SV from Else

From: "E Knudsen" <eee@knudsen.mail.dk>

Hej Myrna

You send me an email about a murder case, where a man wan charge with the murder of his wife, were they had found at note where she chritisized him all the time. Could you send me that again.

Everything here are fine. Love Else 

Smith Family Pictures

I finally got the Smith picture and history project finished for the
cousins. There are 500 pictures on one disk and twelve histories on the
second disk with a list describing the pictures on the first disk.

It costs me $5 for the quality disks, jewel boxes, packages and postage.
I would be happy to sell them to everyone for that, but Richard thinks I
should charge a little more for the expenses incured in doing the
project. I'll accept whatever people send.

I'll be mailing the first batch Monday. You said you'd like a set. You
said you would like 8 sets. Can you make your own copies of the sets or
---. So, Let me know -

Donnette Smith

E Knudsen

Hi Myrna!
I got your address, so now you can see if it works. How are you doing and how does it go with Trauntwein. I do hope he is better. We have been real busy. We had a good time in Germany. I asked my sister, with the name Trautwein, if she had any family records. She said no, bur her son had them, she would ask him, where they came from. I haven’t done much else, I still working on the pattern to the hankies. 
 
Love Else


eee@knudsen.mail.dk

The Girls Had Fun!

At the temple, we say that brunettes with blond tendencies are “brunettes with blond roots”. It sounds like they were having too much fun visiting to think about where they were and notice sings, etc. They look like they had the time of their lives. What about the Moms. Did they have fun also?

Thanks for sharing. One photo IS worth 1,000 words.

Love, M


We did, we waited in the Parent's Room-the Jazz VIP room with popcorn and sodas.  I had won the tickets on a radio station. 

About earthquake protection. -Shawn

EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S  ARTICLE  ON THE "TRIANGLE OF  LIFE", Edited by Larry Linn for MAA Safety Committee brief on 4/13/04.

   My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an earthquake.

  I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a member of many rescue teams from many countries. I was the United
Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation (UNX051 -UNIENET) for two years. I have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for simultaneous disasters.

   In 1996 we made a film which proved my survival methodology to be correct. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul, University of Istanbul, Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific test We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten mannequins did "duck and cover," and ten mannequins I used in my "triangle of life" survival method. After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific conditions, relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero percent survival for those doing duck and cover. There would  likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my method of the triangle of life." This film has been seen by millions of viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe, and it was seen in the USA, Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV.

   The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under their desk. Every child was crushed to the thickness of their bones. They could have survived by lying down next to their desks in the aisles. It was obscene, unnecessary and I wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the time know that the children were told to hide under something.

   Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a space or void next to them. This space is what I call the "triangle of
life." The  larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the "triangles" you see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see, in a collapsed building. They are everywhere. I trained the Fire Department of Trujillo (population 750,000) in how to survive, take care of  their families, and to rescue others in earthquakes.

  The chief of rescue in the Trujillo Fire Department is a professor at Trujillo University. He accompanied me everywhere. He gave personal testimony: "My name is Roberto Rosales. I am Chief of Rescue in Trujillo.

   When I was 11 years old, I was trapped inside of a collapsed building. My entrapment occurred during the earthquake of 1972 that killed 70,000 people. I survived in the "triangle of life" that existed next to my
brother's motorcycle. My friends who got under the bed and under desks were crushed to  death [he gives more details, names, addresses etc.]...I am the living example of the "triangle of life." My dead friends are the example of "duck and cover"..

TIPS DOUG COPP PROVIDES:

1) Everyone who simply "ducks and covers" WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE is crushed  to death--Every time, without exception. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are always crushed.

2) Cats, dogs and babies all naturally often curl up in the fetal position. You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct. You can survive in a smaller void. Get next to an object, next to a sofa, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it.

3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an earthquake. The reason is simple: the wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake. If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created. Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks  will cause many injuries but less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.

4) If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed. Hotels can achieve a much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on the back of the door of every room, telling occupants to lie down on the floor, next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.

5) If an earthquake happens while you are watching television and you cannot easily escape by getting out the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a sofa, or large chair.

