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Okajima pedigree
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Im not sure the validity of Murray's information about the books being ordered and shipped to her at the camp for a few reasons.

 

1. He mentions that the code markings on the camp books could correspond to housing or bunk assignments, but when you look at the markings thru the camp era collection it is obvious that they are used as some sort of filing/order indica by the original owner.

 

2. I wonder if his assumption that they were shipped to her had to do with the fact that the comics were discovered wrapped in bundles in packing paper (as if they had been shipped). But I always thought that was just how she (or her family later) stored the comics.

 

I wonder if he knew that there were PXs on the camp grounds where comics (and other goods) could be purchased? If someone else was sending her the comics from outside the camp I would have assumed a more "girl-subject" slant to the subject matter of the books (especially in that era) versus what was actually purchased.

 

The idea that Okajima was interred from July of 1942 until Nov of '45 (I dont know this, but Im working under the assumption that most people were processed into the camp around when it opened, and were released when the Internment act was repealed and the camps were closed) means there's a lot of gaps in the camp era collection.

 

I am aware of zero books form 1942 or earlier (and I'd assume she was not able to bring any books from her home to the camp when they were brought in)

I only know of one book from 1943.

My list is largely from '44 when the "okajima" -script appears on the books.

By '45 (when she would still be in camp) that marking stops appearing and there's examples of date stamps, but there arent many '45 examples out there (Griff has found two)

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some quick fact checking shows the November 16, 1945 as the closure date for the Gila River Internment camp. She would have had to have been out of their before that date

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some quick fact checking shows the November 16, 1945 as the closure date for the Gila River Internment camp. She would have had to have been out of their before that date

 

yep, but for that whole year we've only uncovered two books. And they dont even have the same markings.

 

And the Supermagician has the same marking as the '44 Mystery Comics 4 (10/21/44) (which has a date stamped)

 

Wonder if the camp stopped getting as many comics, or if she wasnt able to buy as many... or what...

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@kevinj no there is no definitive list of books from the Okajima collection:(. We been trying to make one but its pretty hard to do with the limited info we have available.

 

(thumbs u

I have been looking all afternoon, the books I have will be a later books or I would have found them by now, I will keep looking ;)

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for MM, as far as I have on my list goes these are the internment era books "I have pics of all of them" let me know if you need any for your project

 

Air Fighter Comics V2N9 Date 4/44

Black Terror 6 Date 5/44

Boy Comics #16 Date 6/44

Captain Aero 15 Date 6/44

Captain America 39 Date 6/44

Captain America 40 Date 7/44

Captain America 41 Date 8/44

Captain Marvel jr 19 Date 5/44

Captain Marvel jr 20 Date 6/44

Captain Marvel jr 23 Not CGC but is Okajima

Captain Midnight 21 Date 6/44

Fight Comics 33 Date 8/44

Fighting yank 8 Date 6/44

Green lantern 15 Date spring 45

Marvel Mystery 55 Date 5/44

Marvel Mystery 57 Date 7/44

Master Comics 51 "not CGC but is an Okajima"

Military Comics 31 Date 8/44

More Fun 99 "not CGC but is an Okajima"

Movie Comics 1 "not cgc and I don't see a code"

Mystery Comics 2 Date 1944

Mystery Comics 4 Date 1944

Police 31 Date 6/44

Sensation Comics 35 Date 11/44

Shadow Comics v4n3 Date 6/44

Startling Comics 28 Date 7/44

Super magician Comics v3n11 Date 3/45

Wow Comics 34 Date 3/45

Zip 46 Date 5/44

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I am aware of zero books form 1942 or earlier (and I'd assume she was not able to bring any books from her home to the camp when they were brought in)

 

Japanese internment was a sad and embarrassing chapter in our country's history. Many smart people argued against It when it was first proposed as it was clearly wrong. And one of the worst aspects is that the internees had their homes and possessions seized beyond what they could carry on their backs to the camps or get their non-Japanese friends to store for them.

 

Gila opened in July 1942, but the internees would have arrived over time after that date. Internees started being released en masse in January 1945, although some were released earlier in special circumstances.

 

Worth noting that she had a brother who was four years younger than she was, so the books may not all have been hers or just for her.

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agree duck. im trying to find specific release dates now. no luck so far. it seems to be a staggered release "which makes sense" Gila river was split into multiple camps.

 

@MM or anyone who might have a copy of these books. I am still looking for images of the following books so I can add them to our registry "on page 4"

Starting Comics #24

Super Magician v3#1 (3/29/44)

Flash Comics #54 (4/11/44)

Jungle Comics 54 (4/29/ 44)

Superman #29 (5/4/44)

More Fun Comics 98 (5/29/44)

 

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agree duck. im trying to find specific release dates now. no luck so far. it seems to be a staggered release "which makes sense" Gila river was split into multiple camps.

 

 

The internees were give $25 and a train ticket to the town from which they came upon release. But, they were allowed to hang out at the camps upon becoming eligible for release so they could make plans. They weren't booted out.

