The US Navy Japanese/Oriental Language School Archival Project The Interpreter Archives, University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries Number 133 Remember September 11, 2001 [email protected] March 1, 2008 Our Mission some other experience, but that or bitterness. When we arrived in Graduated from Detroit is not the way it was for me. On Kyushu, the people weren't University in 1944. He was a In the Spring of 2000, the Sunday, December 7, 1941, I exactly friendly, but they retired Lt. (jg) in the U.S. Navy, Archives continued the origi- was getting ready to graduate certainly weren't hostile. That attended Oriental Language nal efforts of Captain Roger from college and on that day the didn't particularly surprise me. School for Japanese in Boulder, Pineau and William Hudson, attack on Pearl Harbor happened. CO, and worked for the Office of and the Archives first at- I started looking around - no What was your first impression? Naval Intelligence. His vocation tempts in 1992, to gather the heroism in it - at ways to get My impressions were varied. As in life was working as an papers, letters, photographs, through the war in relative safety far as the Japanese were astronautical engineer. He and records of graduates of and comfort, and I came across concerned, I thought they were enjoyed sailing, computers and the US Navy Japanese/ the Japanese language, rather marvelous in the way they his home in Wisconsin's north Oriental Language School, specifically the Navy Japanese- very quickly shook off the shock woods. University of Colorado at language school. That was the of it all and went to work. That The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Boulder, 1942-1946. We beginning of it. Up till that point, time in Sasebo in Kyushu was March 21, 2003 assemble these papers in I had no interest in Japan what really convinced me I _______________ recognition of the contribu- whatsoever. should make a career of tions made by JLS/OLS Japanese. It was the behavior of Otis Cary, 84; instructors and graduates to How did you learn Japanese? the Japanese that convinced me the War effort in the Pacific Navy Linguist It was a revolutionary way in that the country would amount to and the Cold War, to the those days and hasn't changed something again one day. I did (Cont‘d) Cary organized a group creation of East Asian much since. The service not foresee an economic miracle, of POWs to assist in writing language programs across language school assumed that it but I saw that the language was propaganda and surrender the country, and to the was possible for us to learn worth studying. (to be cont‘d) leaflets. According to Straus, the development of Japanese- Japanese. Before the war, it had Edward Seidensticker group's most important American cultural rec- been assumed that only the JLS 1943 contribution was its swift onciliation programs after Japanese could learn Japanese - a JAL inflight magazine translation of the Potsdam World War II. ridiculous assumption. But the January 2003 Declaration, the July 1945 Navy language school said we _______________ Edward Seidensticker statement drafted by three Allied could, providing we had a John P. Wamser leaders — Harry S. Truman, A Direct Translator reasonable amount of ability and Winston Churchill and Chiang intelligence. They taught what OLS 1945 (J) When it comes to Japanese Kai-Shek — that delineated the literary translation there are few was called the natural method. Wamser, John P. Friday, March terms for Japan's surrender. who enjoy the reputation of We didn't learn grammar, but 21, 2003 Wamser, John P. Age The document had been Edward Seidensticker. From his learned from speaking and 83 of Milwaukee. Born to suppressed by the Japanese consummate translation of the listening, the way a child does. Eternal Life on Tues. March 18, government, so Cary's POWs eleventh-century classic Tale of I'm not sure it's a very valid 2003. Beloved husband of 58 translated it for dissemination in Genji by Murasaki Shikibu theory, but it was a good school, years and best friend of Mary leaflets dropped from B-29s all through to his efforts with such probably the best I've ever been Louise (nee Oltman) for 71 over the country. The leaflets modern masters as Jun'ichiro in. By the end of 14 months, we years. Loving father of Catherine dispelled widespread fears in Tanizaki and the Nobel Prize- were able to read a newspaper. Ann (Bob Fitzpatrick) Schneider, Japan that the surrender terms winning Yasunari Kawabata, Before the war, that would have Margaret Louise (Milt) would be excessively punitive Seidensticker has done more been thought impossible. The Klingsporn, and