Japan - Land of the Rising Sun

Mahard as Typist in Japan

Mahard working as a typist in Japan while in the Army.

Reporting for Duty

Mahard arrived in Japan on January 1 of 1946. The very next day he was already set up in his office. Mahard barely had time to get his new address sent off to Marian so he could start receiving the news from home as soon as possible. What struck Mahard the most about his new surroundings was the vast and indescribable destruction he saw all around. For miles upon miles Mahard saw the burned out remains of a once bustling metropolis from of the bus window as he left the airport. Handfuls of people were sifting through the rubble to find bits of corrugated metal to construct makeshift shacks, and children were playing in the ruins.

Larry and Mahard finally arrived at the Dai Ichi Building, which served as General MacArthur's headquarters. The duo found someone who could point them in the right direction. They were told that they would be staying in the Finance Building, but since it was a holiday Larry and Mahard were just put in a room until more permanent accommodations were determined. Larry and Mahard, with nothing better to do, ventured back into the city. It was quite cold, and it probably seemed even colder considering that the pair had been in Guam just the day before. Larry and Mahard eventually ran into one of their captains who welcomed them to Japan and told them to meet with the rest of the group at 9:00 am the following morning. As they bid the captain goodnight, the cold weather began to pierce through Larry and Mahard's coats. They retired to the mess hall to enjoy a rather lavish meal. Ed stopped by and caught up with his two pals, sharing with Larry and Mahard all the information he picked up during his extra day in Japan. Soon after Ed took off, Mahard decided to hit the hay a bit early after his long first day.