'The US military and sexual trafficking-Yokosuka, Japan 1969' Sat. 6 March 2010

Saturday, March 6, 2010

The US military and sexual trafficking-Yokosuka, Japan 1969

My first time on 'liberty' in Yokosuka, Japan I got a taste of
how the military works with, cultivates, ignores, tolerates
and is an integral part of sexual trafficking. They are a part
and parcel of it.

Outside of every military base I was at were brothels. Some more
obvious than others.

In Yokosuka, there was a huge (about four stories) off-base

servicemen's club (an enlisted men's). Bars, function rooms and

a place to buy cheap (tax-free) booze for all military personnel.

It was called the Club Alliance; which was located across the base

on the main street.

When I first stepped off the base I was amazed to see the size of

Yokosuka. I was on a main thoroughfare...watching it all. I had

stereotypes of Japan in my head, and this city seemed smaller than

Boston, but not too different population wise. I wanted to see more

of the main street area even before heading off to the red light zone

for my first night of drinking, fighting and...

But, first things first. We went to buy our booze from the Navy store

on the first floor. The corridor was about 12 to 15 feet across. We had

to line up on the left. An MP(Military Police) was standing further down

and to the right of the line.

I bought two bottles of Beefeater Gin at about $1.65 per bottle; A

cheap drunk. It would've cost over $7.50 with taxes. (two bottles per

person each day was the limit). Burp! After that, I turned around to go

back the way I came in.

The MP moved in front of me and said that we had to exit through

the other door. I said that I wanted to go back the way we came in to

get back to the main street. But, he said (and pointed) that we had to

exit through the other door. It seemed bullshit to me(like so many

things in the military) because I wanted to get back to the main

street.

The MP repeated himself; I tried to reason with him. But, he wasn't

about to budge. And, I knew that once I was 'set loose' in the red light

district guys like him-MPs would soon be looking for someone who

(roughly) fit my description (fights and general mayhem etc.), and I

would be avoiding them. A game I had already played successfully

in Chelsea Naval Hospital and city(my first medivac), plus Charlestown
Marine barracks, Boston, Jacksonville, North Carolina (Camp LeJune);

Oceanside, California (Camp Pendleton). And, I didn't want to give him

a face to remember me by. So, we exited by the door we were told.

When I was at Camp Pendalton doing my last bit of training before

going to Vietnam the first time I had a slight problem with two MPs in

Oceanside. I came back from liberty at my cousin, Bernadette and her

family in Burbank. When I got into Oceanside to catch a bus back to

base I'd had consumed the better part of a quart of Tequila. So, I walked

into a shop that sold military insignia etc., and I bought Brigadier stars.

A Brigadier General is the bottom rank of generals; one star.

I put them on my civilian shirt lapel (an instant promotion from PFC to

General;-). When I was on the bus two MPs came aboard to check our

IDs. When they saw me they asked me to remove my stars. I told them

it was my rank, and that I was the youngest Brigadier in the Marine

Corps, and surprised that they weren't aware of who I was. And, I

reminded them that they had forgotten to salute me. Everyone got a

big laugh out of my insistence that it was my rank, and that they

were out of line not saluting me. I also told them that I like to take

the bus just to be 'one of the men'. I removed them. Anyway...

But, that day in Yokosuka I said to Boyd(I think) that I wanted to

go back to the Main street for a bit. But, when we exited the door

there was a problem. I couldn't turn right, because there was a brick

wall there. And. there was another brick wall in front of me. I couldn't

go back; that's where the MP was. We could only turn left. We were

 in an alley. The military had it set up so we had to exit into an the

dead end of an alley and throngs of hookers were awaiting for us.

They knew. We didn't! Not, that I would've run away from them,

but that''s the way the brass had it set up.

Who was getting kickbacks (and who knows what else) for that?

And, by then, we heard all the commotion on the only street that we

could walk on-our left. After we walked a few feet a prostitute (among

the throngs of them) welcomed me to Yokosuka. Well, she had her

hands on my balls, and she was quoting prices and offerings. '$20

dollar...fuckie-suckie, fuckie suckie...$20...etc. A man's brain kind of

goes mush when that is happening (at least mine did:-), and it's kind

of hard to think straight. It's a bit intoxicating...especially for someone

coming from a war zone...but even if not.

I turned to Boyd with my hands in the air (a bottle in each), a lovely

Japanese woman attached to me, (and turning as I did a 360) I said,

"Hey, John, we're not in the hospital....or Yokosuka. We must've got

killed in the Nam cuz it looks like we're in heaven.''

