Robert N.Shively Sr.

Born 15 March 1930

Assigned to Sugamo 14 May 1947

Departed 28 November 1949

Medical Discharge in 1954

Married to Elizabeth (aka Betty) 4 February 1955

Called to his Heavenly Home 23 March 1999

(As told by Bob)"At the tender young age of 16 years old I tried to join the U.S. Navy, but was told to grow up and come back in a couple of years. I thought it over and decided to register with the Draft Board. That was very easy, because nobody would register if they didn't have to and with my newly acquired draft card I went to the Army Recruiters office and signed up for duty in the 11th Airborne Division. After basic training I was shipped to Japan, where I was to attend Jump School at Camp Schimmelpfenig in Hokaido, Japan. Upon arrival at Camp Zama, near Yokohama, Japan the plans were changed for all aboard the ship.


(Pictured is Bob Shively [left] Lima, Ohia, and Charles Washburn,Waukegan, Illinois.

Everyone from a specified area on the ship were directed to go to the Airborne and the rest were to be assigned to the U.S. Cavalry. I was selected to report to the Headquarter Company, 7th cavalry Regiment in Tokyo. After a short assignment there I was transferred to serve at Sugamo Prison, an U.S. Eighth Army unit whose task was to house and maintain all of the Japanese War Criminals during their trials and enforcement of the sentencing. I was assigned to the Guard Section prior being assigned as a Jailer. I was fortunate enough to work with the Class "A" prisoners and felt that they would all be sentenced to hang for their activities during the war, but was disappointed when the verdicts only selected to hang 7 of the top 25.

After Tojo was hung on December 23rd 1948 I was assigned to duty in the Labor Office, where all of the Japanese indigenous personnel were hired etc. Those were the cooks, painters, electricians, plumber and laundry workers that were hired to maintain the prison. There were also houseboys that were hired to keep the Quonset huts clean for the GIs'.


(Pictured is:[left to right]
Edward Preece, Salt Lake City, Utah...Bob Shively, Lima, Ohio...Raymond F. O'Neil, Cleveland, Ohio)

The 1947 football team was a fine team with a lot of talent and that proved to be correct as we won the League Championship. The title game was played at Nile Kinnick Stadium in Mejii Park, which was a full athletic facility that was built for the 1936 Olympics, but was not used as the Olympic that year were held in Berlin. That was the year that Jesse Owens was snubbed by Hitler at the award ceremonies. My superior Officer in the Labor Office was Captain Benjamin Oberlin, who was also from Lima, Ohio, which was my hometown. He approached me to ask if I would volunteer to teach American football to a Japanese School called " Jiyu Gakuen ", which translate into " Freedom School ". I agreed to this request and spent the next 5 weekends coaching American football to these ambitious young students. The final touch was evident when they held an open house and all of the parents and local dignitary attended the " Football game", which was a total success.

I received a letter of commendation from the School Administrator, which had also been sent and published in the "Stars & Stripes" newspaper for publication. I was so proud to be recognized in this fashion.

I was given a letter of commendation from Captain Oberlin along with his request that I be considered for application to OCS (Officers Candidate School). Considering my lack of formal education I considered this quite a compliment.

At the completion of my Sugamo assignment I was re-assigned to the Signal Corps at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., where I spent the next four years. I have always been very proud of the time of service I spent at Sugamo and have kept a special fondness of those days. There was a comraderie there, very similar to that you would find in a fraternity in college."



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