PROLOGUE...  the Japan chapter of our journey... and the end of the war

Irvin spent another 6 months in Leyte / Manila area after the Zigzag pass battle.  Manila was liberated March 3 and fighting continued in Leyte area through June 30... with some isolated pockets through the end of the war.  Don’t remember Irvin speaking much about this time. Little bit about guarding prisoners and about leaving the harbor on ship...all in Manila area... about 60 some miles from where he first landed... My research on his division shows some involvement in various battles during this time, but I assume if Irvin was involved the memories were secondary to the shock of zigzag pass.  His journey kept getting him closer and closer as he hopped from Hawaii (2 years after the battle) to New Guinea (still active but limited) to Leyte (more active, but do not think Irvin saw much “action” there yet) to right in the middle of it...  

Irvin and his division spent rest of war on Leyte ... and were targeted to be part of the second wave of the Invasion of Japan.. landing just south of Tokyo... when the war ended Irvin left the Philippines earlier than rest of his division because those who had been wounded got priority... the bulk of his 38th infantry 152nd division ended their journey November 9 when they arrived in the port of Los Angeles (WE WILL RETURN TO USA VIA LOS ANGELES ON JULY 1)

Irvin spent a total of 21 months in the South Pacific - WE SPENT THE PAST MONTH FOLLOWING HIS FOOTSTEPS

Key dates as the war ends...and for Irvin...

At 5:29:45 (Mountain War Time) on July 16, 1945, in northern New Mexico, the first atomic bomb was exploded.

August 6, 1945 Atomic Bomb dropped on Hiroshima.... WE ARE SPENDING THE NIGHT NEAR GROUND ZERO AND TOUR TOMORROW

August 9, 1945 Atomic Bomb dropped on Nagasaki ... WE WILL TOUR ON WEDNESDAY

August 14, 1945 V-J day in US (August 15 in Japan - Japan officially surrenders - ending WWII)

September 1, 1945 Irvin boards troop transport ship for return trip to USA (part of Operation Magic Carpet) ... WE TOOK A 2 HOUR FERRY RIDE OUT INTO MANILA BAY AND TOURED CORREGIDOR ISLAND AT THE MOUTH OF THE BAY.  AND WE STAYED AT MANILA HOTEL WITH A VIEW FROM OUR ROOM LOOKING OVER THE BAY AND RIGHT ABOVE THE DOCKS HE PROBABLY LEFT FROM

September 2, 1945 Signing of official documents ending the war on the USS Missouri in Tokyo harbor.. WE WILL VISIT HARBOR ON SATURDAY... STOOD ON THE DECK OF “BIG MO” WHILE IN PEARL HARBOR

September 26, 1945 Irvin's ship arrives 26 days later in San Francisco Bay - Irvin would tell story of coming in under the golden gate bridge... not sure if ship would fit under as he first saw it from a distance... WE WALKED THE BRIDGE ONCE AGAIN BACK ON JUNE 4

Note... Irvin took a train back to Indianapolis from the Bay Area and his journey ended October 4, 1945 - Irvin's official discharge date from the army - 1,627 days after entering... (WE WILL ARRIVE BACK IN INDY JULY 2)

Note - we were planning on taking the California Zephyr train from Oakland to Chicago area to end our journey, but ran out of time since we wanted to be back “home” for July 4 ... leave that one on the bucket list...

Stay tuned for Japan... Cheryl and the daily blog will fill in the details ...