6) Everybody who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be killed!

7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different "moment of frequency" (they swing separately from the main part of the building).The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads. They are horribly mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs. The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when overloaded by screaming, fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even when the rest of the building is not damaged.

8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible - It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked;

9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all  killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or lying  next to their vehicles, says the author. Everyone killed would have survived if they had been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that had columns fall directly across them.

10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.

TNT Family New E-Mail Accounts

Todd wrote:

We all have new e-mail accounts.  

Todd = ttrauntv@columbus.rr.com
Amy = atraunt@columbus.rr.com
Michael = mtrauntv@columbus.rr.com
Tyler = dinodig@columbus.rr.com
Emily = emilyjessie@columbus.rr.com

Our new address is: 

78 Weeping Willow Run Rd
Johnstown, OH 43031

Phone: (740) 967-0756

We kept our cell-phones; however, our service here is not the best I have seen.  Sometimes, we get the calls and sometimes it goes straight to e-mail.

The cell numbers are:

Todd = 8013687591
Amy = 8013687987

Things are working well.  We have most of the stuff out of the boxes and are working on cleaning up the garage and extra items.  We have a couple of pieces of furniture to buy, such as a couch and a dining room table with chairs.

The kids all started school today.  All of them came home saying they wanted to go back tomorrow and each of them made a number of new aquaintences today--we'll see if any of them pan out to be true friendships, but it looks good.

Thanks for all your assistance in getting us prepared for the move and lending your support physically and emotionally.  We appreciate it all.

Howard Thomas Pitts, Was in the 135th CBN and Helped Build the Airstrip on Tinian

 Attached is an essay about the Effort at Tinian as printed for the 112th NCB reunion this past October. Many Tinian Vets contributed the content and reviewed it after I recorded their contributions. This was an ongoing 1 1/2 year project that I wrapped and printed for the 112th NCB reunion Oct 2003.

Thanks to all who contributed and edited. Please post so that all Tinian Vet family members may be informed about their father's (grandfather's etc.) most significant historical contribution. I take no credit for this essay - the credit belongs to all the Tinian Vets who lived the story , contributed info and edited the essay.

Salute.

Edwin Foster

112th NCB Historian

Cleveland, Ohio

TINIAN IN WWII – TEAMWORK AND EFFORT

Tinian is a tiny 39 square mile coral island in the Northern Marianas Islands that rests atop the seven mile deep Marianas Trench. Tinian became the largest and most valuable airbase of World War II while the United States and the Empire of Japan were locked in mortal combat.

Beginning in late 1944, two complete airfields- North Field and West Field were efficiently constructed in record time from the island’s plentiful coral deposits. A vast and confident fleet of long – range B-29 “Superfortresses” soon arrived from the China-Burma-India Theater and directly from the United States. Shortly thereafter, T

Tinian based B-29s launched from the newly constructed and expansive 8500+ feet long runways, besieged the Japanese home islands on a continuous 24 hour basis. 

Many incredible feats in construction, logistics, teamwork and airwarfare were witnessed on and from this tiny coral island. Paramount was Tinian’s contribution to the Manhattan Project that culminated in two atomic bomb missions that hastened the end of World War II and clinched Tinian’s deserved place in history.

Both the Japanese and the Americans realized the strategic importance of air bases at Saipan, Tinian, and Guam in the Central Pacific in mid -1944. The U. S. invasion of the Marianas Islands on 15 June 1944 brought the Japanese Navy out fighting for the first time since the naval battles of Guadalcanal in the fall of 1942. Determined to force a showdown battle, Admiral Soemu Toyoda ordered a combined fleet of 9 carriers and 18 battleships and cruisers to attack the U. S. warships protecting the landing on Saipan. There Admiral Raymond Spruance, Commander of the U. S. Fifth Fleet (14 battleships, 25 carriers and carrier escorts, 26 cruisers, 144 destroyers and countless transports), organized defensive preparations and sent 15 fast carriers of Task Force 58, commanded by Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher, west to intercept the Japanese, then only 90 miles away.

