The US Navy Japanese/Oriental Language School Archival Project
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The US Navy Japanese/Oriental Language School Archival Project The Interpreter Archives, University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries Number 183 Remember September 11, 2001 [email protected] May 1, 2013 Our Mission my way to Dulag with some Issues #47, #68A*, #137 and important papers, but both #138.The memorial in #137 and In the Spring of 2000, the surface and air transportation #138 about J. Harry Bennett, Archives continued the origi- were impossible. I made up my taken from a UT website, was nal efforts of Captain Roger mind to hike the 20 miles or so, written by Professor Braisted Pineau and William Hudson, and try to work my way around USS Freemont, APA 44 and two other faculty.]. I taught and the Archives first at- the base of the cliff which stood Far Eastern history for forty-six tempts in 1992, to gather the athwart the road and which was At that time I noticed that I years at the University of Texas papers, letters, photographs, still occupied by enemy snipers. was in a continuing state of History Department. My chief and records of graduates of So I picked up a carbine, started excitement, with stream-of- Japanese work was the Meiroku the US Navy Japanese/ off down the dusty road. I went consciousness manic thought Zasshi. I also have written three Oriental Language School, by a shell of a church, being used processes, and sleeplessness, all naval history volumes on the University of Colorado at as a field hospital, and remember of which seemed to have become Navy in the Pacific and China. Boulder, 1942-1946. We acute just when I came on board. how Filipino guerrillas held up William R. Braisted assemble these papers in At any rate, on the seventh day, I their fingers in the “V” for JLS 5/43- recognition of the contribu- victory sign. suffered a psychotic episode Professor of History Emeritus during which I took all my tions made by JLS/OLS I saw a cloud of dust on the University of Texas instructors and graduates to road in back of me just as I was clothes off and was about to leap the War effort in the Pacific approaching the trouble spot. I overboard when someone and the Cold War, to the immediately threw myself into grabbed me. I slipped in and out creation of East Asian concealment alongside the road, of consciousness, and the next language programs across day (November 7) was brought and then saw that it was a the country, and to the aboard the hospital ship Hope in convoy, consisting of a jeep and development of Japanese- a couple of trucks carrying GIs a stretcher. I was at the base American cultural rec- armed with rifle-grenades. Their hospital (No. 17 TRIM) in onciliation programs after commanding officer invited me Hollandia, New Guinea until the th World War II. aboard the jeep, and we waited 25 , when I was placed aboard while the troops cleaned out the the USS Mizar, for The Reminiscences Japanese. Then I delivered to transportation back to the United States…. of Donald Sigurdson Willis Corps HQ the documents I brought from 6th Army. Donald S. Willis [Donald S. Willis passed in 2009. JLS 1943 I saw our plane shoot down This is an excerpt of a longer an enemy plane, and then get [Ed. Note: This is a great story! I memoir.] wish I had received it for a far shot down by our own gunners. “Graduation Day” in front of The Navy Chapter (1943-45) Once however, I saw Major earlier printing. I pulled the photos Little Theater, Boulder, 5–27-44 – from the web, in order to spruce up Richard Bong’s squadron of P- identified are Phil Burchill, the tale.] Hammond Rolph, and Frank 38s fly through a solid wall of _______________ Tucker, Pineau, 28_06_00_07, flack without getting hit! AUCBL. Burnt Orange JLSer After 9 days of this running back and forth with “Messages [Ed. Note: As you will read in the Enclosed, you will find one to Garcia”, I was called to next issue, William Braisted was a memoir and one biography that Navy Brat whose father sailed with intelligence duties aboard the 7th you might like for deposit in the the US Asiatic Fleet, so he was an Fleet’s USS Fremont, and Oriental Language School RIC, and was a student at the interrogated one survivor each Archival Project. I attended the Shanghai American School. I though from battleships sunk during the I’d include the above shot of his Language School from May battle of Surigao Straits (one was three JLS/OLS friends graduating in 1943 until December 1943 as a the Yamashiro, I remember), May of 1944. We will be happy to Naval Agent. But I was let out along with the Captain, include some of Professor Braisted’s because I was 4F in the Draft. Executive