USAFSS Misawa Family - Memories/Collectibles

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~ Click on any photo for original size ~

1954 Airman's Club Lighter
Again, the winged "M" over the "919".

1960 Ronson Butane Lighter
Inscribed with old Japanese proverb (kotowaza) that says:

"Yoi-ni nana tabi, hi-ni san do,
Ona gokoro to aki-no sora."

Who knows their proverbs? The Alley josans really gave me takusan grief when they'd read this saying! Owner ~ Dutch Wiest

1964
Zippo lighter with USAFSS emblem
Owner ~ Tom Ryan

Operation Eye Sight lighter
Owner ~ Sandy Sanderson

Misawa AB Rocker Club Lighter
Unknown vintage
Owner ~ "Doc" Dunn

1964 Operation Eyesignt Lapel Pin This is the initial offerring of this memento. The design was based on a photo of a bandaged individual who had benefitted from this charitable fund. Owner ~ Dick O'Donnell

1975 Operation Eyesignt Lighter This is from 1975-1976 time frame and was acquired with a donation to Operation Eyesight. Owner ~ Randy Graves

Old Penguin Lighter
Misawa Airmen's Club
Vintage unknown.

Old Penguin Lighter
Misawa Airmen's Club
The winged logo shows an "M" over a stylized "919", Misawa's APO number.

Misawa Rocker Club Lighter
Vintage unknown.

Misawa AB Rocker Club Lighter
Unknown vintage
Owner ~ "Doc" Dunn

1965 Bracelet/Openers
Side A
Link bracelet and 2 Sapporo Beer/Ribbon Citron Juice openers
Owner ~ Granny Welch

1965 Bracelet/Openers
Side B
Link bracelet (says "George") and two Sapporo Beer/Ribbon Citron Juice openers
Owner ~ Granny Welch

1966 Openers
2 Sapporo Beer/Ribbon Citron Juice openers
Owner ~ Dan Tholen

1968 Asahi Beer
Bottle Opener
"Asahi" = morning sun; note rising sun logo Owner ~ Mike Turner

1968 Mitsuya Cider
Bottle Opener
"Mitsuya" = 3 arrows; note 3-arrowhead logo
Owner ~ Mike Turner

Sapporo Beer Church Key, side 1
From 1971-1974 era
Owner ~ Jodie Cotten

Sapporo Beer Church Key, side 2
From 1971-1974 era
Owner ~ Jodie Cotten

1973 Sapporo Beer Church Key
Owner ~ Tom "GRIZZ" Ochsner

Church Key
Owner ~ Frank Bergin

1972 Pocket Opener
Fashioned from a Hyaku Man Ryo (100,000 ryo - obsolete Japanese currency) coin
Owner ~ Rob Price

1972 Church Key
Repatriated from
AP Alley
Owner ~ Doc Dunn

1973 Vintage
Church Key
Owner ~ Margaret Daberko Ganter

Church Key from 1974
Owner ~ Helen Henderson

Sapporo Bottle Opener
c. 1976
Owner ~ Marv Borgman

Kirin Bottle Opener
c. 1976
Owner ~ Marv Borgman

MPC 5¢ (paper nickel) from 1952 (front/back)
Owner ~ Larry Johnson

Military-issue ¥1 Note from 1952 (front/back)
Owner ~ Larry Johnson

MPC 5¢ (paper nickel) from 1962 (front/back)
Two of these would sometimes buy you a well drink at the Static Club!
Owner ~ Dutch Wiest

MPC One-dollar Bill
Previous versions (early 60's) were blue in color ~
hence, they were sometimes referred
to as "Blue Blades".