The Battle of the Philippine Sea commenced early on 19 June 1944 with an attack on Task Force 58 by Japanese land-based planes from Guam and Truk. Hellcat fighters from US carriers destroyed 35 enemy fighters and bombers. The remainder of the battle was fought by 430 Japanese carrier planes attacking the 450 planes of Task Force 58 in four fierce waves. At the end of the eight-hour onslaught, only 100 of the enemy planes returned to their carriers. The rest had been destroyed in the most decisive aerial combat victory in the history of aviation.

Thirty American planes were lost in what the American Fliers called the "Marianas Turkey Shoot." Incredibly, no damage was done to the U. S. Navy Fifth Fleet's ships. By 9 July 1944 at a cost of 2,949 Americans killed and 10,364 wounded, Saipan had fallen. The Japanese fared much worse with 24,000 dead from burial count, 3,612 missing, 1,780 prisoners and the Japanese commander of the Pearl Harbor attack, Admiral Nagumo killed.

Saipan was the staging area for the attack on Tinian 24 July 1944. Task Force Five One, commanded by Rear Admiral Harry W. Hill, along with the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions commanded by Major General Roy S. Geiger, teamed up to invade the island of Tinian which is only three and a half miles distant from Saipan. Defending the island were 9,162 Japanese troops. The invasion of Tinian hinged on a fake landing on the southern part of the island near Tinian Town. Supported by shore bombardment from the USS Colorado (which received 22 damaging hits from Japanese shore batteries), the 2nd Marine Division faked an invasion by lowering landing craft and men into the water. Simultaneously, the 4th Marine Division was launching an all out invasion at White Beach on the northwest side of the coral island. The Marines efficiently overcame the numerically superior Japanese force on 1 August in what is considered to be the best-executed amphibious operation of the war. Marine casualties were 328 dead and 1,571 wounded. The entire Japanese garrison was destroyed and as previously witnessed on Saipan, many remaining Japanese chose suicide instead of surrender by jumping off nearby cliffs.

Tinian’s history is forever intertwined with the culmination of the atomic ”Manhattan Project” and the infamous U.S.S. Indianapolis tragedy but in the annals of war, the tiny island holds other, lesser-known distinctions. At the request of Marines who would soon invade Tinian, The SeaBees removed steel members from the Japanese sugar mill on Saipan and built ten ramps mounted on AMTRAKs that they called their "doodlebugs." These ingenious landing ramps allowed the Marines to easily scale the 8-foot cliffs along the landing area at White Beach.

General Smith and Admiral Turner were very impressed with the SeaBee handiwork. Needless to say, the Tinian invasion was flawless, and extremely successful. Another first in the history of warfare that later proved so useful to US forces on Okinawa was napalm. As part of the 13- day bombardment preceding the Tinian invasion, napalm successfully cleared the Japanese defenders from the cane fields and also destroyed enemy defenders in Tinian Town.

Tinian was declared "safe" by the 4th Marine Division on 2 August 1944. Or was it? During the night of 30 January 1945 thousands of pounds of TNT exploded near the center of Tinian, jarring and shaking the ground all over the island and waking everyone asleep. Several GI’s were killed in the terrific explosion that authorities believed to be the result of sabotage by Japanese soldiers still at large.

A tiny and fairly flat coral island 75 miles north of Guam, Tinian became an ideal B-29 “Superfortress” base for the rest of the World War II. As spoils of war go, four captured runways as well as bountiful coral construction resources made the island an outstanding catch.

Right behind the Marines, in their Can-Do manner, SeaBees in jungle green fatigues with uplifted tropical baseball caps swarmed over the island expanse of coral and cane fields to carve out the huge airbases necessary for the new B-29s. A short few months later, North Field and West Field combined was the largest airbase in the world, with six vast 8,500+ feet long runways and a total of 19,000 combat missions launched against the Empire of Japan.