Brian Peter and put pressure on the Japanese than most to spread the Army required its language (Becky). Proud grandfather of government to accept the popularity of Japanese literature students to be soldiers, but the Carolyn Lewis, Lisa Gill, Karen declaration a few weeks later. abroad. But as well as being a Navy didn't require anything of Welniak Jamiola, Laura Cary's influence was so translator, he is also an author us. Except that we study Vasquez, Jonathan Schneider, strong, Straus said, that his name of considerable merit, and his Japanese. It was complete Tiffany Wamser and Jonathan "was the only one cited books he has written about concentration on one subject, Wamser. Dear great-grandfather repeatedly" by many former Japan have won wide critical which is not how most of Kelsey Gill, Mackenzie Gill, POWs years later in written acclaim. The scholar talks to universities work. And we Deborah Lewis, and Hayley accounts of their wartime Jonathan Watts. worked on it steadily without Jamiola. Fond brother of Odile captivity. For many of the relief. Mary Fleissner and brother-in- prisoners, Cary was the one who How did you first come to law of Eleanore Wamser. Also brought their families the news Japan? What were your feelings towards survived by many other relatives that they were alive. I was with the Occupation, with Japan before you came? and loving friends. Preceding Ingrained with the ancient the Marine Corps. I was a I was always very suspicious of him in death were two brothers samurai code that it was a Japanese-language officer and propaganda and therefore the and one sister; Edwin Joseph disgrace to be taken prisoner, was ordered to come to Kyushu anti-Japanese propaganda had Wamser, Robert George many of the Japanese POWs in September 1945. Others have the opposite effect on me. It Wamser, and Bernice Elizabeth wanted to be thought dead. Their inspirational stories about seeing convinced me that they couldn't Graham. Graduated from government felt the same way cherry blossom in bloom or be that bad. I didn't feel hostility Messmer High School in 1937. and sent death notices to their families. When Cary was however, and when he had an Harvard alum, may have been not a good counterfeiter. There assigned to duty with the Allied opportunity to join a Denver firm the first to throw a makeshift has to be a spiritual bond occupation, he carried many he jumped at the chance, and in Frisbee at CU Boulder. Many between the translation and the letters from POWs back to due course became a partner. have been thrown here since.] original work, which means the Japan, often delivering the I believe it was sometime in Robert R. Brown translator must like the original missives after the families had the early 1970's that Lee Perry OLS 1945 work. But if someone tells you held their funerals. [JLS '43] [I have been unable to _______________ your translation is better than the One of the letters went to the find LeRoy B. Perry] called to original, you should consider it family of Isamu Nakano, a tell me that Bill had died - victim Edward Seidensticker an insult because that is not what Japanese naval officer captured of a drunk driver, as I recall. The A Direct Translator you're supposed to be doing. in Guam. After the war, Cary archives of the Denver Post must (Cont‘d) How did you move into You are not supposed to be helped him get a job at Doshisha, have details of the incident, The translation? improving. where he served as caretaker of last address I have for his widow On my second visit to Japan, I Amherst House for 25 years. He [I will look her up and see if I stayed in Tokyo until 1962. I Do you check with the authors is now 93 and living in Kyoto. can enlist her]. was several things: a graduate when you depart from their "Otis changed my dad's life," PS: To add further confusion student at the University of original? said Nakano's son, Takaharu, an to the Columbia song issue, I Tokyo, I taught at Sophia It's useless because authors don't international business consultant submit that the song most University and I did a little like to talk about their work. At in Kyoto. "He saw hope in identified with Columbia is freelance translation and writing. least the ones I have known best following this man and believed ―‗Roar, Lion, Roar"..." for Alma The first long translation I did don't like to talk about their his life would be changed. We Mater on the Hudson shore". work. I never asked Tanizaki was a scholarly thing that could have been very much blessed Paul E. Hauck not be called professional - a about anything, but it was very because of his help to my dad." JLS 1943 diary from the tenth century.