Guadalcanal 1942

Arthur Pendleton

I wish I had known Arthur Pendleton when he was alive. He was a WWII veteran who served in the South Pacific with the US Marines. His widow Maryanne Pendleton has provided me with some harrowing accounts of his service, including some printed interviews.

My Father was in Okinawa and Korea, but his service records were lost in the National Personnel Records fire on July 12, 1973.

Like many other WWII veterans my Dad never told stories about the war. My uncle Ed Poltrack flew bombing mission from Port Moresby and my uncle Francis Poltrack, a Marine was killed in the Battle of Peleliu. Ironically Arthur was supposed to be part of that invasion but was in a hospital with a burst appendix.

Photo below of my Dad with a Japanese flag he took off a dead soldier.

The Japanese Fan

Maryanne Pendleton is a member of our Tai Chi group that meets on the Temple Town Green on weekday mornings. She gave me a Japanese fan that Arthur had found in the pack of a Japanese soldier he had just killed. Maryanne explained that later in his life he spoke of having regrets for taking so many lives. The fan had writing on it and we wondered if it had some sentimental value, perhaps a gift from a loved one.

I decided to attempt to translate the characters using Google Lens and Google Translate.  I was only partially successful. I could find enough words to guess this was some type of propaganda to instill a feeling of nationalism. Such a waste. How many people need to die because they follow fanatical leaders or causes?

Left Side

An attempted translation from Google Lens of left side of fan

if the people of
three, gu
the black of the pacific
It’s time to bravely go to the continent
that blood burns
across the Pacific
line
Pacific Ocean
my sea
spirit to the world
show in
Pacific Ocean
song
four,
our
We are
Extend the life of the emperor
pacific
wealth
It’s a good day
Funoda of tomorrow
Chrysanthemums for Miyoshi
there is no hope
child of the sea
everyone once
longed for
Pacific Ocean)
I struck a tree with life as a target
this shelf
sleep more
Japanese
legs
hurt me
Hibikiko advances towards the cat with a splash

Right Side

Attempted translation from Google Lens of right side of fan

At first glance, look at the opening of the Touto window
in the morning clouds
Kinnashi unwavering
patriotism
trip
song
Awaken a single county
Lottery
Hakkou
Shima Matsuura building
Eight is sweet potato
Yuru Fuji
be proud of our japan
~
Now I’m on my way
A great mission to subordinate to Goryou
Nko
To
and protect that justice
guide the people of the four seas
Gite
a,
from the generation of
A storm of trial embroidery.
Daikoshin
great marcher
The way he goes is only a little bit he inherits
road
even to protect
~pace
power
Kooka always
that

“Eight is sweet potato”, “Kooka always” are confusing . If you can help with a translation, please leave a comment.