMA
LUZON
LEYTE
NEW GUINEA
AUSTRALIA]
3RD WITH FIRST TROOPS TO OCCUPY JAPAN!
3RD SETS UP ATSUGI STRIP OPERATIONS:
TWO DAYS LATER WHEN 11th AIRBORNE LANDS,
JOHN T. GOODMAN TELLS THEM, “EVERYTHING IS SECURED.”
ATSUGI, August 28, 1945---(SPECIAL)-----
En route from Okinawa, most everybody in the Advanced Echelon wondered...wondered how the Japs would respond and if there would be ack ack. All fears, however, were erased when the first transport flew over the Tokyo Bay area. Instead of flak, humble white flags waved over each gun emplacement---nerves loosened---the Japs were sincere about surrendering.
Work started the moment the planes landed. Oil drums had to be unloaded...planes refueled...communications set up. Losing narry a minute, Bull’s Boys [referring to Dwight Bull? - Ed.] erected their proud and now world-famous sign in front of the control tower. Photographers had a field day taking its picture...even Gen MacArthur stopped and glanced. Inside, however, Bull, Arnold, Beck, Callahan, Frank Bennett, Bulger and Baird were working like mad---even though they weren’t mad at anybody. Much credit goes to Launi, Mosely, Votto and Scurich too for their untiring job at Heavy Refueling. Fact is, no one goes without credit. Every man did his job and moreso. The Pulse salutes the men of the Advanced Echelon....
Of course the 3rd didn’t stand short either. Cappie was greeted by Lt Gen Romanof of the USSR and presented a card...vehicles were to be had by everybody...everything from a bus to a hearse. [It is unclear who Cappie might have been. A previous issue (May 5, 1945) mentions a M/Sgt Caplan, but later in this issue (“THE GRAPEVINE” article) there is mention of a S/Sgt “Cappie,” which is a lower rank. Either they are different people or the newsletter staff got the rank wrong in one of these places. According to the letters, it was common for soldiers to wear t-shirts in the tropical climate, rather than Army uniform shirts with stripes on them, so it was easy to confuse a sergeant’s exact rank.]
As a special gesture of the apologetic Jap gov’t to the Conquerors, hot and fancy meals were served. Here, Major Mitchell had an embarrassing moment. He had a saucer of peach juice which he wanted to consume in the worst way, but was without a spoon. Fearing a faux pas, he ordered coffee hoping in this manner he would get a spoon. The coffee never came. Pete Bender also had a blushing moment, whereupon shouting to someone, a correspondent turned and asked if he were a PW.
For more complete details see next issue [of the] PULSE
MAJOR MITCHELL COMMENDS all members of Advanced Echelon party to Atsugi Airdrome, for efficiency and effort in performance of duties under trying circumstances....
SQUADRON PULSE
VOL 2 NO 4 Special Edition
Editor . . . . . . . . Pfc. Stringfield
Staff Writer . . . . . . . Cpl. Calkins
First Army Newspaper in Japan....
IT IS OUR HONOR
We are indeed honored by the Supreme Command’s selection of the 3rd Airdrome Squadron as the initial Air Corps unit to occupy Japan. The squadron on the whole and even the blatant PULSE are at a loss for words to express the deep feeling of honor and pride. As a token of our sincere thanks, we promise the quickest and most thorough fulfillment of whatever hard and unknown tasks that remain before us.
These are not idle words. To realize them more fully, one need only to glance at the 3rd’s annals of the past 28 months & see firsthand its illustrious saga of achievement from Brisbane to Atsugi.
The 3rd did not fail when the going was tough; they shall not fail in the making of peace.
Members of the 3rd of the Advance Echelon are wondering anxiously if Tokyo Rose will keep her (whistle whistle) promise she made a couple months ago. [It is unknown what “promise” Tokyo Rose made which would have prompted a “whistle” response. Few transcripts or recordings of the Japanese radio programs featuring female radio announcers, collectively referred to as “Tokyo Rose,” survive. None of the ones I’ve seen fit this scenario. - Ed.]
Every effort is being made to have the PULSE be the first army newspaper published In Japan. To speed things up a little, it was decided that August 26th & Sept 2nd issues be combined.
MY DAZE by r.v. calkins
IKAGA DESU KA??
["How is it?" - Ed.]
Until 24 August, Japanese was spoken by about 70 million people. On that day, however, the number rose sharply, since the 3rd received TM 30-611 JAPANESE PHRASE BOOK, a War Dept publication. A few minutes after books began circulating, the area was a babble of strange and unusual sounds. An average U.S. citizen would have been amazed and bewildered. So would an average Jap, probably. Anyhow, most everybody threw himself into Nippon-go with a real Bushido spirit.
The book has been provided with Pronunciation, Hepburn Spelling & Japanese Writing. The pronunciation column is very useful. Mr. Hepburn (or Miss, if it really was Katharine, like Hritsko said) didn’t do so well in his column, putting in a lot of u’s & i’s that aren’t pronounced, apparently trying to make it look Oriental. Mr. Hepburn’s spelling can be ignored completely. Most useful is the “Japanese Writing” column. In fact, all you have to do is mark the phrases you want answered, hand the book to a Jap and he will mark the answers for you. That is, you hope he will do that. He may possibly take off with the book, since it would be a handy way for him to learn English.
Phrases for all occasions are covered; anything from capturing prisoners to a tea party. Should you ever come across a Jap with democratic tendencies, that you think can be molded into a peace-loving citizen, the following phrases can be used. (Page 14) Notice the true American friendliness: “What is your name? Glad to meet you. Please come in! Please sit down. Sit down! Here. There. Make yourself comfortable. Will you have cigarette? Do you have a light? Are you hungry? Thirsty?” When he leaves:
“Good-by. See you again. See you later. See you tomorrow. See you soon. Good luck.”
If the JAPANESE PHRASE BOOK doesn’t help you much, simply yell very loudly in English and wave your arms. Anybody should understand that.
THE GRAPEVINE
So far S/Sgt “Cappie” has received no less than three telegrams from home, all of which wished him a speedy return. (States-side) Maybe they haven’t heard of the “emergency.” Recently it superseded “Duration plus 6.” [Initial enlistment into the Army was "for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months." - Ed.]
REMEMBER INFLATION: Don’t pay big prices for souvenirs, sake, laundry or bibu [literally "tail" in Japanese - Ed.]. Don’t forget we are KONK KOR ORS....Also don’t forget to pay the convention dues.
CREDIT: goes to Earl Sargent for his good work in the projection booth.
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