APO 181

Omuya, Japan

15 Nov 45

Dear Father,

First comes a description of my trip Sunday. After a burned cup of coffee, we hit the road at O 700. I was supposed to be driver but one of the officers wanted to drive so I sat in the passenger seat. To get to the face of the mountain, one needs a 6th army pass. We didn’t get one even though we spent a lot of time in Tokyo and Okanaba. The weather was cold, with a heavy front. As morning wore on the mist lifted. Slowly we climbed into the foothills along remarkably good roads. We wound through villages which from the general set up made me think a lot of New Hampshire. Much of the woods here was pine. However, here and there was a clump of hard wood which had felt the frost and had gone all out. As we rose upwards we circled valleys with silver streams below. Something like New Hampshire but a lot more rugged because over a small space everything was sandwiched in, which in another place would take a great deal more space. Finally across a lake old Mt. Fuji appeared. It is a fairly large affair snow covered at the top. This view was such that Fuji was framed by two medium mountains. I believe that as long as I live I will carry this picture with me. You have no idea of its beauty unless you see it.

For dinner we pulled a big deal; we brought along 3 steaks which the officers fried over a gasoline stove. It was rough to say the least. The outfit ran a sight seeing tour which covered the same rants but I figure that I did the best by going along on a special edition. I ran a great deal more with much more comfort. It was a good deal all the way.

The Japs are hard to educate. However, they are getting some rough times before they catch on. The roads are two lane affairs. At best it is rough making time. Yesterday one of our trenches got banged up by a semi-trailor. The front spring was fixed up by so that we had to the one side in place. As we went by this Jap trench he cut into the disabled trench. It so happened that I was following in a dump truck and drew along side the Jap he tried the same deal. I fixed his wagon because as soon as I got in front of him I cut over into him forcing him back into his place. I stayed with him long enough to know that he was sweating a bit and should know better than to cut over into G.I. trucks in the future. It may be rather a rough way to teach these Japs but I figure to keep them over in their lane, we stay in ours.

In a way I believe you would have a lot of fun around Japan. Come spring, I ought to have some good stories to tell.

John