American Flag raised over Futatabi Internment Camp on 8/23/45.
Five sets of prisoners' diaries, representing various occupations, education levels, family backgrounds, and age groups. Diaries have been transcribed chronologically and backed up. The diaries encompass over 3,000 pages, spanning their entire imprisonment, plus bonus descriptions of pre-war Guam, post-war Kobe, and update through the years.
Over 300 photographs, including those taken with a smuggled-in 35mm camera, the Pan American station on pre-war Guam, individual and group pictures, recent pictures, and scenes of the former prison internment sites in Kobe as they appeared in 1989 and 1993 and more recently.
Over 30 hours of tape-recorded interviews (several have been transcribed). Interviews were conducted with the former Pan American station manager on Guam, his assistant, Pan Am radio operators, Clipper mechanics, the prisoners' doctor and dentist, and various Pacific Naval Airbase construction workers. This includes interviews with two of the four men who raised the American flag over Futatabi.
Substantial documentation concerning the prisoners' committee; documents maintained by Japanese officials, Swiss Consulate, and Red Cross. Documents detail medical, dietary, and sanitation conditions, labor crew assignments, financial details, cablegrams, personal wills, and distributions of health mainenance funds, clothing, newspapers, and tobacco.
Japanese "Mainichi" newspapers published in English throughout the war (available in microfilm, microfiche, and hardcopy formats.) Subjects include the war's beginning, major battles, the atomic bomb, and the surrender. This may be the only set which survived the firebombing of Kobe. The U.S. Library of Congress does not have any of these newspapers on file.
Substantial documentation from the National Archives, including the fate of the B-29 aviators, prisoners' testimony regarding conditions, rosters of the Kencho guards and of the prisoners.
Medical kit and drugs from the prisoner who served as doctor.
B-29 identification plate and "treasure map" indicating where parts of the B-29 crashed. Various tools and implements fashioned from parts of the B-29.
Scrap books and letters kept by the prisoners' families back home. Cartoons, drawings, maps, and sketches drawn by prisoners. Propoganda leaflets and a copy of a speech by Major-General Mizuhara to the prisoners at Zentusji Military Prisoners Camp.
Japanese yen, slide rule, pencils, and various momentos.
copyright 2011 by Mark S. Schwartz
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