[poconopundit]

[Desantis] is on a rudderless boat, and can't seem to get out of port...

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Well said, mass55th! And there's no wind to fill the sails either...

You're right about sending lawyers into battle zones, too. It sends the wrong message.

On the subject of the American bombing of Japan, you'll recall from an earlier post that my Dad was the senior gunner's mate on an LST at the Battle of Okinawa.

I'm glad that the atomic bombs helped end the war and enabled my Dad to return home, marry my mother, and start a family.

And ironically is that I came to Japan in the early 80's as a Navy lieutenant and stationed for 3 years at the naval base in Sasebo (Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan). And it's here that I met my Japanese wife and returned to the US to live with her for 41 years.

And the final irony is that my wife (who had since become an American citizen) decided to immigrate to Japan and retire there. And she had to write, fill out, and pull together all sorts of documents, photographs, and testimonies to gain receive approval to become a permanent resident of Japan for a few years.

One sticking point we were concerned about is that my wife was actually born to a ethnic Korean father (and Japanese mother), so it might be hard to get approval.

But it turns out that Sasebo city was a big Japanese naval facility during the war so American planes occasionally dropped some firebombs on Sasebo before the war ended.

Well, when we inquired at the Sasebo city office about getting hold of my wife's Dad's birth records, it turns out those records -- and those of many thousands of Sasebo citizens -- were lost due to the fires caused by the American bombing.

So this is a roundabout way of saying life is strange.

And we got approval last year to come to Japan and we are living in a mid-sized city north of Tokyo where my wife and I play pickleball with the locals and are having good fun with our many adopted sisters and brothers.

[mass55th]

Was your Dad still alive when you were stationed in Japan? The fact that you were both there in the service is pretty unique in itself. I'm glad your service time in Japan brought you a lifetime of happiness with your wife, and how wonderful for her to be able to return to her homeland, and spend time together where you both met. How cool is that? And the fact that allied bombing during the war, actually helped your wife to be able to return home with few snags, is amazing. My mother always said things happened for a reason...that you might not realize it at the time, but somewhere down the road, it becomes clear. I can't tell you how many times I've had experiences where I thought there would be roadblocks, but for some reason, in the end, things turned out even better than I could have hoped. Specifically in my historical research. I always felt someone up above was opening up these incredible, new sources to me, helping me to connect the dots. Life is indeed strange at times. That's one of the reasons why it's so important to educate ourselves about the past, and learn from it.

Have a wonderful time in your new home, and with your new "family." You deserve it.