After 82 days of fierce fighting, the largest island in the Ryukyu island group, Okinawa, capitulated in mid-June 1945. The fierce battle was very costly in lives, not only of military personnel but of Japanese civilians.

The Japanese refer to the battle as tetsu no ame (rain of steel) or tetsu no bōfū (violent wind of steel). More than 100,000 Japanese troops were killed or captured, along with 50,000 American casualties. The Kamikazes sank 25 American ships and damaged 165.

Unlike other major battles that were fought over Pacific islands, Okinawa, only 340 miles from Japan, had a large civilian population. Tens of thousands of local civilians were killed or wounded. Thousands of others committed suicide rather than fall into the hands of Americans, who, they were told, would torture and eat them.

Several facilities had to be established to provide food, water, electric power, and other essentials to support American forces, captured soldiers, and civilians. During August 1945 the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and that same month Japan surrendered.

About three months later, in December 1945, Joseph H. Papst, a 21-year-old B-17 gunner from Kansas, arrived on Okinawa. Because there was no need for aerial gunners, Papst was assigned to cook in one of the mess halls. Papst fed about 2,400 men, mostly with dehydrated food and powdered food such as milk and eggs.

Fifteen or 20 Japanese prisoners of war were assigned to perform kitchen duties.

"We never had any trouble with them," recalls Papst. "They were happy to be there with plenty to eat. Some did not want to go back to Japan. Japan was a mess. Some Japanese soldiers lived in caves throughout the island because they didn't know the war was over."

Some of the Japanese wanted to paint art works during their non-working hours, but good paper was difficult to obtain.

"We gave them pieces of cloth and handkerchiefs," remembers Papst, "and they painted on them. I'm not sure anymore where they got the paint, or what kind it was."

For his kindnesses, Papst received five of the hand-painted cloths, and they have spent the last 64 years rolled up in his closet. Three of the paintings portray beautiful, traditionally dressed women, one shows famous Mount Fuji, and one focuses on mountains and trees.

Looking at these paintings more than a half-century after they were painted, one is inclined to wonder, are these former POWs still living? Were the women in the paintings their wives or girlfriends? Did they have any special meaning at the time they were painted?

The answers to those questions are "blowin' in the wind" and probably will never be answered. But Papst wonders, too.

Now 85 years old, he still lives in the Shawnee home he built for himself and his wife, Jo Ann, 51 years ago. (Jo Ann died 10 years ago.) He keeps busy by golfing in a senior league, bowling twice a week, participating in the Knights of Columbus, and attending Good Shepherd Catholic Church.

Papst and his wife had four children: Janet, Joe, Karen, and Theresa. He is proud of their four grandchildren.

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