Why the 51st Defense Battalion Were Sent to the Marshall Islands to Fight

"There were these guys from Chicago...they dated the young women from the islands. They had wigs and high heels sent in for these women to wear," my father explained when I was older. "All you could see were these women trying to walk around in those high heels, because they weren't used to wearing them."

Source:  http://miraimages.photoshelter.com

I pictured these young ladies teetering awkwardly in platform sandals in the sand. No nylons because nylons were rationed, the materials were needed for the war effort.  Some of American women's hosiery back then had seams on the back of their legs. Resourceful females would take eyebrow pencils, brown gravy, charcoal, etc. and draw makeshift lines on the back of their legs to give the allusion of seams. Special flesh colored make up was applied to look like nylon.

Source:matc.edu
Seamless hosiery. Nylons were needed to make parachutes.

The Marshallese were Micronesian in origin and migrated from Asia several thousand years ago. They were an island group that was (2,500) miles from Hawaii. Its inhabitants lived on the outer islands and atolls. The islanders survived on subsistence farming and fishing. Many had no electricity.

Source: nationsonline.org

Marine Major General Charles F.B. Price, in command of American Forces in Samoa had already warned against sending the African Americans there. He based his opinions on his interpretation of the science of genetics. The light skinned Polynesians, whom he considered "'primitively romantic" by nature, had mingled freely with Whites to produce a very high class half caste, and liaisons with Chinese had resulted in a very desirable type of offspring. *

Two Montford Point Marines Black Depot companies that were originally supposed to be sent to Samoa were sent elsewhere due to Major's genetics reasoning. The "infusion of Negro blood" was not desired.


Based on the Major's belief system, which incidentally was common during this time period, the 51st Defense Battalion were thought to be better suited in the Marshall Islands, since the darker population of Micronesians would not be intimidated by the intelligence of the African American Marines sent there. Major General Charles F.B. Price also postulated that  "the level of physical and mental standards among the Black islanders would be raised."



These considerations were similar to the displeasure of African American soldiers socializing with French women during World War I. In this case the policy was instituted to prevent liaisons with the lighter hued Polynesians in the Pacific. Hence the deployment to the Marshall Islands, where the natives had darker pigmentation.

Source: rmiembassyus.org
Residents of the Bikini Atoll during evacuation. The island became the site of Post WWII nuclear testing.

Source: http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/npswapa/extcontent/usmc/pcn-190-003132-00/sec5.htm

A Time of Both Starvation and Gratitude

"I haven't heard from you in a while, where have you been?," Dad inquired.
 "The last time we spoke you had company,  I didn't want to be rude," I answered.
 "Oh yeah, that's right..."

Dad talked about the fluctuating weather and the fact that the Veterans Benefits Administration were assisting him with his eyeglasses and prescriptions. I replied that was excellent, because I have heard and seen so many reports of Veterans not receiving anything but broken promises and neglect. However, news outlets recently stated that the backlog of Veterans Disability claims has decreased.


He then shared more information on his time on the Marshall Islands during World War II. Here was a story I never heard before:

"When you saw the graves of the people that lived on the Marshall Islands you never saw anyone that lived past the age of thirty. They had a diet that was mostly fish and coconuts-- They didn't grow any crops or plants. A large ship from Britain would come to the island and fill the ship with coconuts every so often and sail off."

During World War II, American bombing effected the land's population. The Marshall Islands were a Japanese Colony;  native Marshallese suffered from lack of food and sustained various injuries. And since the Marshall Islands was a battleground with Japan, many of the trapped Japanese soldiers died of starvation. They were not willing to surrender. "We would hear them at night time looking through the garbage for food," Dad recalled.

Source: www.historynavymilitary.com

Like many people throughout the world, the story of the Montford Point Marines does not register, because it is an unknown story about who these brave African American men were. But if you were a member of the White 7th Defense Unit on the Marshall Islands in the middle of World War II, you knew who they were. The Montford Point Marines's 51st Defense Battalion had arrived to relieve them and you were glad to see them....

Source: montfordpointmarineassociation.com

"Honor Comes From Death, Disgrace Comes From Surrender"

How do you get young Japanese men willing to die for their country during World War II? What makes a soldier, later known as a holdout, refuse to give up, even decades after war's end? What would be the explanation for extreme brutality and loss of significant lives in the Pacific?

