by Shoichi Morii, 1997

Shoichi Morii and Tom Mcleod

Shoichi Morri Display
of wartime artifacts
at Museum of the Pacific

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This book was self-published by Japanese veteran Shoichi Morii, who was station in China prior to being posted to Rabaul in 1943. He was in a 75mm gun company. They were in the hills near the barge tunnels.

His book, is roughly translated, "Guadalcanal and Tom Mcleod, son of veteran" . It deals with forgiving, understanding and honoring former enemy veterans. Written in Japanese, and with his correspondence with Tom McLeod, the son of an American US Army veteran, Prentiss R. McLeod of the 147th Infantry, and their exchange of letters in the late 1990's after meeting on Guadalcanal

Morii traveled back to the Pacific battlefields of Guadalcanal and Rabaul where he served.with trips begriming in 1977, 1985, 1992, 1994, 1996. Many New Guinea villagers and people came to know Morii because he wore his Japanese Army uniform on his trips of remembrance. The book includes many photographs, from his personal collection, drawings and printed literature from WWII, and his travels.

Although this book is mostly written in Japanese, through just the photos and letters we learn the story of a man who has strived to make friendships with the past and return to the battlefields of his wartime service to pay his respect for many years.