Why are we leaving Okinawa?
@jpsb I am not so sure "We" are. The USMC is leaving,but there is no word of the USCG,the USA,or the USAF leaving.
The Okinawan people and government were wanting the USMC booted off the island when I got there in 1965. I have no idea how much earlier they were wanting to give Marines the boot.
Seems like they had a lot of trouble with a certain segment of young Marines wanting to gang beat Okinawan men and gang rape Okinawan women. It is not politically correct to identify this group of young men,but I do remember several cases of them being prosecuted under local law and sentenced to Japanese prisons while I was there,and vaguely remember 4 more being found guilty of gang rape and beatings several years ago and whining in the papers about going to jail in Japan. Jail in Japan is a WHOLE new thing to homeboys used to controlling the system. Step out of line in a Japanese prison and the guards WILL beat the snot out of you. They will beat the snot out of you if you are Japanese (as long as you aren't connected to a Japanese organized crime family),so you KNOW they will beat you like a drum if you don't look Asian.
Yes,there are people of this ethnic group on Okinawa that serve in the US Army,USAF,and maybe even the USCG,but it seems the USMC gets the ones with the lowest IQ's and the USMC promotes aggressiveness. Big surprise on the last part,huh? Who would ever think the USMC would want their cannon fodder to be aggressive?
Seems like some groups deal with it better than other groups,though.
The Japanese don't want people of this ethnicity stationed in Japan,either. Port calls in Japan always seem to lead to arresting sailors of this ethnic group for petty thefts and violence.
Can't remember who these people are right at the moment. Maybe Mennonites? Billy Bob's from Arkansas?
