Arnold's Story: February 4, 1949

Flash is the family dog.

I find it interesting to see that there is a national discussion about nationalized medicine.

next post  February 10, 1949

previous post  January 26, 1949

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943

Arnold's Story: December 18, 1946 Arnold, Mary and Little Mary

The Christmas card is likely from Arnold, his wife Mary and their infant daughter Little Mary.

next post  December 19, 1946

previous post  December 18, 1946 Bill Jarvis

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943

Arnold's Story: September 15, 1946

I have no more letters from Arnold in Korea for the rest of 1946. Subsequent correspondence will be from California, after he was sent home on terminal leave in August 1946 and demobilized on September 15. Here I post the rest of Arnold's photos from 1946 (either Korea or Japan) as well as his certificate of service and separation.

From the details of this certificate, we see that he got a lapel button and a few medals: Army Occupation medal (Japan), American Campaign Medal World War II, Victory Medal, and Asiatic Pacific Service Medal. After our parents died, we divvied these medals up amongst us four brothers, Arnold's sons.

August 7, 1946, photo over Korea or Japan, by Arnold Nevis

August 7, 1946, photo over Korea or Japan, by Arnold Nevis

August 7, 1946, photo over Korea or Japan, by Arnold Nevis

1946 photo from either Tachikawa airfield, Japan, or Seoul, Korea

Mt. Fuji, Japan, 1946

First Lieutenant Arnold Nevis, circa 1946

next post  October 8, 1946

previous post  May 26, 1946

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943

Arnold's Story: February 22, 1946

On arrival in Korea, Arnold cables his family with his new address. The telegram includes both the Korean name Seoul and the Japanese name Chōsen. 

next post  Photos of Korea and Japan in 1946

previous post  February 1946 Japan and Korea

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943

Arnold's Story: February 1946 Japan and Korea

It appears they visited Tachikawa Airfield or departed from there for Korea for his next post. The primary defense of Tokyo, Tachikawa also produced fighters, troop carriers, and bombers, and was also the site of imperial technical schools. It was subjected to intense bombing by the U.S. Army Air Force near the end of World War II and ultimately rendered inoperable. The U.S. rehabilitated the airfield and designated it as a transport base, providing transportation for passengers and cargo in the Tokyo Area. It served as an air base for the U.S. through the Japanese occupation, the Korean War, the Cold War, and the Vietnam Conflict before being returned to the Japanese government in 1977.

Fritz Finley, February 1946, at a U.S. Army Air Force base in Korea

next post  February 22, 1944

previous post  February 1946 arrival in Japan

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943

Arnold's Story: February 1946 arrival in Japan

Arnold arrives in Japan in February 1946, probably by ship, given these harbor photos. 

next post February 1946 Japan

previous post  October 16, 1945

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943

Leonard's Story: November 6, 1945

Letterman Hospital was in El Presidio in San Francisco. 

______________________________________________________________________

                                    OSAKA, HONSHU, JAPAN

                                    6th Nov 45

Dear Arnold,

     I'm sorry I haven't written for such

a long time -  but first I was busy then

I became ill. I had a relapse of yellow

jaundice caused by change of climate, fatigue,

and drinking. For about three weeks I was

sicker than hell - lots of stomach trouble, and

I was getting fed intervaneously for a while. I

still don't feel in the pink of condition, but I am getting

along pretty good now. Tomorrow I am being evacuated

to a General Hospital in Tokyo (if the plane comes in).

I stand a good chance of being evacuated to the

States in the very near future.  If so, I will

probably be sent to Letterman Hospital, San Francisco.

According to one doctor, it will take me quite a while

to completely recover my health - months.

However, I think I may be in the States by Christmas

and if so, I am going to try and get a 30 or

45 day Temporary Duty Rest leave to recuperate. I

should be in condition to do this so that it will

include Christmas and New Years - I can dream

can't I?  So don't get yourself shipped overseas -

maybe we can all be home at christmastime.

                      -1-

[page 2]

     Don't tell the folks about this - I don't

want to raise their hopes or have them

disappointed.

     There is nothing to worry about in this yellow

jaundice - the thing that makes it bad for me is

the severity of the first attack and then this relapse.

