Digger at Work

So, I'm trying to guess the chronological order of the photos based on Digger's rank (if visible) and amount of hair loss. Sometimes, there is a date on the photo, too.

Major. Watch on right arm. No info on photo.

No info. I don't recognize the sofa fabric, so I don't think this was taken at home.

This photo is labeled: Hallowe'en, Kanko Hotel. What is that costume supposed to be? When the American forces moved into Japan after the war, the took over some of the buildings. The Kanko Hotel was converted to an Officers Club. We used to go there on Sundays. We would eat dinner and then all the kids would drag their chairs up to the front of the dance floor. They would show cartoons and a movie. This is where dad performed the rabbit-jumping-up-your-arm that he made from a cloth napkin. We played "Letter B," a game where you'd get a ight punch on the arm for saying words with the letter B in them. Patty got her arm stuck through the back of the chair and caused a huge commotion as many people assisted in trying to get it out. They almost sawed through the chair. Patty also had bubble gum thrown into her hair by some other kid. Dad gave Greg and me a dollar worth of nickels and set us up at the slot machines. We ate frog legs. He made us learn to use chopsticks on a bowl of salted peanuts. For money we used the Japanese currency, yen, when dealing with Japanese, but to shop at the American places there was a certain kind of script and you got it at the Kanko Hotel. Can't remember the exact name. Vendors would come and this is where mom got some of her pearls.

Cute Dixie cup with paper handles..what is that speaker by the phone for? No info on this picture.

No info. Dad hard at work in his shades and check out the old typewriter.

Sep, 1966 In the Air Force they say, "Don't shoot 'em, Chanute 'em." This was dad's last assignment, Chanute AFB, Illinois.

September, 1966. The watch has moved. This casual uniform was called 1505s. In 1967 Dad retired and moved the family to Tempe, AZ.

Golfing in Japan

Here's some photos of Digger on the golf course in Nagoya, Japan. The hat was light pink with black dots and black pom pom.

Double Divot Diggin' Digger Davitt

I know you will all recognize this picture. Mom had it in a frame on her dresser for years. I always thought the straw hat was unbelievably awful. Dad liked it cuz it let the air in. He (and mom) played a lot of golf in Japan. They had Japanese caddies and got waited on hand and foot at the clubhouse. Remember how he would give you those karate chop back rubs? He always got them at the golf club...that's where he learned it. And this is where he got the nickname, Digger.

Big Picnic in Japan

How typical is this picture? This was taken at the "company" picnic. Mom was pregnant with Steve. You can see me to the left of Dad, with Ponytail Patty facing me. (I am wearing my favorite dark-green and white checked shirt and red shorts) I don't see Greg. Needless to say, Digger is in charge of kids' games and he's getting us all in order. In that straw hat. This was my first three-legged race and sack race. There was a HUGE wooden slide at this park. We stayed there all day and into the night.

Getting to Japan

My sister, Pat, was born in North Carolina, and when she was a few months old, we moved to Salt Lake City. (Actually Mom, a new baby, Terry and Greg rode a train across the country. Mom told stories of a priest who was kind and helped her for a while with her kids. I remember riding the train through the Rocky Mountains.) Dad was going to Japan ahead of us and Mom had family there. We lived in a rental apartment and I started second grade and piano lessons. Then we had our pictures taken for the passport.Then we got on a huge ship, the U.S.S. Breckenridge with a zillion other military families, sailed past Alcatraz, under the Golden Gate Bridge and went to Japan. Greg and I were pretty concerned about Santa Claus finding us, so it must've been December. Mom was seasick for the entire trip so Greg and Pat and I just roamed the ship. Learned to play checkers and saw The Littlest Angel at the kiddie movies.This ship served as a destroyer in the Korean War (Dad flew a lot of missions to Korea) earning four battle stars, after it dropped us off in Yokohama. The Japanese were delighted to see us.

New Years Day, Japan

January 1, 1956It was the custom in the Air Force in those days, to call on your commanding officer on the first day of the year. The commander basically held an open house and you would make your call any time during the prescribed hours. There was always a silver tray by door for calling cards. Sometimes people had the trays made from the engraving plates from their wedding invitations.
This picture is taken in front of our quarters in Castle Heights. You can see the number and "Lt Col R. G. Davitt" on the sign to the left of the door. I think I took the picture with my Box Brownie. Mom was wearing a green knit suit. Check out her handbag--the top trim is made from real tortoise shell.

Nagoya, Japan 55 - 57

Quarters 406-B, Castle Heights, Nagoya, Japan
Jan 1954 - Apr 1957

We lived in a U.S. Air Force housing area called Castle Heights in Nagoya, Japan. Our building was very long--4 families lived there--and the neighbors would all get together in the back in the evenings. They would cook steak and burgers on the Japanese hibachi and roast marshmallows. In this picture, Digger is dispensing a treat to a neighbor. I don't know her name. You can see the hibachi of the late 50s look nothing like those of today. The posts are the clotheslines. Check out the swanky lawn lounger.

Digger led the neighborhood kids in games several times a week. Kick the Can, Hide and Go Seek, Mother May I, Red Light-Green Light, Dodge Ball, Red Rover and Slow Bike Races are some that I remember.

Before housing was available, Mom, Dad, Greg, Patty and I lived in "Private Rental"--a Japanese couple rented out half of their home to us. 60 1-Chome, Yamanaka-Cho, Showa-Ku, Nagoya-Ken, Japan, was our address from Jan 54 - Jan 55. Digger made Greg and me memorize it so we could recite it to taxi drivers.