Vintage MPC
from the 50's/60's You can tell these MPC "coins" have spent some time in GI pockets - but not for very long. Promptly turned into yen, no doubt. Owner ~ George Hennis

1944
Rare 50 Sen Note Much like the US has 10 mills to the penny, the Japanese have 100 sen to the yen. Thus, this 50 Sen Note was worth ½ yen! While 50 sen might have been worth something in 1944, it wouldn't buy much beer by 1960!
Owner ~ JN Young

Antique Japanese Coin Vintage unknown, but this was a collector's item in the early 60's when purchased. Like many other coins, the hole in the middle was used to string coins on a leather string, so as not to lose them. Owner ~ Dutch Wiest

¥1 Note
The rate of exchange for many years was ¥360/$1 US, so you probably didn't have much to do with these.

¥100 Note
These were far more common, and many could be seen trading hands on any given day (or night) in any bar in AP Alley.

1970
¥100 Note
Owner ~ "C.Q." Dudkiewicz

1970
¥1000 Note
Owner ~ "C.Q." Dudkiewicz

¥1,000 & ¥500 Notes
(face)
liberated in 1972
Owner ~ Gary Schenauer

¥1,000 & ¥500 Notes
(back)
liberated in 1972
Owner ~ Gary Schenauer

¥1,000 Note from 1974
This note carried considerable buying power for many years in Misawa.

Face: ¥20 Note (top) and ¥1 Note (bottom) ¥20 note probably issued by US Occupation Forces at the end of the war. The ¥1 note was standard Japanese currency. Owner ~ E. George Hennis

Reverse: ¥20 Note (top) and ¥1 Note (bottom) ¥20 note probably issued by US Occupation Forces at the end of the war. The ¥1 note was standard Japanese currency. Owner ~ E. George Hennis

1974 Yen Notes ¥1000, ¥500 and ¥100 notes from 1974. Owner ~ Jodie Cotten

1970's Japanese Coins
Top L-R: 50¥, 10¥, 5¥, 1¥
Bottom L-R: 500¥, 100¥
Owner ~ Ed Benningfield

Heritage Hall Coin [face]
Issued 2002 in Misawa commemorating the opening of the MCOC Heritage Hall Museum on Security Hill.

Heritage Hall Coin [reverse]
Issued 2002 in Misawa commemorating the opening of the MCOC Heritage Hall Museum on Security Hill.

Misawa
Challenge Coin
Designed and minted in 2002, this Misawa Challenge Coin was the project of BJ Cook with some creative design effort by Wayne Babb. The coin commemorates Misawa and Johnson AB's and denotes the various designations of the USAF Security Service in Misawa.
Owner ~ BJ Cook

1974 FIGMO (Short Timer) Ribbon
Owner ~ Margaret Daberko (Ganter)

1959
Wake Island
Money Clip Purchased at the terminal on Wake Island during the refueling stop from Hawaii to Japan in 1959.
Owner ~
Dutch Wiest

Misawa Challenge Coin (face)

Misawa Challenge Coin (reverse)

Misawa Commanders Coin
- date unknown -

72-73 Thirsty 13 Medallion
Owner ~ Len Turnbull

Static Club Nickel
Always good for a bottomless cup of fresh, hot coffee with enough free refills to float your kidneys.

Static Club Nickel [reverse]
Trick 1

Static Club Nickel [reverse]
Trick 2

Static Club Nickel [reverse]
Trick 3

Static Club Nickel [reverse]
Trick 4

1961 Japanese Soroban (aka Abacus) Batteries not included ... none needed! I'm sure you all remember these things ... the soroban (or abacus), or what GI's sometimes called baka boards. Purchase a few items in the grocery and mamasan whipped this thing out to calculate your total in seconds. Precursor to the calculator, the soroban was a required subject for Japanese school kids.
Owner ~ Dutch Wiest

1961 Japanese Sumitsubo Called a sumitsubo, this is the equivalent of the American carpenter's chalk line - used to mark a straight line between two points. This one was purchased in Misawa for ¥210 in 1961. The wheel at the back contained the string that ran through a hole, into the bowl which contained a black inky liquid, then on through a hole in the front. Two guys would stretch it out from point A to point B, then lower it and snap it to scribe a line. Owner ~ Dutch Wiest

1959 Ornamental Pipe "I realized years later what I might have here is an opium pipe! Am I right?" Owner ~ Marvin Schroeder

Misawa Coffee Mug "During my last TDY to Misawa in 1985, I stopped by the Oriental Concession across from the BX. They had plates and cups with this image. I couldn't resist, so bought several of each." Owner ~ Ed Benningfield

Electronic Goniometer Coffee Cup
Is it really safe to drink from these things?