The rapid and intensive construction effort on Tinian enabled the B-29 onslaught against the Empire of Japan. On this remote coral island, SeaBees of the Sixth Naval Construction Brigade consisting of the 9th, 13th, 18th, 38th, 50th, 67th, 92nd, 107th, 110th, 112th, 121st and the 135th  Battalions commanded by Commodore Paul James Halloran, Civil Engineer Corps USN, built the largest airport in the world. Tinian’s B-29 airport, consisting of North Field and West Field, was larger than any airport anywhere in the world. North Field had about 13 miles of taxiways and runways. West Field was only a fraction smaller. Tinian's runway construction measured from 425 to 500 feet wide with the then unheard of runway lengths of 8500+ feet.

The Naval Construction Battalion, the fundamental unit of the SeaBee organization, comprised four companies that included the necessary construction skills for doing any job, plus a headquarters company consisting of medical and dental professionals and technicians, administrative personnel, storekeepers, cooks, and similar specialists. The complement of a standard battalion originally was set at 32 officers and 1,073 men, but from time to time the complement varied in number. Twelve complete Battalions as well as specialized Seabee “Specials” and detachments participated in the effort at Tinian in early 1945.

The SeaBees did all the construction on Tinian. No Army Engineers were involved, as were on many of the previous jobs that were done jointly. In what was the largest construction project that the recently formed (The “SeaBees” were born 5 March 1942) Naval Construction Battalions had ever undertaken up to that time, Battalion builders hauled, blasted and packed down enough coral to fill three times the volume of Hoover Dam. They built six huge B-29 bomber strips, each a mile and one half long and a block wide, along with miles of taxi ways with "hardstands" sufficient to park 400+ aircraft. The SeaBees dug and moved eleven million cubic yards of earth and coral on Tinian. Piled on flat ground, this would form a cube 6700+ feet in height.

SeaBee equipment was kept busy 20 hours a day while their maintenance crews worked to repair bulldozers, shovels, trucks and other equipment damaged as a result of the rough construction activity. Sharp and abrasive coral was especially damaging to tires and GI’s shoes.

In typical SeaBee fashion, one innovative construction crew had a Marine tank team fire armorpiercing shells into the side of a hill so dynamite charges could be placed to break up the coral.

The 15,000 Seabees on Tinian operated all types of construction equipment including asphalt plants to pave the airstrips. In addition to the airfields, they built Quonset huts and a wide variety of service buildings including the shop in which the atomic bombs were assembled.

Every airstrip was completed on time and none required more than 53 days to build. The SeaBee's motto, "We Build, We Fight" and their "Can Do Spirit" distinguished this group as being able to do any kind of work, any place, under any conditions. The effort of the 6th Naval Construction Brigade on Tinian was truly remarkable.

Tinian is about the same size and shape as Manhattan, and as soon as U.S. forces captured it in August 1944, a system of roads in the same grid pattern as Manhattan was created. In order to transport the huge quantities of bombs and supplies up from the port at the southern end of the island, a divided four lane highway appropriately named “Broadway” was built. The GIs gave the roads typical New York names like Broadway, 8th Avenue and 86th Street. The main north-south road, Broadway, runs parallel to the other main north-south road, 8th Avenue. The strange coincidence that Tinian has streets named after streets in Manhattan, New York has no provable connection with the Manhattan Project, although personnel involved in the project were stationed on Tinian.

As soon as rudimentary accommodations were prepared, squadrons of B-29s eager to

undertake strategic bombing operations against the Japanese home islands began arriving in October and November at Isley Field on Saipan. The first B-29 mission from the Marianas (Saipan) was witnessed on 24 November 1944. Soon, camps on Tinian were constructed to house up to 50,000 U.S. troops and 1.2 million pounds of crops were produced, all of which were consumed on the island. By August 1945, a year after construction started, Tinian was the largest airbase in the world at the time, and accommodated nearly 450 B-29s.

During the last two months of 1944, B-29s began operating against Japan from the islands of Saipan and, Guam. Initial bombing missions were flown during the day at high altitude, concentrating on chemical plants, aircraft factories, harbors and arsenals. Gen. Curtis LeMay studied the poor results and instructed the bombers to begin low-level incendiary raids at night. The raids targeted Tokyo and some of Japan's other major cities, Nagoya, Osaka, and Kobe.

