A monthly newsletter

Issue No. 9 April 2015

月 刊 ニ ュースレター

第 9号

2 01 5 年 4 月

OBON 2015
Returning personal items to their families.
個人の遺留品をご遺族の元へ

ここE V E R Y O N E H A S A F A M I LY
誰でも一人一人に家族がいます

OBON 2015 - OBON 2020

Table of Contents

We enjoyed a spectacular Returning Ceremony on

Page 2: Returning Ceremony

March 23rd. Three WWII veterans participated,along with family of deceased veterans, the Army,
the Coast Guard and local officials. The publicPage 4: Elmer Bechtold

filled the room with warmth and local mediaPage 5: Museum Exhibits

documented the entire affair.
The question everyone asks now is, “when can wehave another Returning Ceremony?”!
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Page 3: Returning Ceremony

Page 6: Scholar’s Corner
Page 7: Contact OBON 2015

OBON 2015 April NEWSLETTER

Returning Ceremony
The Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon oﬀered their “Barbey Center”
room as a place to host OBON 2015’s first Returning Ceremony. This refurbished train
station was a perfect choice of locations to hold the event. CRMM also provided
space in their conference room for technicians from Oregon Public Broadcasting to set
up for a live remote broadcast and interviews. (photos below)

The one-hour ceremony featured numerous distinguished individuals who shared
their thoughts and stories.
2:00pmPresentation of the Colors by Matt Zedwick,
U.S. Army National Guard, Silver Star, Iraq 2004

Welcoming Remarks:

Cindy Price, Astoria City Council
The Honorable Arline LaMear, Mayor of Astoria

Remarks by:

Brig. Gen. Steven R. Beach, Asst. Adjutant General Army, Oregon National Guard
Capt. Sean MacKenzie, Deputy Commander, Sector Columbia River, US Coast Guard
Mr. Jerry Ostermiller, State Heritage Commissioner; former director,
Columbia River Maritime Museum!
2Presenting:

OBON 2015, Rex and Keiko Ziak

Returning from:

Ed Bartlein, member of PNP-41st Signal

Returning from:

Leland “Bud” Lewis, member of SC-186

Returning from:Leslie O. “Buck” Weatherill, member of AT-162

Returning from:

Calvin Edward Warren, SC-163, Represented by Todd Johnson, grandson

Returning from:Dale Bassett, U.S. Army 112th Regimental Combat Team,
Represented by Ursula Bassett and Jerry Bassett, wife and son

Returning from:

Kenneth Clegg, Royal Air Force, Represented by Elaine Locke, daughter

Remarks by:

Mr. Hiroshi Furusawa, Consul General of Japan to Portland

OBON 2015 April NEWSLETTER

Returning Ceremony
Representing their fellow members of the 41st were three guests of honor veterans who
all traveled several hours to attend the ceremony.

Leland “Bud” Lewis

Ed Bartlein

Five Yosegaki Hinomaru were handed into the care of
OBON 2015 to begin the search for family in Japan.

Leslie “Buck” Weatherill

Brig. Gen. Steven BeachWith his uniform in good repair and his physique unchanged,
Ed Bartlein came properly attired for the ceremony.
OBON 2015 would like to thank Carolyn & Bob Bach, representatives of 41st Infantry
Division. (see jungleer.com) Also our thanks for David Funk of Portland, Oregon for his
invaluable assistance connecting with the 41st and the Oregon National Guard. Our thanks
to Maureen Smith for returning her father’s flag, also Jerry Bassett and Ursula Bassett,Todd Johnson and Elaine Locke.
This ceremony can be seen at the links below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA1plknm-mw
http://koin.com/2015/03/23/oregon-ww2-vets-return-japanese-flags-to-families/!
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OBON 2015 April NEWSLETTERElmer Bechtold
News of OBON 2015’s Returning Ceremony was reported across the country through various media
outlets which made many more people aware of this effort. One such person was a WWII veteran
named Elmer Bechtold, who called us asking for help.
Elmer told OBON 2015 that he was part of the U.S. Marine’s 5th Division and took part in the firstwave that invaded Iwo Jima. Out of two hundred men in his company Elmer was one of twelve still
alive two hours later.
Elmer describes his ordeal with a soft voice, but the trauma he experienced is still very evident. He
had gone through living hell for 24 days. Finally a bullet in his right arm put him out of war.
However, just before being shot Elmer picked up a wallet from a Japanese who had been killed.
When he returned home after the war the wallet was still in his possession.
Elmer hung onto this wallet for manydecades. Inside was a little money andpersonal papers, including some post cards
from the Japanese soldier’s sons which Elmer
had translated into English.
These young sons were asking their father
when he would be coming home.
The memory of this deceased Japanese officer
and the thoughts about his young sons filled
Elmer’s mind. He decided he wanted to talkwith the boys, but had no way to find them.
And so began his life-long quest.
The Arizona Republic; March 14th, 1995

