Life!

[Rising_Sun]

@the_librarian

Hi all,

May 22, 1944. I’ve got the issue. It’s a full page black and white photo, labeled Photo of the Week.

Caption reads: (portions…I didn’t type the whole thing…)

“When he said goodby two years ago to Natalie Nickerson, 20, a war worker of Phoenix…Last week Natalie received a human skull, autographed by her lieutenant and 13 friends, and inscribed…‘picked up on the New guinea beach’…Natalie, suprised at the gift, named it Tojo. The armed forces disapprove strongly of this sort of thing.”

Thanks for clearing up my doubts about its authenticity.

I can understand troops in the field becoming callous, but it disturbs me that civilians at home could be anything but revolted by such “trophies”.

[Buildy]

“I can understand troops in the field becoming callous, but it disturbs me that civilians at home could be anything but revolted by such “trophies”.”

In 2008,it is hard to imagine the hatred toward the Japanese by the American public. The Japanese were considered sub human savages by many here,and trophies were indeed sought after.
Although I had no direct knowledge of the story of the skull being mailed to the GF I am not particularly surprised that it did occur.

[Rising_Sun]

@Buildy

In 2008,it is hard to imagine the hatred toward the Japanese by the American public. The Japanese were considered sub human savages by many here …

The same was true in Australia, which suffered a much more direct threat than America of invasion by Japan, but I have never heard anyone of my father’s generation which faced that threat say anything which would approve of such “trophies”.

[the_librarian]

KAPOW!!!

GOOGLE DOES IT AGAIN—WITH MAGAZINES!!!

CHECK THESE LINKS:

http://books.google.com/books?id=WNYDAAAAMBAJ

http://books.google.com/books?id=PN8DAAAAMBAJ

WOW!*

*I aplogize for all caps, but to a historical person, this is really good stuff.