Peter Bleed Posted July 22, 2019 Report Posted July 22, 2019 Dear Friends, Please allow me to post and share a bit of Japanese sword history that I have never seen described on the NMB or anywhere else. The attached image shows the cover of the June 2 1944 YANK – Down Under. There isn’t much of a “story” about the cover, only a the attached brief text. I have owned this cover for years. In the 1980s I used long distance information to find that Sgt. Gathof was still living in Louisville. I gave him a call and found that he still had the swords and that he remembered the cover warmly. I think it worth noting that even in 1944, swords were worth “over a thousand bucks.” Or at least “up to 100 quid apiece”… if they’re not made of jeep springs. Peter 8 Quote
Kanenaga Posted July 22, 2019 Report Posted July 22, 2019 There's an article by Nick Nakamura about going to visit Sgt. Gathof and the swords in Louisville. It's in one of the KTK books -- I'll confirm which one when I get home tonight. Quote
Peter Bleed Posted July 22, 2019 Author Report Posted July 22, 2019 There's an article by Nick Nakamura about going to visit Sgt. Gathof and the swords in Louisville. It's in one of the KTK books -- I'll confirm which one when I get home tonight. Les, By all means, please find this!. As I mentioned, I just dialed him up. He was a nice guy and neat "vet". We did not talk long, but my recollection is that he remembered having fewer swords that are shown in the images. I would love to hear what he had to say! Thanks! Peter Quote
Kanenaga Posted July 24, 2019 Report Posted July 24, 2019 The story by Nakamura is in Volume 15 of the KTK books (2019) on pages 6-7. Apparently, Nakamura had the same inclination as you, Peter. He visited Gathof in Louisville and apparently had a good time. Quote
PNSSHOGUN Posted July 24, 2019 Report Posted July 24, 2019 Nice haul, were they any swords of note? Quote
Kanenaga Posted July 25, 2019 Report Posted July 25, 2019 Nice haul, were they any swords of note? Nakamura's story doesn't say specifically, but with characteristic Japanese obliquity (I may have just made that word up) suggests "no." 1 Quote
Tom Darling Posted July 25, 2019 Report Posted July 25, 2019 The Sgt. was well known back in the 1970's. Tom D. Quote
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