In January of 1945, the 20th Air Force, 313th Bombardment Wing (6th, 9th, 504th, and 505th Bombardment Groups) under the command of Brig. Gen. John H. Davies took over the newly built North Field on Tinian. They took part in a high-altitude daylight raid on Kobe on 4 February 1945. In April and May 1945, West Field, Tinian received the 58th Bombardment Wing, (40th, 444th, 462nd, and 468th Bomb Groups) which had been redeployed from the now-defunct XX Bomb Command in the China-Burma-India (CBI) theatre. Approximately 450 B-29’s could now be efficiently launched on a mission from Tinian in 70-80 minutes.

On 22 December 1944, the Army Air Force issued orders for mining operations of Japanese waters to begin on 1 April 1945. After the order was issued, the Navy moved a team of mine experts to Tinian. One month later, the SeaBees had a mine assembly depot completed and in operation on the island.

In late March 1945 the 504th Bomb Group of the 313th Bombardment Wing operating from the newly carved out facilities built by the SeaBees on Tinian lead-off this highly specialized mission - the aerial mining of Japanese waters from the dangerous altitude of 5000 feet. Each B-29 carried 12,000 pounds of half ton and one ton mines to be strategically and accurately placed in Japanese shipping lanes patrolled by Japanese Navy warships. Japanese Navy searchlights and all anti-aircraft weapons were most effective and deadly; much deadlier than their land based counterparts. During a mine run, a B-29 caught in searchlights could take no evasive action – they took everything that was thrown at them by the enemy. Many crews were lost in this operation that was described as “Hell”.

By mid August 1945, B-29’s had dropped more than 12,000 mines mostly in Shimonoseki Strait between Honshu and Kyushu. Eighty percent of Japanese shipping used this route. In less than five months these planes flew 1,528 mine laying sorties. This campaign devastated the Japanese merchant fleet. The Tinian based B-29’s in this mining operation sank half of all the tonnage losses suffered by the Japanese merchant marine in the entire war! The 20th Air force operating from Tinian caused the loss of 9 percent of all Japanese ships operating in the war.

Not long after the arrival of the B-29’s on Tinian, a very special comradeship developed between SeaBees and Airmen. Many SeaBee Battalions would "adopt" an aircraft by officially painting their logo and name on the B-29’s nose. The quality of life for the crew of the plane improved considerably because the SeaBees provided the crew of "their" Superfortress with better Quonset huts, washing machines, better mattresses, ice cream, cold beer and many other comforts of life. The SeaBees in return were personally and proudly represented in the B-29 raids against the Japanese homeland.

On 16 July 1945 the USS Indianapolis arrived at the Naval Weapons Center- Port Chicago, California and received a three foot diameter by four foot tall canister of top-secret cargo. The heavy cruiser then proceeded at top speed unescorted to Tinian on a record setting 5000 miles in ten day voyage across the Pacific. Upon arrival 26 July 1945, the ship anchored 1,000 yards off the shore of Tinian and delivered the radioactive components of one of the newly created atomic bombs. SeaBees of the Sixth Naval Construction Brigade helped with the unloading of the components of a newly- developed secret weapon. The SeaBees then stored the elements in a shed built by them, and organized a detachment to guard the shed and its mysterious contents. Atomic scientists assembled the weapon in the shed with several SeaBees assisting.

After this historic delivery, the heavy cruiser set out for the Philippines but the worst of fates awaited her. At noon 26 July 1945 Japanese Submarine I-58 hit the heavy cruiser with two torpedoes sinking her in only 12 minutes and sending 1,199 sailors into the shark infested sea. In this most infamous tragedy of World War II, only 316 men survived.

Atomic Bomb Pits, slightly larger than a grave, were prepared for loading the world's first atomic bomb to be detonated in anger. The bomber aircraft would be rolled over the pit, until the bomb bay was directly above the bomb. Then, the bomb would be hoisted into the aircraft weapon bay. At No. 1 Bomb Loading Pit the atomic bomb was loaded aboard an American B-29 dubbed Enola Gay on the afternoon of August 5, 1945, to be dropped on Hiroshima the next day. On August 9, 1945 at nearby No. 2 Bomb Loading Pit, a second atomic bomb was loaded aboard Bocks Car and dropped on Nagasaki.