1971 Sayonara Cup
Owner ~ Buster Donahue

1973 Cups
from Sumo Match These complementary cups were given to each ticket holder to sumo matches in Tokyo. On the left is Yokozuna Wajima - on the right is Yokozuna Takanohana.
Owner ~
Tom "Grizz" Ochsner

1977 Souvenir
Ferry Keychain
Owner ~
"C.Q." Dudkiewicz

1982 Hachinohe Horse The Hachinohe Horse was well known to troops around Misawa, and it was a custom to present one to those who were shipping out, signed by comrades.
This lil' horsie is of the rarer "anatomically correct" variety. Owner ~ Steve Kelly

1965-1985 Japanese Trinkets "Does anyone remember all the little trinklets you could purchase in Japan? All national parks and larger cities had them. I have a collection of 150+ pens/badges from Japan which are framed and in the attic gathering insulation dust." Owner ~ Ed Benningfield

1974
Tokyo Tower
Key Chain
Note: 333 meters high
Owner ~ Tom "Grizz" Ochsner

1972 Vase
From Glass Factory
Owner ~ Tom "Grizz" Ochsner

1972 Ginger Jar
From Misawa BX
Owner ~ Tom "Grizz" Ochsner

1976 Nikka Bears
Owner ~ George Binkley

1970's Nikka Bears
Note one bear is missing a vital organ!
Owner ~ Buster Donahue

197x Kokeshi Dolls Having outgrown the status of being a toy for children, Kokeshi is now recognized as one of the traditional folk arts in Japan. Owner ~
Helen Henderson

Kokeshi Doll
Owner ~
RC Cooper

Fat Man Bank
Owner ~
RC Cooper

1960 Hokkaido Bear Carving These bears were carved mostly by the Japanese Ainu and were a very popular souvenir amongst GI's. Owner ~
Dutch Wiest

Japanese noren
from Towada-ko
Owner ~
Danny Russell

1975 USAFSS
EI Team Equipment Tag
USAFSS Engineering and Installation (E&I) Team placed one of these tags on all equipment they installed at all USAFSS sites. Owner ~
Ed Benningfield

1974 Santana Tokyo Concert Ticket
Ticket for a Santana Concert that took place in Tokyo on 9 Dec 1974.
Owner ~
Lydia Crooks

1970's
Old Miyaki's Restaurant
Chopstick Paper
Owner ~
Ed Benningfield

1970's Royal Restaurant Chopsticks
Owner ~
Ed Benningfield

1960 Kabuki Doll
Owner ~ Ed White

1970 Japanese Doll
with Warrior Helmet
Owner ~ George T. Logan, Jr.

1970 Japanese Doll
Cherry Blossom Princess
Owner ~ George T. Logan, Jr.

1973 Festival Doll
Owner ~ Tom "Grizz" Ochsner

197x Wisteria & Samurai Dolls
Owner ~
Helen Henderson

Doolittle Figurines Owner ~
Bill & Jane Doolittle

Rare 6921st RGM Ashtray
Glued a time or two, but still intact.

1960
6989th RSM Ashtray In near perfect shape with no breaks or chips; somehow preserved all these years by Bob Mason before making it a gift to me. Thanks, Bob! Owner ~ Dutch Wiest

1961-64
6989th RSM Ashtray
In really great shape for the shape it's in! Owner ~ Steve Kelly

1958 Japanese Porcelain Pieces Large papasan & mamasan; small papasan & mamasan; jade floral arrangement, rice cup, condiment bowl Owner ~
Ben Hendrix