Source: us.123rf.com

Bushido code
Answers to these pertinent questions lies within the medieval Samurai Warrior class and the strong code of Bushido. The Samurai Warrior class dominated the Japanese government and cultural landscape of the nation for centuries. Samurais occupied the upper echelon of Japanese society, and were admired for their  superior fighting methods that insured a safe and peaceful Japan.  However, this ruling class was abolished and Emperor Meiji became Supreme leader in 1868. Efforts then began to modernize Japan, but the Bushido belief system remained in place, since members of the samurai had a role in forming the government.

Source:amandatarziaads4horspestudioblogspot.com

The Bushido code advocated a lust for battle and under no circumstances should a soldier surrender. To serve dishonorably would be a travesty and major repercussions would transpire.


Shinto Religion
Additionally, the Shinto religion held 1) that the Emperor was divine and should be worshiped. 2) Japan was not merely land but created by a Sun Goddess. 3) Japan must rule and "extend its reach and enlightenment to less fortunate races." All members of Japanese society were expected to be adherents to this philosophy.

Source:  4bp.blogspot.com

Military Code
The strict military code for the Japanese Navy and Army issued in 1872 barred escaping or surrendering from the military. These were grounds for death along with disobeying military orders and conscientious objectors.

 Punishment was granted to a soldier's immediate and extended family members, just as during the Edo* period:  The crime extended to five generations and punishment to five affinal** relationships. 

Unsurprisingly, the first lesson that a Japanese student soldier learns is how to use his own rifle to kill himself if he was trapped in a trench or cave. These statements were attributed to Irokawa Daikichi, a historian drafted from the University of Tokyo to become a student soldier at Tsuchiura Naval Base. In the 1972 novel, Zone of Emptiness, author Noma Hiroshi recounts how the professional soldiers resented the student soldiers because of their perceived status in receiving higher education. The superiors believed that any corporal punishment would toughen the student soldiers.

A culture of extreme brutality was encouraged within the military itself. If a Japanese colonel was displeased with one of his majors it would not be unusual for the colonel to strike the offending major a blow across the face to reinforce his reprimand.The major chastised in this way would be expected to strike one of his captains who had incurred his displeasure. The brutality would be passed down the line from the Japanese officers to their own enlisted men who would then be expected to beat each other up. At the end of this chain were men perceived to be the lowest of the low, enlisted Koreans and Taiwanese, who receive the worst beatings. - From Pacific War.org

So, allegiance came from a combination of the Bushido culture and Shinto religion. Add this to a strong military history that advocated corporal punishment and you have a lethal cocktail for a massive war machine. There simply were no alternatives. Japanese soldiers were told that "Honor comes from death, disgrace comes from surrender."


   *Edo:  former name of Tokyo, also known as the period between 1603-1868.
**affinal: in-laws, relatives by marriage


http://www.pacificwar.org.au/JapWarCrimes/Explaining_JapWarCrimes.html

http://www2.gvsu.edu/walll/Japan%20NO%20SURRENDER.htm

Dad and Enemy Planes

 I asked dad how the 90 mm anti-aircraft was operated. It was the weapon that dad was assigned in the Marshall Islands during World War II. My father stated that four men were needed to use the 90 mm. He was seated on the right side and was responsible for turning the machine to the left. The movement of the weapon began when corresponding bulbs were matched. The bulbs indicated that the approaching enemy plane had reached a certain altitude or height. The Battery Sargent would give a signal and then, reported my dad, the plane would burst, after entering gun fire.




Members of the 51st receiving training at Montford Point.
Source: ibiblio.org

"Were you scared, Dad?" I asked, knowing the of history of Japanese fighter pilots. It was said that German soldiers were told to kill, but Japanese soldiers were told to die.

"Hell nawl," my Dad quickly replied. "We ain't see nothing, you're looking into a scope, you just saw dots. We shot at Mitsubishi planes."

Dad was twenty years old at this time. He was the same age if not older than many of the Japanese pilots that were members of the Japanese Navy and Army.

But these Japanese pilots by World War II's end were trained to do one thing--fly Mitsubishi A6M2 planes nicknamed the "Zero" and the "Personal Flying Coffin" into targets. As the word coffin implies, these were Suicide Missions.

In previous posts I talked about what events and people caused my father to join a segregated branch of the armed forces, that initially did not want Negroes. Now it is time to discuss the reasoning behind a Japanese man for joining their Imperial military.

