Information on Irumagawa, Saitama

For those of you who are looking for a way to connect with others with a Johnson Air Base history you are welcome to visit the Yahoo.com group johnsonairbase. It is in its formative phase and with more members could be a good way to conect with your past.

Born at Johnson 1959. Lived there (Hyde Park) 1970-1973. Would love to see some recent pics of the area. Would love to get back there... though I'm sure it would be bittersweet.

With 309th Air Engr 63rd ASG
51st Fighter Sqdn during 46 and 47

I think I may have went to school with some of you. Hill Top and Vanguard. We also lived off base and on near the tracks. Remember the fox holes, pool, honeybuckets & NCO club? one teacher was Mrs.Bonum.

Did anyone know the name Hendrix or Hoefler during the 55-56 timeframe?

Will be going to JAB this year. I'll be catching the Seibu-Ikebukuro line to Inariyama Koen station.

Tom, I lived at Johnson AFB in the early 50's, and was born at Westover AFB Chicopee, MASS.

Was stationed at JAFB 1952-1953 with 339th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. Also at Yokota for about six months in 1954. Is the baka bomb suicide plane still on display at JAFB? Was in 339th Fighter Interceptor Suadron.

Was anyone living on Johnson AB from the 1965-1968 time frame? I was 10 years old at the time and remember when the two typhoons hit our area at once. Quite a scary night. I would love to see some good photos of the base back then. I went back to Japan (as a military Air Force SSGT) from 1990 - 1993. I did visit Johnson and they gave me a tour of the base. It was sad to see the housing all overgrown with weeds. It was like a ghost town. Japanese just jogged throught it. The pool was still there. It was awesome still to see it.

Richard, I used to live at JAB from 67'-69' I was 8-10years old at the time. I went to Tachikawa in 05' and plan to see Iruma Air Base this year. Join the Johnson AB group in Yahoo and you can see some old pics.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/johnsonairbase/

I lived on JAB from 1952-54 across from the fire department on base housing. I remember a Capt. Bugg giving us kids motor scooter rides. My dad was a pilot at that time. I hope to go to Japan at the end of March. Would appreciate any information on visiting the area. (I graduated from Mount Holyoke College near Westover AFB.) Thanks.

I am an Air Force Brat too! My dad was stationed at Johnson AFB from Nov. 1960 to January January 1964 (Capt. Thomas Schmidt). I was 5, my sister 3 and my brother 1 when we arrived. Unfortunately my parents have both passed away, however I very fond memories. First Grade: Ms. Galloway, 2nd -4th grade at Santa Maria School in Tokyo.

Can't believe I stumbled across this site. My fondest childhood memories are of living at Johnson. I was there for 2,3 and 4th grades. My Father was Jack Stilley who ran the NCO Club the first part of his tour and was then transferred to Yamato A.F.B. to run Officer's club. We lived across the street from coal yards. If they haven't changed the layout of the base any, I could go back and walk to the main PX, the "green PX" the commissary, my school, and if any of you were there during this time , do you remember the Youth Center? Kids of all ages mingled and do any of you remember the "Suicide" fountain drink they served at the snack bar.
I must visit the Yahoo site as I could go on and on. Maybe I'ff find some of my old classmates there. I still have my school class pictures.
Oh, if any of you went to the Women's Rockettes basketball games, some of you might remember my Mom, Jo Stilley, she was pretty tall and was the highest scoring forward for those yrs.
Suzanne

Google map of Iruma Air Base as it is today.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v119/ninja07/JAB.jpg

For anyone interested, all the Johnson High School yearbooks from 1959 to 1973 are posted on line at www.picasaweb.google.com/jhsyearbooks. Included is the 1959 Vanguard yearbook.

For anyone interested in visiting Iruma Air Base, November 3rd is the day to do it. The gates open for the Iruma Air Festival to the public and sometimes the old
housing areas are opened for parking. November 3rd is a holiday in Japan and up to around 100,000 visit the base for the event so it gets quite crowded. The key is to get there early and buy your return train ticket in advance. Visitors are not usually allowed on base at other times unless for official business.

Ken

My dad was stationed at Johnson during the Korean War. Johnson provided air defense for central Honshu (F-94s). I am in the process of uploading some of his slides at the following site if anyone is interested.

http://gallery.mac.com/jpope304#gallery

My Dad, John Dear (still alive at 91 yrs old) was the lt. commander of Johnson AB in 1951-53, and I believe we lived in Hyde Park. Went to the base school 2nd & 3rd grades. Nachiko & KoKo were our Japanese household helpers. Has been great to see the photos and descriptions of the base & area. What a great trip into the past. Any others there at that time? Would love to make contact.

My family was stationed at Johnson from 1966 to 1969. Would love to see pictures videos anything. We lived in a paddy house until there was housing on base. I remember turning 7 shortly after arriving in Japan.

Karen: I was in 6th tow Target and knew Capt Marvin Bugg. What was your Dad's name and squadron?

I'm conducting some research on what daily life was like for dependents in occupied Japan, for my MFA thesis project... especially interested in Johnson, as my grandfather was stationed there in the late '50s. If anyone has any stories or memories to share, or photographs, pamphlets, etc., I would really love to hear and take a look at all sources. Please feel free to e-mail me at SarahLorax (at) yahoo.ie. Thanks very much!