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Can you get me a link to that info? here is where I got the staggered release date info

http://www.janm.org/projects/clasc/gila.htm

The internment camp had a paper called the Gila News Courier. im trying to see if I can access the papers online. that should give us some more info. here is a pic of the first edition front page

 

 

d02a66336d67154f08b68d96cfbdc18f.jpg

 

Edited by Griff
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@kevinj no there is no definitive list of books from the Okajima collection:(. We been trying to make one but its pretty hard to do with the limited info we have available.

 

(thumbs u

I have been looking all afternoon, the books I have will be a later books or I would have found them by now, I will keep looking ;)

There is a draft list created for the "upcoming" book on pedigrees. The Okajima chapter was completed years ago.
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@kevinj no there is no definitive list of books from the Okajima collection:(. We been trying to make one but its pretty hard to do with the limited info we have available.

 

(thumbs u

I have been looking all afternoon, the books I have will be a later books or I would have found them by now, I will keep looking ;)

There is a draft list created for the "upcoming" book on pedigrees. The Okajima chapter was completed years ago.

and that book has been "upcoming" for ever ! I sure wish they would get around to publishing it :)

Edited by Griff
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@kevinj no there is no definitive list of books from the Okajima collection:(. We been trying to make one but its pretty hard to do with the limited info we have available.

 

(thumbs u

I have been looking all afternoon, the books I have will be a later books or I would have found them by now, I will keep looking ;)

There is a draft list created for the "upcoming" book on pedigrees. The Okajima chapter was completed years ago.

and that book has been "upcoming" for ever ! I sure wih they would get around to publishing it :)

I expect it will be a great book if the other chapters are as good as the one on the Okajima.

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Can you get me a link to that info? here is where I got the staggered release date info

http://www.janm.org/projects/clasc/gila.htm

The internment camp had a paper called the Gila News Courier. im trying to see if I can access the papers online. that should give us some more info. here is a pic of the first edition front page

 

 

d02a66336d67154f08b68d96cfbdc18f.jpg

 

Your link doesn't address release dates, just camp closure. Obviously, the camp didn't close until everyone was out.

 

The details about resettlement are addressed in many articles by historians. Here's a quick link that you might find interesting, but there are probably better sources:

 

http://www.returntothevalley.org/chapter06.html

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for MM, as far as I have on my list goes these are the internment era books "I have pics of all of them" let me know if you need any for your project

 

Air Fighter Comics V2N9 Date 4/44

Black Terror 6 Date 5/44

Boy Comics #16 Date 6/44

Captain Aero 15 Date 6/44

Captain America 39 Date 6/44

Captain America 40 Date 7/44

Captain America 41 Date 8/44

Captain Marvel jr 19 Date 5/44

Captain Marvel jr 20 Date 6/44

Captain Marvel jr 23 Not CGC but is Okajima

Captain Midnight 21 Date 6/44

Fight Comics 33 Date 8/44

Fighting yank 8 Date 6/44

Green lantern 15 Date spring 45

Marvel Mystery 55 Date 5/44

Marvel Mystery 57 Date 7/44

Master Comics 51 "not CGC but is an Okajima"

Military Comics 31 Date 8/44

More Fun 99 "not CGC but is an Okajima"

Movie Comics 1 "not cgc and I don't see a code"

Mystery Comics 2 Date 1944

Mystery Comics 4 Date 1944

Police 31 Date 6/44

Sensation Comics 35 Date 11/44

Shadow Comics v4n3 Date 6/44

Startling Comics 28 Date 7/44

Super magician Comics v3n11 Date 3/45

Wow Comics 34 Date 3/45

Zip 46 Date 5/44

 

 

Here is a scan of the Human Torch #14 Okajima.

 

HT14okajima_zpse0820c50.jpg

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Im not sure the validity of Murray's information about the books being ordered and shipped to her at the camp for a few reasons.

 

1. He mentions that the code markings on the camp books could correspond to housing or bunk assignments, but when you look at the markings thru the camp era collection it is obvious that they are used as some sort of filing/order indica by the original owner.

 

2. I wonder if his assumption that they were shipped to her had to do with the fact that the comics were discovered wrapped in bundles in packing paper (as if they had been shipped). But I always thought that was just how she (or her family later) stored the comics.

 

I wonder if he knew that there were PXs on the camp grounds where comics (and other goods) could be purchased? If someone else was sending her the comics from outside the camp I would have assumed a more "girl-subject" slant to the subject matter of the books (especially in that era) versus what was actually purchased.

 

The idea that Okajima was interred from July of 1942 until Nov of '45 (I dont know this, but Im working under the assumption that most people were processed into the camp around when it opened, and were released when the Internment act was repealed and the camps were closed) means there's a lot of gaps in the camp era collection.

 

I am aware of zero books form 1942 or earlier (and I'd assume she was not able to bring any books from her home to the camp when they were brought in)

I only know of one book from 1943.

My list is largely from '44 when the "okajima" -script appears on the books.

By '45 (when she would still be in camp) that marking stops appearing and there's examples of date stamps, but there arent many '45 examples out there (Griff has found two)

 

Did the story of her being in the camp come from one of her relatives? I ask because the background note posted earlier indicates that she was identified through a search of names in the National Archives, which would seem unnecessary if the story was already available from relatives. hm

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