Letter Home from War

Kenneth Driskill recently gave me the following V-Mail microfilm letter written by my dad, Joseph Schular Powell, to Kenneth's parents 63 years ago. Dad was on a a ship with several hundred other troops headed for Japan when WWII ended. The troops thought the ship would turn around and return home. Instead they became the first occupation forces in Japan. Shular was stationed at Mesawa in Northern Japan. Coincidently my son, Joseph, was an Airman stationed at MEsawa for three years (1994-1997).

To: Mr. and Mrs. V. J. Driskill, Temple, Okla.
From: P.F.C. Joseph Powell 38692769, Co. A 302nd Engrs. BN. c/o PM San Francisco, Calif. 8 December 1945

Dear Friends,

Will drop you a few lines to wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Hope this finds you folks all well. I am doing pretty well, but can't say I like this place. I am not doing much of anything but loafing. Am running a road maintainer pushing snow part of the time and running a dozer part time, and have three men on both rigs and don't work every day so you can see I am not being over worked.

The worst part of this place is the grub. We have been here two months but still get nothing but C rations. Had a good dinner Thankgsgiving and that is all.

The weather here is something similar to Okla. , maybe a little more snow so far, but they say the snow gets about 6 feet deep about Christmas and stays on until April.

I didn't think there was a people in the world as crude as these are here. They are at least 50 years behind the U.S. There is no machinery at all. They do everything by hand, cradle their rice and thrash it with frail poles and let the wind chafe it. I don't see how they lasted so long in the war with the equipment their Army had here when we took over.

I don't know so much to write. Sure will be glad when I can start home. The ones in this company with three children signed for their discharges tonight. Here is until I get to see you.

Your Friend,
Shular