The U.S. Occupation of Japan After WW II

Aug. 19, 2011 - PRLog -- (VERO BEACH, FLORIDA) – The late Norma Jean Cone wrote to her parents, sister and brother during a tour as civilian member of the U.S. forces occupying Japan right after WWII.  She was the first American woman to be part of a team inventorying the assets of the Bank of Japan.

Letters Home author Earle Kirkbride married Jean in 1961. Many times they discussed writing a book or screenplay about her experiences in Japan and later in the Philippines and Europe where she had worked prior to their marriage. They hadn't gotten to it when she died after a short illness in 1983.

For years it was too painful for Kirkbride to even think about reviewing the many things Jean had done and the places she had traveled, but finally, telling the story in her own words seemed like a tribute, and perhaps a contribution to knowledge about the U.S. occupation – about which little was written, even as it was occurring. He also discovered there was little formally documented about the cache of jewelry, gold, silver and platinum in the vaults of the Bank of Japan at the end of WWII – but Jean had left so many clues.

Letters Home, unintentionally, became a piecing together of an all but forgotten period in American history.

About the author: Earle Kirkbride was born in rural Northern, N.Y., attended one-room schools, served in the U. S, Navy, and graduated from St. Lawrence University. He has been married twice and has a son and daughter. He has lived and worked in N.Y., California, Virginia, and Florida. His career has been principally writing, editing, and managing technical information programs in Navy laboratories, free-lance photojournalism, and writing Letters Home. You can read more at http://lettershomethebook.com.

What they're saying about Letters Home:
“Her letters… candidly reveal what life was like for the Japanese and the American Occupation forces in 1947 and 1948.” - Gene Hull, Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers

“She takes us on a social whirl of young Americans living abroad on the sharp edge of history. “ - Al Christman, author of Target Hiroshima

“Tales of diamonds, friendships, tragedies, and more will entice any reader into knowing Norma Jean’s amazing true story.” - Rachel Riley, Gouverneur Tribune-Press

Title: Letters Home
Author: Earle Kirkbride
Genre: History
ISBN: 978-1440138843, 1440138842
Publication Date: May 28, 2009
Pages: 256
Price: $19.95
Publisher: iUniverse

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