Twenty years ago, in preparation for the 50th anniversary of Iwo Jima, Elmer was interviewed by areporter in Arizona. Elmer trusted the reporter with the wallet in hopes the sons could be located.
This reporter wrote an article and then flew to Iwo Jima to cover the story from the island.
The wallet disappeared.
Elmer is haunted by the war. The intense trauma he experienced poisoned his brain. He feels that
contacting the soldier’s sons will give him relief. Unfortunately the only link to finding these sons
were clues on the papers inside the wallet, and it has been carelessly lost forever.
OBON 2015 is trying to help Elmer.
After an exhaustive search we finally located thereporter. He clearly remembers receiving the wallet fromElmer, but has no memory of where it went.
Next OBON 2015 tracked down the photographer who
took the picture for the article, hoping to have access ofthe other negatives which might provide more details.
The photographer said it would take months or years togo through the Arizona Republic Newspaper archives
from twenty years ago looking for a few negatives. He
declined to help.

Elmer Bechtold; April 2015

OBON 2015 has few clues to pursue, but we are trying to help Elmer find these two sons in Japan. If hecan contact these sons Elmer will receive relief from the nightmare that has haunted him for 70 years.
!
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OBON 2015 April NEWSLETTER

Three Museums
The Yosegaki Hinomaru story will appear in three museums. OBON 2015 staff is currently designingand preparing these exhibits for installation later this summer.
On June 15th the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon will open its doors on a major
exhibit featuring the WWII collection of Mr. Pete Mark. OBON 2015 will have a small but importantpart of this exhibit. Our exhibit will fill three display cases with stories and artifacts.

A second, much larger exhibit will be installed inthe Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center in downtown
Portland.
This exhibit will explore the unique origin of theYosegaki Hinomaru and what it became on thebattlefield.
This large, visual exhibit will be designed to travel
for installation in other venues. For inquiries aboutborrowing this exhibit for your community pleasewrite contact@OBON2015.com.

The third exhibit will be installed in the Maritime War room of the Columbia River Maritime
Museum in Astoria, Oregon. Here OBON 2015 will create a major display telling the Yosegaki
Hinomaru story from beginning to end. This spectacular exhibit, which will include authentic
Yosegaki Hinomaru and a video, will become part of the museum’s permeant exhibit and is expected
to show for no less than two years. Opening date is July of 2015.

Family Gift5Battlefield Souvenir

Spoils of War

Family Heirloom
OBON 2015 April NEWSLETTEROBON
2015’s FUTURE
The Scholar’s Corner
This Yosegaki Hinomaru came to OBON 2015 from a family living in Idaho.
It had been in their father’s possession. The flag appeared to be very difficult,if not impossible. The writing was faded and the soldier’s name did not appear.
This faded writing says acommon phase found on mostflags “Bu un cho ku” whichtranslates as “Long life &success in Battle.”
In the same penmanship thescholars found a signature of aman, who likely created thisflag. His last name was “Miwa".
There are many names on thisflag with the “Miwa" last name,suggesting a large, extended
family.
The OBON 2015 scholars knew
from experience that the nameMiwa was common in theprefecture of Gifu. They put out
word and a local associate
residing there went to work.

The soldier, Mamoru Miwa, never married,but had two elder brothers. One brotherhad a son, now living in Mie prefecture,
who wanted to possess his uncle’s flag.
The flag is now on its way back home.

!
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By going door to door andvisiting many cemeteries
our field associate
discovered that everyone
who signed the flag is now
deceased, the last person
passing away only several
months ago.
Nevertheless, local
memories remembered thefamily and their three sons.
It was the youngest sonthat went to war.

Gifu Prefecture

OBON 2015 April NEWSLETTERContact OBON 2015
OBON 2015 needs your support. Please.
OBON 2015 is an affiliate of Astoria Visual Arts,a 501(C)3 non-profit organization.
Please send your tax-deductible contributions to:
AVA/OBON 2015
P.O. Box 282
Astoria, Oregon 97103
Your contributions will help us reach more families
and return more personal items.

If you have a flag, or know someone who does, please contact OBON 2015. We will
gladly answer any questions and fully explain our process. It will give us great
pleasure to research the flag in your possession and return it to its proper family.

OBON 2015
P.O. Box 282
Astoria, Oregon 97103
contact@OBON2015.com!
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OBON 2015 April NEWSLETTER