I've heard from a number of folks over the years about their youthful, formulative years on Okinawa. Whether their dad - or mom - was Air Force, Navy, Marine or Army they all have a different story to tell. And their memories are all different. Oh, I didn't mean to leave out a very important and sizable group of folks - the American civilians such as Civil Service and Department of Defense Schools teachers.
I bought the DVD "Brats: Our Journey Home," a film by Donna Musil and don't regret a single penny of that investment.
Almost to a person, folks say they're glad they were overseas,glad to be back home in the good ol' US of A and, with few exceptions, want to go back to Okinawa. Whether to visit or to retire there, there's just something about the culture... the beautiful people of Okinawa is what makes it for me. Sadly, with each passing year subsequent generations of Okinawans will be so deeply enmeshed in Japanese culture that I worry they'll lose their inherent and unique identity.
What do you think of your experiences, whether as a youth or as an adult, on Okinawa?