On 06 August 1945 the specially equipped B-29 “Enola Gay” piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbetts, in what was described in military terms as a perfect mission, dropped the world's first atomic bomb on the Japanese City of Hiroshima. The 509th (Atomic) Composite Group stationed at Tinian Island, launched "Special Bombing Mission 13" at 0245 on that fateful August morning.

Once safely airborne, Navy Captain William Parsons climbed into the bomb bay and armed their special weapon--a 9,000-pound uranium-235 bomb, called "Little Boy" which had the explosive power of 12.5 kilotons of TNT. At 0815 Hiroshima time, on time and on target, bombardier Tom Ferebee released the weapon which detonated at 1885 feet above the ground leveling everything within a 1.2 mile radius within the city.

Three days later, on 09 August 1945, a second and even larger 22 kiloton plutonium bomb mission was launched from Tinian. With Major Charles W. Sweeney at the controls, “Special Bombing Mission 16” proceeded aboard a B-29 named Bocks Car. The primary target was the city of Kokura, but clouds obscured it. With fuel running low due to a fuel transfer problem, Sweeney proceeded to the secondary target, Nagasaki, a leading industrial center. The bombardier had specific orders not to drop the bomb unless he could see the target. There was enough fuel for only one bombing run, and a last minute break in the clouds allowed the bombardier to bomb visually as specified by the field order. When the bomb detonated at 1100 Nagasaki time at 1500 feet above the ground, it felt as though Bocks Car was "being beaten with a telephone pole” said a crew member. With fuel critically low, Sweeney turned toward Okinawa where he landed to refuel before returning to Tinian.

It is little known that the B-29 was a global US bomber fashioned in 1942 at a price of three billion dollars to protect America in case England fell to Germany. Independently, the atomic bomb (Manhattan) project was driven by a two billion dollar price tag. American industry had brought together the atomic bomb and the B-29 at just the right moment in August of 1945 on Tinian Island. This terrific weapon combination helped force the end of this terrible World War.

The lives of thousands of civilians and POWs who were perishing at the hands of the Japanese and the untold lives of countless brave American servicemen as well as Japanese who would have perished in the invasion of Japan were spared by the surrender of Japan. As a direct result of the successful B-29 effort, The United States Air Force was soon established as a separate service.

On 14 August 1945 Emperor Hirohito, without his cabinet's consent, decided to surrender. As the Emperor was traveling to a palace to record his surrender message, a group of young army officers attempted to kidnap him and force Hirohito to broadcast false orders to continue the war. The Emperor escaped the coup attempt and the next day, cit ng “the enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage is indeed incalculable”, broadcast his surrender message – thus ending World War II.

The legendary inter-service effort on Tinian that enabled a relentless B-29 air campaign against the Empire of Japan had undoubtedly hastened the end of World War II.

Addenda: Emperor Hirohito’s surrender message, 15 August 1945. At noon (Tokyo time) on 15 August, 1945, for the first time in history, the voice of the Japanese emperor was heard on the radio. His Imperial Majesty Hirohito had recorded the message the previous day, and he spoke to his people in the very formal language of the Imperial Court, which many of his subjects could not understand:

