I was there 47-49. Long time ago. But Japan was an influence on my life. Mostly for the art and craftsmanship. The craftsmanship on a simple wooden box was phenomenal.
I was lucky I was an Army "brat".
I used to work with a woman whose then 19 yr. old husband was a civilian construction worker on Wake when it was captured by the Japanese. She was complaining that all the time he was in a Jap prison camp he did not recieve pay like the Marines that were captured with him (back pay that is).
I commented to her that prior to being captured, he was making about $100 per week, while the Marines were making $18 per MONTH. So he had nothing to complain about. She never brought it up to me again.