As there was competition among the ladies...I had more than one

pair of hands on me trying to convince me that for $20 she would

bring me heaven. Like an 18 year old man, or boy, or a dog in heat (?)

I went with the first woman. She looked lovely to this Marine... nice

thick thighs, smile, and she seemed friendly. But, the whole time on

that street I was on high alert for pickpockets. My wallet was in my

shoes, and my money spread around.

The woman took me to a bar where I bought us each a drink. She sat

on my lap, and began gyrating on me... She said that we had to meet

her Mama-san...(boss). When she arrived, I guessed the Mama-san to

be in her 40s. The woman that I was with was just a bit older than me;

I was 18, and soon to turn 19.

I had to buy the Mama-san a drink, and she asked me the most boring

and stupid questions, such as did I like the woman, and did I want to

 'see her'? DOH!! as Homer Simpson would say. So then, the Mama-san

said that we must take a taxi, and we did to a place that was in walking

distance. I figured that the driver must be related, and it seemed that it

may turn out to be closer to $40-$50 before we were done. I mean from

the first drink onward.

When we got to the place for my first time with a Japanese woman.

It was a long line of apartments two stories high. And, it was adjacent

to the base wall. That is, they shared the same wall!

As we entered a strong odor was prevalent; I have always described such

smells (whether in a brothel, friend's house, or a friend who hadn´t

showered after sex, or a co-worker...it´s the smell of recent sex. I´ve

always been able to pick up on it) as 'like a fish market'...for want of

a better word. It was a place where fresh air hadn't penetrated enough

to reduce the odor.

I was looking all about me to look for another man or two(as in

getting rolled- never happened), but it wasn't an ambush. But, there

was someone else in the room. As soon as we came in someone arose

from the bed. She was a young attractive Japanese woman, and as she

got up from the bed she used the sheet as her clothing.

And, what struck me, or that I picked up on was that she seemed

nervous. That alone made me feel uncomfortable. I turned to the

Mama-san and asked who she is. And, the Mama-san smiled, and

said 'she your girl'! I said 'No'.  'I came with her', and I pointed to

the woman who I met in the alley of the Club Alliance.

However, the Mama-san was insistent that the one who I met in

the alley had to go back to work(picking up another Marine like me),

and said 'this your girl. She very nice. You like...etc.

But, I said 'No. I don't know her, and while pointing to the woman

that I had met I said 'she is the one I met.' The Mama-san was

adamant that I see this young woman who was covering herself

with a white sheet. And, she went on about how nice she is, but

I said no. I said that she is probably a nice woman, but that she

was not the one that I met met.

I told the Mama-san that I was leaving, and she tried to suggest

that I owed her money, and even that she could report me for

giving her girls a bad time. I said 'really?' 'How about I report this

place to the MPs´ She didn't seem worried about that. I left.

I didn't feel good about my first encounter. It left a bad taste in my

mouth. I wondered if this is the way it works over here, or is it just

these ones? And, I felt bad for the woman at the apartment whose

job was to see men brought to her. I didn't think that she could like

that. I went back into the red light area for a night of drinking,

fighting and fun(mayhem).

It was only years later that I realized that it's called sexual trafficking.
I at least had the right instincts. To leave.

As I had very little money until my pay records came to Japan from

Vietnam I couldn't see anyone. But, my newfound friend Boyd (in the

military you make friends fast and loose) said he would take me to

the waterfront area where there were older woman.

When we got there a woman took us into the entrance of a house to

wait for the other two women to arrive. They both had houses, and

were probably married. I realized that when I saw the ring on the

finger of the woman I went with.

Before they came John had to go to the bathroom. When the women

came in, the mama-san asked me if I was ready, or if I knew which

one I liked. I said yes and asked her if I could see that woman. Yes.

As we left I felt a tinge bad, and realized that John may not be happy

that I took the best...and he was paying for it.

We didn't get far sexually, because the woman saw the rosary beads

on my neck, and said to me 'You Katlik?' it sounded that way. I asked

her again, and she pointed to or touched the rosary beads(used to ward

of death in Vietnam-superstition:-), and when I said 'Yes.' She said 'Me

too.' End.

I met and loved a woman that I met there, Mimi. She was a bar girl,

and had not seen a man (sex for $) in over a year, and told me when

I bought her her first drink not to ask her out, as she didn't go out with

men that way. I spent time with her everynight. She educated me. And,

I never saw another woman in Japan.