It just means that I have to get lots of rest

and stay on a fat-free, non-alcoholic diet. Also

my resistance is low - six months of steady combat

left me run-down and in poor shape. By summer

I should be back there really pitching. I am

thinking of starting school in the fall (I don't

know which one yet - maybe back east).

     Well Bud, whats new with you? - you haven't

written, yourself, for quite a while - or is the mail

system just bad. What are you going to do when 

you get out? By the way I now have 73 points,

how are you doing? By the way I Say I hear

you boys were awarded the American Defense

Ribbon the other day - congratulations! Well

I hope I will see you soon -

                           love

                           Leonard

P.S. Please write but don't send

       anything.

               "BACK ALIVE IN 45"

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Leonard's Story: October 3, 1945

The occupation of Japan started at the end of August 1945 and didn't pick up speed until September, so this letter is not all that long after the occupation began. 

_______________________________________________________________________

                                                   [top line cut off - probably Osaka, Japan]

                                                    Oct 3rd, 1945

Dear Arnold,

     How are you Bud?  As you can see by the address I am now in

Japan.  We are living in a very nice hotel, in fact I have heard

that it is the best hotel in Japan at the present time.  I have paid

anywhere from $5 to $10 per day in the states for the type of room

I have here.  It has twin, inner springs, beds (one of which is

occupied by another officer), separate bathroom, etc.  We eat in

the large main dining room downstairs.  The food is excellent, and

the dining room is very modern and attractive.  We also have a bar

where we can get drinks.  At present we only have Japanese beer to

drink (its damn good), however soon will have have whiskey and other

mixed drinks.  This is just like living on per diem in the states.

We work in an office building, and have plenty of room but not too

much work.  This is a good way to reacclimate back to civilian life.

     The B-29s burned out the major portion of OSAKA, but here and

there are areas (like the hotel and office building) that were un-

touched.  There is block after block of rubble, without a building

left standing.  Most of the people have gone to the country, and

though there are still plenty around the place it is'nt crowded.

     The Japanese people are very friendly and cooperative.  They

are glad that the war is over, even if it did end the way it did.

At present there is a food shortage, and the rice crops were poor

this year.  Consequently the people are worried about the coming

winter.  Only uniforms have been produced in the last three years,

and there is also a cloth shortage.  Most of the men you see (Japs)

are wearing some sort of a uniform, and the women wear pants tight

at the bottoms like a zoot suit.  Yesterday I bought about 29 yards

of white silk cloth at two yen per yard, 13 1/3 cents per yard, which

I will send to mother.  She should be able to make a lot of blouses

out of it.  As usual the GIs have gone all out for souviner buying

and prices are going up.  I am going to wait until I can get over

to NARA or KYOTO before I do any large scale buying.

     What is your situation in regard to overseas service?  I have an

idea that you may never leave the states.  I don't see how they could

use you over here now in your present type of work, and I don't think

they would put you in the MPs, or Inf.

     A small SNAFU has just come up here, which will require my

undivided attention, so I will sign off.

                                            love

                                  [signed] Leonard

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Leonard's Story: August 7, 1945

Apparently Uncle Len had Hepatitis A, or infectious hepatitis.

________________________________________________

                                               Philippines

                                              Aug 7th

Dear Arnold,

     This may catch up with you in Florida.

You should be getting rich on travel pay

and per diem. I feel perfectly well

but will probably be here another week

or so. Two other fellows and I built

a couple of model airplanes, one a

flyable Zero, and the other a solid model

of the P51, which we are giving to a nurse.

If you ever get sick get yellow

jaundice. The only cure is plenty of

rest, and except for two weeks when

I couldn't eat and felt like I had

been kicked in the stomach it hasn't

bothered me at all. However I

a pretty good case of it, they didn't

take my index until I had started

to get well about 16 days later and

it was 95.

     I am starting to put on a

little weight and gut. Enclosed are

two pictures of me. I probably weighed

around 140-150 lbs then (still do).

  

[page 2]

     Although I am a little late may I

extend birthday greetings to an old

man of 24. The three or four years have

really ripped by, what, and they

start accelerating from her on in. When

are you going to get married? or even

get a girl? or have you one in the wood-

pile that I don't know about?

     It looks like we will have to land

on Japan to make them surrender, and I'll

probably be there. How many points have

you got? I have 61! Not counting

my illegitimate children, so I'll

be around here got quite a while.

     Well that's about all for now.

                       love

                     Leonard

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