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Monday, June 16, 2014

Leonard's Story: April 13, 1945

[written in: 4/13/45. In 2018 I sent the prayer flag to the Obon Society for repatriation with the family of the fallen Japanese soldier, HOKA Kenichi, but I never heard back from them. — JNyF]

Arnold,

     Here is a flag that I picked up one fateful day for its

owner, a Jap by the name of HOKA Kenichi.  I have given Mother

and Dad each one.  You can do what you want with the flag.  I

could get fifty dollars for it anytime, and sailors and merchant marine

men overhere will pay $75-$100 on on up depending upon how bad

they want it.  This is one of the better silk flags, and are

hard to find.  I have been lucky I guess, because I have found

about ten of these flags.  I have given four away to the General,

Colonel, and a major (the General pulled a fast one and got two,

damnit), however I kept the best ones.  About four have been

cotton, torn and bloody, and I gave them to the GIs that were

with me and did not yet have one.  Inclosed is a translation.

                                                Leonard


[Written nearly vertically in the margin is seminary seminary, probably Arnie's handwriting after having received the note, since he was the one interested in becoming a missionary.]


photo by Joel A. Nevis y Flores, 2017, for public use only with acknowledgement
Prayer Flag of HOKA Kenichi