A sign post in the Marshall Islands. Dad's two islands are on the bottom, left.
Source: ibiblio.org

                                                                       

Montford Point Marines and Lena Horne: Trailblazers

How timely...this is my 51st post and a continuation of my discussion on the recovery of the 90 mm anti-aircraft. Members of the 51st and 52nd Defense Battalions nicknamed their World War II artillery  "Lena". "Lena", of course is a tribute to Lena Horne (1917-2010), the legendary singer, dancer, actress and Civil Rights Activist.

Source: bwwla.org

Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1917. She started her musical career at the famed Cotton Club in New York.  At the Cotton Club, African American female chorus dancers were required to be "tall, tan, and young" (fair complexion). Only White Patrons were permitted in the audiences of the Cotton Club, which was the launching pad for many Negro performers. The entertainment specialized in exotic, "Jungle" music, minstrel like shows, and of course, jazz. Some of the biggest names of the early twentieth century were patrons or performers at The Cotton Club.


 Lena Horne later was a member of a minuscule group of Black Actresses working in the movie industry during the 1940's. Most roles for African American females were limited to domestic roles, with limited speaking lines. These actresses were always depicted as either a sassy mammy archetype, or the child-like, timid maid.  Hattie McDaniel was famously quoted as saying, "Hell, I would rather play a maid than be one."  McDaniel was the first African American to win an Academy Award in 1939 for Best Supporting Actress. Her performance was that of the maid in Gone With the Wind. She sat in a segregated area at the Award Ceremony. (Biography.com)

Moreover, Hollywood during these earlier days would have an actress confined to singing or dancing. The actress had no interaction with other non-Black actors, and their scenes could be edited if needed when showing the movie in Southern movie houses. Horne's ambiguous appearance, and pressure from the NAACP helped her to become the first African-American actress to receive a major Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios (MGM) contract.

Source:topfoxtv.com

Lena Horne was more than a pretty faced, entertaining fashionista. She protested her less than honorable treatment and was active in the Civil Rights movement. The multi-hyphenate was friends with controversial leaders such as Paul Robeson and W.E.B. Dubois. (They were accused of being Communists and blacklisted*). Ms. Horne was greatly revered and respected by Black America.

Praise for Lena Horne
The late Sixty Minutes journalist, Ed Bradley, known for his intense and provoking news segments, stated that the chanteuse was one of his favorite interviews. In the video, the usually unflappable Bradley is seen fawning over Ms. Horne, who by then was still stunning in her sixties. Actress Halle Berry tearfully thanked Lena Horne and other who paved the way for her. Berry won a Best Actress Academy Oscar in 2002 for the film Monster's Ball. Her acceptance speech usually ranks as one of the most memorable Oscar acceptance speeches ever.


Eugene Robinson, of the Washington Post, on Lena Horne:

"During World War II she complained about how Black soldiers--who had made her a popular pin up, essentially the Black Betty Grable--were being treated in the segregated Army. Her refusal to perform for segregated audiences got her disinvited from USO tours."

Robinson also referred to Lena Horne as a "glamorous revolutionary" and an "infiltrator".



So, the 51st and 52nd Defense Battalion certainly got it right. Similar to Lena Horne, these Montford Point Marines were trailblazers and created history. Naming the anti-aircraft artillery after the great Ms. Horne was indeed prophetic. The 90mm "Lena" can be viewed after being missing for so many years at the Montford Point Marines Memorial Museum in North Carolina.

Source: chicagodelta.com

Source:celebrityslab.com

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/singing_lena_hornes_praises_20100511/

*blacklisted: shunned, to be excluded from opportunities or banned. Being a Communist was considered Un-American.


 Note:  In 2010 Mo'Nique received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in Precious. She proudly wore a flower in her hair, in tribute to Hattie McDaniel.

90mm News for the 90 Year Old: The Return of "Lena"

"Dad, the weapons that you used in the Marshall Islands were found at an auction. The Montford Point Marine Association will be displaying it in their museum." I couldn't remember the name of the equipment and thought it was pretty exciting that it was recovered.

"Oh, you mean the 90 mm?" My Dad answered, as if we were discussing what he had for breakfast that morning.

