The Bonin Islands lie a good distance out in the Pacific Ocean south east of Japan. They were unpopulated, or virtually so, until the 1830s when an occasional sailor, especially English and American whalers jumped ship and settled there. Some wives joined them and also women from other Pacific islands. It was a good and easy life, according to Jerry Savory, who was born and raised there.

At the end of the 1800s Japan, in an expansionist and imperialistic mood decided to annex the islands. They were close enough to do so, and by the time others found out it was already an accomplished fact. Japan also began to settle Japanese on the islands. The original settlers occupied a special, and somewhat elevated, status. But they were subjects of the emperor.

During World War II the aforementioned Jerry Savory, a descendant of both American and Spanish seamen, served in the Japanese Navy as an English language expert. After the war, he was assigned to HECP as a translator. Curiously, I never saw him translate anything. For that matter, I never saw him do anything at all. Perhaps he was assigned to the commanding officer. We never used him on the Signal Tower.

Savory lived in a small apartment in a warehouse-like building on our three or four acre base. The building was off limits to us. I do not know why. He also had a wife, a truly beautiful woman who was, I think, also from the Bonin Islands, of Japanese ancestry. They did not socialize with anyone, neither Japanese nor American.

I was curious about them both and often asked Jerry about the islands. He would not talk about the war. He did not seem to mind me being friendly to his wife. She knew some English and we talked now and then. I felt we had a friendship and that was verified when she presented me with a photograph of herself when we left. She wrote her name on the back – in Japanese.

Jerry talked of returning to the Bonin Islands. I often wonder if they did.