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Edited on Wed Aug-06-03 10:47 AM by oneighty
A friend of mine living in Japan recently visited Yokosuka, Japan. I had asked him to check out the 'Atomic Bar'. Alas it is closed.' The bar was large enough to seat perhaps ten people. The rear of the little building butted up against a short mountain. There was a cave there in the back leading back into the mountain. We sailors were not allowed entrance there. A large bottle of beer; Ashai, Nippon or Kerin (sp) beer was about 200 yen, a bottle of the deadly red Acadama wine was also about 200 Yen. A couple of young sailors could get snot flying drunk for US one dollar. The owner of the 'Atomic Bar' got into a fight of some type or another, the right side of his face was ripped open by a meat cleaver. He was very Samurai looking when the wound had healed and the scar had formed.
I met my lady friend of the next three years there in the 'Atomic Bar' Her name was Kazuko. Kazuko was from Niigata, Japan. Niigata was at one time considered a target for an 'Atomic Bomb'. I understand Nagasaki got the bomb instead of Niigata. That would have been the implosion weapon 'Fat Man'. I was glad Niigata did not get the 'Fat Man' otherwise I never would have met Kazuko there at the 'Atomic Bar', back there in the fall of 1952.
My friend sent me a Zippo Lighter from Yokosuka., embossed with: "US Fleet Activities Yokosuka Japan" I do not smoke so the lighter will last a long time, but not as long as my memories made there at 'The Atomic Bar".
I arrived in Japan in the Spring of 52, went to Korea for a while, rode a steam train from Sasebo to Yokosuka. We went through Hiroshima, Nagasaki on that old train. I was almost 21 when I left Japan.
Today is my wife's birthday. I never forget her birthday because it falls on Atomic Bomb day. I delivered newspapers on Atomic Bomb day, I was eleven years old, the paper had a big "VJ" in big red letters on the front page. I will never forget that day either.
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