INFAMY

Topics without replies are pruned every 365 days. Not moderated.

Moderator: Dux

User avatar

baffled
Sergeant Commanding
Posts: 8995
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 5:56 pm

Re: INFAMY

Post by baffled »

No war heroes in my family, but we've got (had) some witnesses to the attack.

My dad was 9 days shy of his 2nd birthday. His aunt, who later had an affair with my grandfather and become his step mom, was holding him out front of one of the family member's houses. They said the Japanese were flying so low they could see they didn't have their masks on. Don't know how true that was.

Great uncle Tommy was a janitor or like a building maintenance guy, and was working that day. My grandmother said the only thing he said was that he tried to help pull someone out of the water, and the skin came off the guy's arms he was burned so badly. Then he didn't really talk about it again. They were worried because it was like 3 days after the attack before he came home.

Great uncle Carl worked for the water company. Given his unfortunate ancestry and somewhat sensitive position of employment, he got locked up for a while. I have no clue if he was part of this timeline http://www.hawaiiinternment.org/timeline#year_1932 or what really happened. The family claimed he was pulled from the bathtub. No word on whether he was dragged out with his bits dangling or if he could get dressed first.

I guess a couple of my grandmother's other brothers just sat on one of their porches, smoked a few cigarettes and tried to watch as best as they could.

I'm fuzzy on the details given that a large, even part Portuguese family is tough to get an accurate story from and anyone who could answer a question is dead now, so....
"Gentle in what you do, Firm in how you do it"
- Buck Brannaman

User avatar

Topic author
Fat Cat
Jesus Christ®
Posts: 41334
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 4:54 pm
Location: 悪を根付かせるな

Re: INFAMY

Post by Fat Cat »

baffled wrote:No war heroes in my family, but we've got (had) some witnesses to the attack.
Image
Image
"I have longed for shipwrecks, for havoc and violent death.” - Havoc, T. Kristensen

User avatar

baffled
Sergeant Commanding
Posts: 8995
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 5:56 pm

Re: INFAMY

Post by baffled »

Fat Cat wrote:
baffled wrote:No war heroes in my family, but we've got (had) some witnesses to the attack.
Image
lulz

Six or so years ago when we were back to bury my grandmother, we went to the memorial. My mom asked, in a foggy moment I'm sure, if there were any Kanetas there. My dad just looked at her and said past Uncle Tommy, the rest were on the wrong side.
"Gentle in what you do, Firm in how you do it"
- Buck Brannaman

User avatar

Topic author
Fat Cat
Jesus Christ®
Posts: 41334
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 4:54 pm
Location: 悪を根付かせるな

Re: INFAMY

Post by Fat Cat »

I kid, I kid. A lot of Japanese families were split by that war.
Image
"I have longed for shipwrecks, for havoc and violent death.” - Havoc, T. Kristensen

User avatar

baffled
Sergeant Commanding
Posts: 8995
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 5:56 pm

Re: INFAMY

Post by baffled »

Fat Cat wrote:I kid, I kid. A lot of Japanese families were split by that war.
No worries. The Japanese side was pretty well disconnected from Japan at that point and, from what I could gather, could give a shit that Japan eventually got waxed.

My great grandfather was an Okinawan (strike one) who had tattoos on his upper arms. I'm guessing, given that he left Japan for Hawaii ~1905 or so (I think), that he hadn't exactly been the most honorable Samurai. He didn't leave any real sort of connection to Japan, so even though they were Japanese Hawaiians (and Japanese-Portuguese Hawaiians) they didn't really seem to give a damn that Japan eventually got waxed.

We don't even know what his real name was. I guess one of his tattoos read "Zentaro", which I understand simply means "first born son". That's what everyone called him, but as far as I know, it wasn't yet cool to get a tattoo of your own name.

I'm heading to my parent's place in a little while. I'll see if they have any pictures applicable to this thread that I can scan and put up here.
"Gentle in what you do, Firm in how you do it"
- Buck Brannaman

User avatar

Topic author
Fat Cat
Jesus Christ®
Posts: 41334
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 4:54 pm
Location: 悪を根付かせるな

Re: INFAMY

Post by Fat Cat »

Image
"I have longed for shipwrecks, for havoc and violent death.” - Havoc, T. Kristensen

User avatar

Batboy2/75
Starship Trooper
Posts: 7670
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2005 3:58 am
Location: Pumping Elizebeth Shue's Ass!

Re: INFAMY

Post by Batboy2/75 »

I say we bomb Japan, just for good measure. What he'll, let's bomb S Korea while we are at it.
Arms are the only true badge of liberty. The possession of arms is the distinction of the free man from the slave.

I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.


Image

User avatar

baffled
Sergeant Commanding
Posts: 8995
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 5:56 pm

Re: INFAMY

Post by baffled »

Batboy2/75 wrote:I say we bomb Japan, just for good measure. What he'll, let's bomb S Korea while we are at it.
I really have no argument against this as long as we include Taiwan so the Chinese can't have it.
"Gentle in what you do, Firm in how you do it"
- Buck Brannaman


TerryB
Sergeant Commanding
Posts: 9697
Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2008 1:17 pm

Re: INFAMY

Post by TerryB »

baffled wrote: We don't even know what his real name was. I guess one of his tattoos read "Zentaro", which I understand simply means "first born son". That's what everyone called him, but as far as I know, it wasn't yet cool to get a tattoo of your own name.
I'm not sure about your relative's case, but it was pretty popular at that time to tattoo the names of a gay lover on your shoulder.
"Know that! & Know it deep you fucking loser!"

Image

User avatar

Topic author
Fat Cat
Jesus Christ®
Posts: 41334
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 4:54 pm
Location: 悪を根付かせるな

Re: INFAMY

Post by Fat Cat »

*covers PROTOBUILDER tattoo*
Image
"I have longed for shipwrecks, for havoc and violent death.” - Havoc, T. Kristensen

User avatar

Tom
Sarge
Posts: 168
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 11:42 am

Re: INFAMY

Post by Tom »

bump

User avatar

Texas Red
Lance Cpl.
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2013 4:49 pm

Re: INFAMY

Post by Texas Red »

Fantastic pics. My grandfather always told me he found out relatively late in the day (he'd been out duck hunting), then enlisted in the Navy the next day.

As for Japan... I loved it during my time there. It seems a lot of older Japanese people (but not Okinawans) still sport a superiority complex, but it didn't really dampen the experience.

Whether or not Japan ever revives its martial nationalism remains to be seen. Considering the fact that they're risking a shooting war with China over unoccupied islands, it's not outside the realm of possibility: http://swampland.time.com/2013/12/02/wh ... ach-other/

User avatar

DARTH
Sergeant Commanding
Posts: 8427
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 7:42 pm

Re: INFAMY

Post by DARTH »

Japan will rise as a martial power again, with a friend like us they will have to.




"God forbid we tell the savages to go fuck themselves." Batboy

User avatar

Kenny X
Sgt. Major
Posts: 2712
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2011 4:00 pm
Location: Down on the bayou.

Re: INFAMY

Post by Kenny X »


User avatar

Tom
Sarge
Posts: 168
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 11:42 am

Re: INFAMY

Post by Tom »

Bump

User avatar

Tom
Sarge
Posts: 168
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 11:42 am

Re: INFAMY

Post by Tom »

Infamy

Post Reply