To our good and loyal subjects

After pondering deeply the general trends of the world and the actual conditions obtaining in Our Empire today, We have decided to effect a settlement of the present situation by resorting to an extraordinary measure. We have ordered Our Government to communicate to the Governments of the United States, Great Britain, China and the Soviet Union that Our Empire accepts the provision of their Joint Declaration. To strive for the common prosperity and happiness of all nations, as well as the security and well-being of Our subjects, is the solemn obligation which has been handed down by Our Imperial Ancestors, and which We lay close to heart. Indeed, We declared war on America and Britain out of Our sincere desire to ensure Japan's self -preservation and the stabilization of East Asia, it being far from Our thought either to infringe upon the sovereignty of other nations or to embark upon territorial aggrandizement. But now the war has lasted for nearly four years. Despite the best that has been done by everyone--the gallant fighting of military and naval forces, the diligence and assiduity of Our servants of the State and the devoted service of Our one hundred million people--the war situation has developed not necessarily to Japan's advantage, while the general trends of the world have all turned against her interest. Moreover, the enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage is indeed incalculable, taking the toll of many innocent lives. Should We continue to fight, it would not only result in an ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation, but also it would lead to the total extinction of human civilization. Such being the case, how are We to save the millions of Our subjects; or to atone Ourselves before the hallowed spirits of Our Imperial Ancestors? This is the reason why We have ordered the acceptance of the provisions of the Joint Declaration of the Powers. We cannot but express the deepest sense of regret to our allied nations of East Asia, who have consistently co-operated with the Empire toward the emancipation of East Asia. The thought of those officers and men as well as others who have fallen in the fields of battle, those who died at their posts of duty, or those who met with untimely death and all their bereaved families, pains Our heart night and day. The welfare of the wounded and the war-sufferers, and of those who have lost their homes and livelihood, are the objects of Our profound solicitude. The hardships and sufferings to which Our nation is to be subject hereafter will certainly be great. We are keenly aware of the inmost feelings of all ye, Our subjects. However, it is according to the dictate of time and fate that We have resolved to pave the way for a grand peace for all the generations to come by enduring the unendurable and suffering what is insufferable. Having been able to safeguard and maintain the structure of the Imperial State, We are always with ye, Our good and loyal subjects, relying upon your sincerity and integrity. Beware most strictly of any outbursts of emotion which may engender needless complications, or any fraternal contention and strife which may create confusion, lead ye astray and cause ye to lose the confidence of the world. Let the entire nation continue as one family from generation to generation, ever firm in its faith of the imperishableness of its divine land, and mindful of its heavy burden of responsibilities, and the long road before it. Unite your total strength to be devoted to the construction for the future. Cultivate the ways of rectitude; foster nobility of spirit; and work with resolution so as ye may enhance the innate glory of the Imperial State and keep pace with the progress of the world.

Richard J Childs

EMERY - Richard J. Childs, 51, our loving husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle passed away peacefully Sunday, July 27, 2003, at his home in Emery after a short battle with cancer.

He was born March 12, 1952 in Price to Max and Renee Childs of Huntington. He married Denise Addley of Emery Feb. 23, 1974 in Emery. Together, they had three children, Justin Childs of Emery, Steven and Katie Childs of Helper, and Mindy and Zac Crawford of Ferron; one grandchild, Gage Crawford; and a precious granddaughter on the way.

Richard was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He loved fishing, camping, riding four wheelers, working with his friends at Nielson Construction and being with his family, which he loved dearly.

He also served 25 years with the Emery County search and rescue and about 10 years as a volunteer fire chief in the Emery Fire Department.

He is also survived by two brothers, Garth and Alyce Childs of Huntington; David and Kim Childs of Tacoma, Wash. He was preceded in death by parents; infant sister; and in-laws, Rex and Barbara Addley.

Funeral services will be Thursday, July 31, 1 p.m., at the Emery LDS Ward Chapel. A viewing will be from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. prior to funeral. A viewing will be Wednesday, July 30, 6 to 8 p.m., at Fausett Mortuary in Castle Dale. Burial, Emery City Cemetery. 

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Leonard's Testimony Talk

Carbon County, where I grew up, was only about 30 percent LDS. Many of my friends were not LDS. Two of the men that were my closest friends were LDS but not the kind that would stand up for the church. Fact is, later on one of them joined the Catholic church. Two of the girls we went with were Episcopalians (Church of England) and the third girl was Greek Orthodox. The Greek girl always had some smart remark about the Mormons and then she and I would get into an argument. She would always come up with some scripture or other and then say that the Mormons didn't believe in the Holy Bible. I would defend the church the best I could, which, at times, was not very good, because even though I had grown up in the church I really didn’t study the gospel. A couple of times the car was stopped and we were told if we did not knock it off we could walk home, and that was quite a distance.

Then something happened to me that I would never have thought would happen. My Bishop had the nerve to call me on a mission. I will be eternally grateful to him. You might not be as grateful because if he had not done it at the time he did you would not have to be listening to me.

