Postwar Okinawa / Keywords in Postwar Okinawa 3/4

The crash of a U.S. military jet on Miyamori Elementary School
On June 30, 1959 tragedy occurred when a U.S. military jet aircraft crashed on the Miyamori Elementary School in Ishikawa City, killing seventeen people including eleven children, seriously injuring 121 persons and setting fire to 25 homes. The pilot ejected before the crash and was unharmed. The U.S. military declared it to be an unavoidable accident and promised adequate compensation but final settlement took close to three years.
Vietnam War
Before the war Vietnam was a colony of France but Japan occupied it for fifteen years during the war. Afterwards, the country was divided between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and Vietnam (South Vietnam). France, America, Great Britain and others actively intervened in support of the south. Kadena military base in Okinawa became an important station for the sorties, logistics, and dispatch of troops to the battlefields.
The Myth of Autonomy
High Commissioner Lt. General Paul W. Caraway exercised absolute power and caused a whirlwind with his comments such as "Currently autonomy is a myth - it doesn't exist. And until the people of the Ryukyus decide that they once again wish to be a sovereign nation, there will be no autonomy in the future either."
The Fukkikyo (Reversion Council)
The Okinawa Reversion to the Fatherland Council (shortened to Fukkikyo in Japanese) conducted reversion activities every year on the day of separation from Japan, April 28, 1952. To the council it was "Humiliation Day" and they held protest activities on this date after that.
Transfer of Jurisdiction Protest
In 1966, under the order of High Commissioner Albert Watson, jurisdiction in two lawsuits, "The Mackerel Case" and the "Tomori Election Case," both involving orders issued by the U.S. Civil Administration, were transferred from the Ryukyu Court of Appeals to the U.S. Civil Administration Courts. The Ryukyuan Court responded to the order for transfer, but due to the increasing demands for autonomy from the Okinawan residents, the Legislature adopted a resolution calling for the order for transfer of jurisdiction to be rescinded. High Commissioner Watson paid no heed to the resolution and was in command at the judgement. The court decision by the Ryukyuan Court recognized the decision of the U.S. Civil Administration Court decision and victory in the election was awarded to Tomori. Later the High Commissioner was changed.
Twin Education Bill Protest
The "Twin Education Bills" refer to two bills, the "Regional Education District Public Employee Law" and the "Special Law for Public Employees in Education." They clarified the legal position of regional public employees and guaranteed their positions. Parts of the bills concerning teachers implemented evaluations, restricted political activities and prohibited the participation in strikes. The teacher's unions, joined by other groups, saw this as an attempt to destroy the reversion movement and opposed the law.
The Koza Riot
Past 11:00 o'clock on the evening of December 19, 1970 a U.S. soldier driving across an intersection hit an Okinawan. The residents of the area protested because they believed the case was being handled by the Military Police unfairly. Warning shots fired by the MPs to discourage the crowd resulted in an explosion of anti-American sentiment. The angry crowd overturned vehicles of Americans and set them on fire. Police and soldiers in full battle gear were called out to quell the disturbance, but it lasted six hours and resulted in the burning of seventy-three U.S. vehicles. Some in the crowd entered areas attached to Kadena Military Base and burnt three buildings down including an office and a U. S. elementary school.
Toxic Gas Transport
On July 8,1969 there was an accidental leakage of toxic gas from a munitions storage facility in the Chibana section of central Okinawa Island. Twenty-four U.S. servicemen were hospitalized with sickness from it and the event was kept secret. Personnel in the area related to the military, unhappy with the incident, revealed the accident to the media. In response to questions about the incident made by Chief Executive Yara, High Commissioner Lampert stated that the injuries were of an extremely minor nature.
A few days later the U.S. State Department confirmed that deadly gasses such as Sarin and Mustard gas were being stored in Okinawa, which caused reaction both domestically and internationally. Protest for the removal of the gas from Okinawa resulted in it being transferred to U.S. Territory on Johnston Island.
In January of 1971 the U.S. military began transport of the gas to Tengan Pier. During that period of time, 5,000 residents along the passage took refuge.

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