My name is Stanley Mataichi Sagara. My Christian
name was given to me by my first grade teacher who was
probably from the Midwest and had never had an experience
with Orientals. Apparently my Japanese name was too
hard to remember for roll call so all the Japanese
children in my class were given Christian names which we
carried through out our lives.
Having been born in August I have just turned 81. I
have visited 66 countries, however some of these countries
are no longer separate, such as Macau or Hong Kong.
Likewise Taiwan may revert back to China in the near
future.
Some of my foreign travels were while I was on military
duty and some were when I was on eye care missions with
Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH), and the
balance were when I took tours to these countries.
Several trips have been repeats. I still consider
Japan as my favourite country, the birthplace of my father
and mother. I still have a number of third cousins
in Japan as I have second cousins in Brazil. My
second choice would be Austria, where I was when WWII
ended.
I was in D Company, 506th Pcht Rgt, 10lst Airborne
Division. When the war ended eight Japanese-American
paratroopers were transferred to the 82nd AB Division
because the l0lst was scheduled to go to the Pacific
Theater to help defeat Japan. Due to our race we
were assigned to Europe, hover about 6000 Japanese
American GIs were assigned to various units in the Pacific
War as Interpreters-Translators. Each was assigned two big
Caucasian GIs as body guards who accompanied them
everywhere (even to the latrine) so they would not be
mistaken for an infiltrated Japanese soldier.
I would very much like to visit Scandinavia, I have only
been to Denmark so far. I have been to Copenhagen and
Helsinki on several occasions but only in transit.
My special travel equipment is a nylon bath cloth made in
Japan. It is helpful to remove dead skin and helpful
to scrub my back. ($6.00). In my travels I try to keep my
carry on suitcase under 28 pounds which I send as checked
baggage. In addition I carry a shoulder bag which
can be converted to a small back pack where I carry my
shaving kit and other items that I need at my first hotel,
in case my checked bag goes astray. In this way I do not
need to access my checked bag for three days if
necessary. I actually weigh my packed bag and may
remove some items if the bag is too heavy. I try not to
take any item again if I did not use it on my trip, except
clothing to suit the difference in expected weather
conditions. I also live out of my packed suitcase for a
week prior to leaving for the trip so that I do not forget
some important item or if I think I can do without an
item, it is left at home. If you cant carry your own bag,
its too heavy, Better repack! I do not take whole
tour books, only those pages that are pertinent. I like
maps and take good ones which are helpful to help write my
travel journals. A small compass is very helpful,
especially at night or in such places as subways.
The longest travel trip I have taken was for 38 days,
which is about the most I want to take. They say
“When you start to look like your picture in your
passport, its time to go home! Australia had many
surprises for me. I knew it was a big country and that we
would only see a portions of it but a lot of country is a
desert. I did get cleaned out of my essential
possessions while in Oaxaca, Mexico. As it usually is, I
have to blame myself. I kept everything in my shoulder bag
which I set down on the floor while I paid for my parking
fee at a public garage. Less than a minute was all it
took. No one saw anything, so they told me.
I have trapped pickpocket’s hands in my pockets,
once in Sao Paulo, Brazil and again in San Miguel de
Allende, GTO, Mexico. I learned that its better to chalk
it up to experience rather than involve the police. They
can tie you up for hours taking statements, by someone who
is not fluent in English and they may want the money or
article involved as evidence, which you will probably
never see again since you will be moving on in a day or
so.
While visiting in Korea I purchased several bargain priced
sneakers which were irregulars or factory over runs. They
were about two or three dollars a pair. I gave the
salesman a US ten dollar bill and waited for my change. He
asked me how I was fixed for sport socks and placed a
bundle (probably 10 pairs) on the counter. I said
I’m OK and still waited for my change. He puts
another bundle of sport socks on the counter, still no
change. I hesitate, he places a third bundle on the
counter. I think he is not going to let that US ten get
away from him. It became amusing to me the way it was
turning our, when I should have been angry at the
salesman. I finally took the several bundle of sports
socks, the salesman kept my US ten and I have still a good
supply of Korean sport socks (one size fits all).
As an American of Japanese decent we were not permitted to
enter the US military service. In fact the ones who were
in the service were given early discharges, except the few
that fell through the cracks.
Later when the all Japanese-American Regimental Combat
Team was formed we were permitted to volunteer to join. I
was attending college at the time and was later drafted at
Ft Leavenworth, KS. I was given the Japanese language test
(we all took the test) but I did not pass so I went to
Infantry basic training in CampShelby, Hattiesburg,
Mississippi. On my first pass to Hattiesburg I got off the
bus and had to use the restroom. I only saw signs for
BLACKS ONLY and WHITES ONLY but nothing in between. My
first experience in the segregated south. I used the
toilet in the local USO which had no colour bar.
Upon finishing basic training I volunteered for the
Paratroopers, mainly because I could double my pay (Jump
Pay was $50.00) My parents and younger siblings were in a
government operated concentration camp near Cody, Wyoming
with any income so I was sending them part of my pay check
each month. They could purchase some items in the camp
canteen or order from the catalogue sales or ask their
friends to do the shopping for them outside the camp.
After the war I transferred over to the newly formed US
Air force and completed my 20 years of military service. I
joined the Lions Club soon after I retired and one of the
projects we had was collecting donated eye glasses. No one
could tell me what happened to the eye glasses after we
collected them.
I later discovered that the Volunteer Optometric Services
to Humanity (VOSH) a group of eye doctors and lay
personnel actually go on eye care missions to third world
countries to examine patients and give out recycled eye
glasses, at no cost. I have been on some 16 eye care
missions to some very interesting places, such as India,
Thailand, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, Bulgaria, Ukraine,
Russia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and many other
countries.
I must point out that we do pay our own way but sometimes
we get reduced air fare or our sponsoring organization may
take care of food and lodging. On each trip we have the
option of taking a side trip to visit some interesting
places.
I also joined Friendship Force International, an
organization started by Pres Jimmy Carter. There are clubs
all over the world. We visit other club members as a group
and they in turn visit other clubs around the world by
mutual agreement. Usually a week of hosted family visits.
I went with the club to Russia for three weeks and on
another trip I went to Freiberg, Germany in the Black
Forest and to Oltzysn, Poland where we met some very nice
people who really like Americans.
Apparently I do not have a face that people think of as
typical American. Although I tell them I’m from
America they still question my origin so to make it
uncomplicated I just tell them “Mongolia”
which satisfies their curiosity. There is more to this
story, but this will have to do for now. Maybe later
I’ll think up some more things about my travels.
Stanley Mataichi Sagara (the Mongolian).
Footnote by Mac: The ‘Arab’ in the picture is
Stanley Sagara. He brought the Arab outfit in Tangiers and
it is genuine although I think it is Palestine rather than
Moroccan garb Another friend William “Mike”
Westfall took the picture and put in the caption. It was
taken at our small AFRH-W Halloween Party. We do not dress
like that every day (I do but not the others!)
If you would like to contact Stanley, he is happy to
answer e-mails on: smsagara2@aol.com