"We used the anti-aircraft machine artillery. We were on the two big islands Eniwetok and Kwaajalein-- the rest of the islands were occupied by the Japanese. The US had a blockade and there were airstrips on both islands. There were Navy fighter planes. There was dog battery and fox battery. I was a member of dog battery. Because of the blockade the Japanese submarines could not get food or supplies to their men. I thought I told you that already," Dad chided me.

Source: montford point marine association
The machine that my dad used. Montford Point Marines
exceeded goals during WWII.

"No, I just wanted to make sure that I got it right," I answered, furiously jotting it down in my notebook. I wanted to ask more specific questions, but decided not to push it. I sensed a Western or a pressing news show competing with my father's attention. The additional questions would have to come later to the nonagenarian.*


Anti-Aircraft, as its name implies, are weapons designed to attack enemy airplanes. Dad was a member of the first African American combat unit. His 90mm was relocated a month before his 90th birthday, and almost a year after receiving his Medal of Honor.

                                                       



So, until my next interview, I have the following information from www.military.com:

The Montford Point Marines performed well in their duties at home and abroad despite the structures placed on them by society in their era. In practice these men surpassed all anti aircraft gunnery records previously set by Marines, and named their weapon "Lena", after their favorite singer, Lena Horne.

The 90 millimeter MIAI anti-aircraft weapon system was delivered to Camp Johnson** back in April 2013. It is currently being displayed in the "Greasy Spoon", which is the site of the Montford Point mess hall and home of the museum. Additionally:

 -It was used by the 51st and 52nd Defense Battalions from 1942-1946.
-Weighs nearly 19,000 pounds
-16 feet in length
- Was the United States main anti-aircraft weapon system from early World War II through the 1950's.

Source: mpma.28.com

Now I must prepare to write about the Montford Point Marines' 90mm namesake, the inconic Miss Lena Horne...



*nonagenarian: someone ninety to ninety nine years old
** Camp Johnson: An area of Montford Point that was named after Sgt Major Gilbert "Hashmark"Johnson in 1974. Johnson was a drill instructor and served in WWII and Korea. He also served in other military branches.



Other:
Mess Hall: military dining room
Greasy spoon: term used to classify a cheap restaurant.

"How Many Japanese Did You Kill?"

"How many Japanese did you kill?" The question was candidly posed to my dad at a walk-in clinic last year. It was the type of question that really was rhetorical, where an answer was not expected. The intent was to shock and surprise, because the Japanese-American physician darted away before my dad could reply.

My dad, donning his ubiquitous USMC cap, usually received a cursory appreciative nod, and a show of thanks from patriotic Americans. As a result of my dad's age, folks surmise that he is a World War II Veteran and give him his props*. Usually some banter follows. But this was the first time that an actual person posed that type of question and then immediately scurried off into another room.

Source:  lifeasamarine.com

None of my friends or associates ever asked me that question  about my father. Veterans of other foreign wars such as Desert Storm, Vietnam, Korean, etc. never ventured to inquire the fatalities that my father might have caused.

 I have a friend whose father is also Marine. He was almost sent to participate in the "Bay of Pigs" conflict, involving Russia, Cuba and the nuclear missiles that were pointed in the direction of the United States. Her dad still fits the description of a soldier to the "t" despite being in his seventies. Ed walks seven miles a day and is in constant, perpetual motion. He has a pistol permit and a no nonsense, working class Irish American
demeanor. His previously close cropped buzz cut is now a clean shaven head. The Marine, with his piercing blue eyes, is always ready to assess any given situation. As an aside, Ed is not eligible to become a member of the Veterans of Foreign War. (VFW).Why? Because almost being sent to a conflict does not meet the requirements.

 Even consummate soldier Ed did not question the number of fatalities.

Perhaps these conversations take place behind closed doors of Veterans' groups, away from civilian ears. I know in military books, historical accounts, international watch groups, and news outlets that casualties are in fact documented. But to have that questioned just shouted out, so randomly, seemed so.... wrong.

Source :ampleharvest.org

When first a reporter and then a photographer came to interview my father they listened and took copious notes of what my dad had to say about his war experience. It even made the first page of The Hartford Courant, and later " mentions" in other papers. The question, "How many Japanese Did You Kill?" was not asked.

So, I ask the question to you, what is your opinion of the doctor wanting to know how many Japanese did my father kill?  Was he out of line? Is there some unwritten protocol that is followed on such a matter?



*give props: short for give proper respect to, slang


Reference:
www.jfklibrary.org (Bay of Pigs)
www.vfw.org