Officer, and Gunnery stories, starting with this one. His There were six wonderful short memoir is included in a larger Officer from a destroyer. One of months during which I met work on UT faculty entitled Burnt Signpost at Tacloban them admitted for the first time wonderful classmates who Orange Britannia, from whence I that Japan had lost the war. became lifelong friends: drew this title.] (Cont’d) [At Tacloban, on Leyte _______________ The wardroom of the in October 1944] One night a Hammond Rolph, Frank Tucker, Fremont had two record sets I and Phil Burchill. Henry Warten typhoon struck, the next morning got acquainted with for the first the beech was littered with the You included a UT colleague Henry Warten, b: April 11, 1910 time: Dvořák’s Violin Concerto, of mine, J. Harry Bennett, in The wreckage of small craft and the and Duke Ellington’s “St. Louis in Athens, AL - enlisted in 1942 bodies of drowned sailors [This Interpreter. Perhaps you would with the US Marine Corps Toodle-oo”. I played them while like to include something about must have been the same we were under “Red Alert” on Reserve as a Japanese Language typhoon that scattered Halsey’s me, drawn from the enclosed Instructor with the rank of Staff one occasion [not exactly [Professor Braisted was fleet]. I was expected to make General Quarters]. Sergeant. Later he received a mentioned and has letters in commission as a First Lieutenant and attended the Navy School of In 1974, Hare Krishna and the years, Martha Winn Darden of the Pacific during World War II. Oriental Language. Counterculture was published. Groves, TX; a son, Winn Darden He received Japanese language http://www.chenowethsite.com/chen Among the book chapters and and his wife, Kim of Simi training at the Naval Language war.htm articles that he wrote were Valley, CA; daughters, Julie School in Boulder, Colo., and _______________ several that were seminal in the Darden and Ginny Darden served for a time in postwar New Religious field of New Religious Nelson, both of Houston, TX; Japan [JLS 1944]. Movements Collection Movements. sisters, Joann D. Johnson of He was a 1935 summa cum Created by Dr. Judah died on October 9, Littleton, CO and Valrie D. laude graduate of Lehigh 2000. Bullington of Abilene, TX; and University, where he was elected J. Stillson Judah The collection pertains almost several nieces and nephews. to Phi Beta Kappa, and a 1938 At the Graduate Theological exclusively to the New Religious Houston Chronicle cum laude graduate of Harvard Union Archives Movements. There is a small University Law School. 6/14/2009 J. Stillson Judah was born on amount of personal material that Mr. Efron had served on the reflects Dr. Judah's interest in [Ed. Note: Another Enlisted Marine board of governors of the July 7, 1911 in Leavenworth, Linguist, like Irwin Slesnick and Cal WA. He received an A.B. in tennis and ballroom dancing. Dunbar.] International Club, was a trustee The 1994 interview is contained _______________ of Meridian House International Philosophy and Oriental Studies in the personal material. This and had served on the advisory from the University of Lawyer Washington in 1934 and did his interview is Dr. Judah’s life committee of the Center for history in his own words. Biomedical Ethics at the graduate work at the University Samuel Efron University of Virginia. His other of California, Berkeley in both Biography taken from Dies at 81 1940-1941 and in 1966-1969. He New Religious Movements Collection memberships included the Army Focused on International received his Library Certificate Finding aid & Navy, Cosmos, Harvard and http://www.oac.cdlib.org/data/13030 Matters Lehigh clubs in Washington. from the University of California in 1941. He served in Japan from /zf/kt0g5022zf/files/kt0g5022zf.pdf Samuel Efron, 81, a Washington Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Hope Newman Efron 1945-46 as Japanese language [Ed Note: There are comments about international lawyer who was of interpreter for the 5th Fleet. counsel to the law firm of Arent, of Washington; two sons, Marc, Judah, OLS 1945, in issues #70, #71, of Chevy Chase, and Eric, of San In 1941-1969, he served at $116, and #123. I placed an obituary Fox, Kintner, Plotkin & Kahn, the librarian at the Pacific School in #71, but this treatment is far more died January 4, 1997 at Sibley Antonio; and twin grandsons. of Religion in Berkeley, CA. He complete. The previous obit did not Memorial Hospital after bladder was the editor and compiler of include a birth or death date, among surgery. He lived in Washington. The Washington Post other things.] January 05, 1997 Index to Religious Periodical He came to Washington and _______________ Metro; Pg.