From the Ghetto to the Green

Japan 1961

In 1961, I landed in Yokohama, Japan. The USAAA Headquarters were located in U.S. Camp Zama in Sagamihara, Japan. Camp Zama was the headquarters for the U.S. 8th Army Command—Japan.

Most of my assignments were throughout Japan except for one assignment in Okinawa.

Camp Zama had an eighteen-hole golf course, and the army professional was Sergeant Orville Moody. Later on Moody retired from military service, turned golf professional, and played on the U.S. PGA tour. Moody won the 1969 U.S. Open and the World Series of Golf.

In 1962, I was on a job assignment in Okinawa. I tried to retrace my steps when I was there during World War II. During the war, Naha, the capital of Okinawa, was completely destroyed, suffering extensive damage from attacks by U.S. forces. The entire center of the city had to be rebuilt after WWII. Seeing the change from a few scattered streetcar tracks after the WWII fighting to the modern city was remarkable.

I completed my assignment in Japan and was transferred to Taiwan in 1963.

Republic of China 1963

In 1961, I was transferred from Japan to the Republic of China (ROC) with headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan. My mission was to perform audits for the U.S. Military Assistance Program to ROC. My first job was to establish a liaison with Major General Ken Sanborn, Chief, U.S. Military Assistance Group, ROC.

Next I met with my Chinese liaison officer, Major General Feng-Ming-Shu, Finance Minister, ROC. I briefed both General Sanborn and General Shu as to my mission of auditing and reporting on the U.S. Military Assistance Program to ROC.

My next step was to establish an office staff administrative policies and procedures and to recruit a U.S. audit staff to perform audits and reports of the Military Assistance Program to the ROC.

One of the difficulties of my job was the security of classified information.

During my mission, Lilo and I made many Chinese friends, mostly because both Lilo and I were low handicap golfers, and we played with our Chinese friends at the Tamsui Golf Club. In1962, Lilo won the Tamsui Women’s Club championship, and I won the Tamsui Men’s Club Championship.

One of the highlights of my ROC assignment was personally meeting General Chang-Kai Shek, president of the ROC, and his wife, Madame Chang-Kai Shek. Another highlight of my assignment was my recommendation to establish an Auditor Training School for the ROC Military Auditors. My recommendation was approved by our USAAA headquarters and was implemented. The school was held in Taipei and required, among many other things interpreters, translation of materials and a team of instructors from the USAAA. The school was highly successful.

In 1965, I was transferred from Taiwan to Washington DC.