When I was called on my mission, I was not sure about my TESTIMONY. I thought I had one but I also knew I would have to look at other people and tell them that: Jeg ved at Gud liver og Han er mine Himelske Father og at Jesus Kristus er Hans Son, vore Frelser og vore Forloser og et Mormons Bog er Guds ord ligesom Biblen er Gud’ s ord.   (Give in English) I wasn’ t sure that I was ready for that because what if someone asked me, “ How do you know these things, prove that what you say is the truth?”

I started to take the intellectual or scientific approach. This approach relies on knowledge of facts and reason. Just like Brother Mangelson in his profession. Have him come and tell why he gathers facts. The prosecuting attorney will take those facts and build a case against the person or persons he has charged. If the facts line up right and the attorney can show beyond reasonable doubt the person(s) is/are guilty then they get a conviction.  If the facts do not line up, then there is a good chance the person will go free.

What happens if you base your testimony on facts and reason and some one comes along and shows you that some of your facts are not right? What happens to your testimony?

FOR EXAMPLE: 1.You study all the South American histories and culture to prove that the Book of Mormon is true, not necessarily studying the contents of the book. You believe they know where Noah’ s Arc is, or you know someone who has a sliver of wood that is supposed to come off the cross that Jesus was crucified on. There is one church that used to sell pieces of the cross. I do not think they do it today.

You believe the church to be true because your parents believed it or someone you respect believes it. What happens to your testimony if one of them falls away from the church or moves away? You need to learn that you can not survive in the church on another's testimonies. On the other hand if you want a testimony that God is our Father and Jesus Christ is his son, our Redeemer and our Savior you must go beyond the intellectual approach. You must rely on revelation.

How do we receive revelation? Some receive it through personal contact with Deity (such as Adam, Moses, Joseph Smith) others receive it through dreams, others by experiences and others by the burning in the bosom. Paul the apostle first heard a voice and the voice he heard said,"Saul, Saul, why persecutist thou me?” and Saul asked, "Who art thou, Lord?" And the voice said to him, "I am the one whom thou persecutist." It was not at this time that he was converted to the church but later on.
His‹ ‹conversion was not done by the teachings or hands of man. He writes in Galatians 1:12 “ For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." Paul never knew Jesus and never met him before Jesus was crucified. He was converted thro ugh revelation. Paul also wrote in to the Corinthians in his first letter 2: “ But it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God."

What spirit is he talking about? The Holy Ghost.

In John 7:15-17 It says that the "Jews marveled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never been learned? Jesus answered them, and said: My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself."

Joseph Smith read James 1:5-6: "If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."

In the Book of Mormon, Moroni states, in 10:4-5: "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. 5. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. "

You may not receive a personal visit or a voice but you will receive a conviction in your heart that it is true. This testimony is not based on only fact and reason although they may be part of it. You may receive a burning in your bosom that Jesus is the Christ and be eternally grateful for what He did for us in becoming our Savior and our Redeemer and our Brother.

When you tell your parents that you love them, what facts will show that you believe it? It is like the Lord said, "If you love me‹ ‹keep my commandments.” That is the same with the church if we testify that we love God and Jesus then we will keep their commandments.

You young people, if you have had a chance to feel a knot in your stomach when a Prophet dies or someone strikes out at the church or its leaders or you hear someone use God’ s name or Jesus' name in a swearing situation (in vain) then you are on the way to developing a testimony. Prayer is a key that opens the gate to having a testimony. Do not let your key rust.

(If time permits tell about the film at Legacy and the feelings it brought.)

If I had time I would like to tell you about some of my sacred experiences that have strengthened my testimony. That is another new talk.

Share Testimony.

Kevin

Hey all,

I just changed my plan for my cell phone so now I can receive text message which includes aol instant messenger(AIM) and (short) emails on my cell phone.  My screen name for AIM is kevinjer21 and I will have the icon   next to my name when I am logged on.  To send me a page or email the address is 5035449540@tmomail.net  If I don't get back soon that means I am at work or some place where my phone is in the silent mode.    Just thought I was pass this info along!

TTFN

Kevin