Description
#185 see Christian Service Monitor for either March 7,8, or 9 for an article on the school. Try to get a copy! Navy #3247 (Mil. Govt) FPO San Francisco Saturday 31 March 7:30 am My dearest darling, Four letters from you yesterday and a card each from you and Wendy! Here's to that tea party next Easter Sunday afternoon 7) Everyone was standing around in little clusters like this one waiting for the wedding party to arrive. I don't know what Yama is entertaining his circle with here, but the shot is quite characteristic. Dick Harper is on his right, Riley Ewing behind him; I don't know all the girls, but the nearest one (last name Wakenaguni) has recently been added to the teaching staff of the Japanese school. The smiling one, whom I spoke of has one of the most attractive girls, in camp, is Lo Hatuko (at least I think this one's Haruko - there are two sisters). Attractive because poised, quick to catch on do anything and with an ingratiating smile or laugh…she works in the Trade Store. (The setting of this and subsequent wedding pictures is Etter and Ewing's farm - some buildings along its perimeter. On the left, where the wedding was held, is the building we had our sukiyaki party in.) 8) Kimura finally made up his mind - He is a young (22 or 3), intelligent Korean lad, [pg 2] one of the farm's best supervisors with a lot of Okinawa Japanese under him. Always pleasant and easy, he helps me considerably when the pay wagon goes out to the farm by lining people up in the order of their labor numbers, as painted on bright red cloth strips. Kimura (Japanese name which has persisted in everyday speech) didn't know that he wanted to get married just now. He wanted to study and to be prepared to enter college if the opportunity should arise, or perhaps it was just wanting to be free to face an uncertain future with maximum flexibility. (Like that of many of the intelligent and curious in camp, his real ambition is very likely to go to America) But the pressure was being put on him all over the Korean camp - she's an attractive girl (relatively speaking) and apparently everybody wanted to see the match come off. On the part of relatives I believe a number of bribes (dowry is a euphemism in this case) were involved. Kimura consulted Kirby Etter on it several times, and they had long talks. Kirby didn't offer any forthright advice but tried by indirection to support Kimura's own desire to stay free. In the end, the pressure was too much for him. In the picture, however, he is not looking [pg 3] unhappy; a wedding is a solemn affair for the participants. I've seen four or five of them by here and they always look as tho it would be considered undue levity to smile. Those I know, left to right: Standing with his right side to the camera, hand on hips, dark glasses, regular feature, is Herbert Shin, Seaman IC, my Korean interpreter who works mornings at Engineering Operations and the Labor Office, afternoons at Education. Taking pictures, Dick Harper. He's not a particular friend of mine so I don't apologize for nothing but rear views. In the white shirt with open collar is a lad named Ching something - in Japanese, Tei Sho Man - the head Korean housing man of the 3 attached to Operations. His job is to locate people, find places for them when new ones come to camp, wangle permission to build new buildings or annexes, summon people for meetings, take care of camp sanitation, etc. I don't know who the gawky one in glasses is, tho I recognize his face. Next to him and a little back with head slightly lowered is an attendant of the bride, a girl who was herself married only a week before and whose wedding I saw. [pg 4] Then the flower girls, of course, and the bride and groom. The now Mrs. Kimura is also intelligent, would be used at the school for teaching serving etc. to the girls if we had enough materials and were far enough along to use someone not already a teacher for that. Behind with the dark glasses is the Korean Protestant minister, the one who used to be after me every day for something or other (When they were building his church piecemeal. Behind the groom is (I think) the bride's father - the man with graying hair. The flowers are all made of paper (why, in a place like this, God only knows, but they always are at weddings. The haircut on the little girl on the right is typical of the whole camp - so, more or less, is that of the abashed little boy. 9) I apologize - the bride is holding real flowers. The rest are fakes. I think her veil is gauze from the dispensary. Notice the confetti on the groom's shoulder. Late to work again, sweetie - gotta go I love you Warren