GENERAL HEADQUARTERS
UNITED STATES ARMY FORCES, PACIFIC
PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE
PRESS RELEASE
12:30
FIFTH AIR FORCETOKYO, Sept. 12 -- Medical evacuation of liberated prisoners of war, beginning today, will be assumed entirely by the 54th Troop Carrier Wing of the Fifth Air Force, which, since initial landings here, has maintained operational control for the Eight army of all evacuations, including those by the Air Transport Command.
Evacuation of POW's from this airstrip has been temporarily curtailed because of limited facilities at Okinawa, first stop on the "long trip back" for the internees.
With 260 cargo aircraft at their disposal, the 804th and 820th Medical Air Evacuation Squadrons are prepared to begin evacuations from isolated inland areas where hundreds of prisoners of war await liberation. Meanwhile, the 54th Wing is ready to handle two to three thousands POW's in the next 48 hours from the Atsugi strip; using Curtiss C-46's.
To date, approximately 6000 Prisoners of War have left Atsugi for Okinawa and then Manila for necessary hospitalization and processing before returning to the United States.
GENERAL HEADQUARTERS
UNITED STATES ARMY FORCES, PACIFIC
PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE
PRESS RELEASE
1930
The Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers has directed that the Black Dragon Society (Kokuryo-Kai) be abolished and the following leading members be taken into custody of the American military forces:
- Rychei (Ryuhei) Uchida
- Colonel Kingoro Hashimoto
- Seigo Nakano
- Toyasaburo Kikuchi
- Koki Hirota
- Taketore Ogata
- Professor Genchi Kato
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(Background information on Black Dragon Society--Semi-official secret society organized in 1901 with strong assistance from Army, Navy and other governmental leaders, many of whom held membership in the society. It had far reaching interests in the War Ministry abroad and was represented in all occupied territory. Like secret societies in other countries it had strong-arm squads and assination groups which followed terrorist policies toward Japanese officials whose acts the society considered detrimental to the country. The society is credited with fostering the fascist tendencies of the Japanese military organization and it was instrumental in the steps which led up to the "China Incident" and the attack on Pearl Harbor. Most widely known of its members was Mitsuru Toyama, sometimes referred to as the "unofficial prime minister" of Japan because of his unofficial power and immunity to punishment. He is reported to have died in 1944 at the age of 90.)
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