GIs Frequented Japan's `comfort Women' (AP's historical hit piece)

AP via ABC News ^ | Apr 25, 2007 | ERIC TALMADGE

[james500]

Japan's abhorrent practice of enslaving women to provide sex for its troops in World War II has a little-known sequel: After its surrender with tacit approval from the U.S. occupation authorities Japan set up a similar "comfort women" system for American GIs.

[sgtbono2002]

Didnt the Fren ch do pretty much the same for the germans who occupied France? What about prostitution in Germany after the war?

How about Prostitution in Mexico now in the border towns opposite Ft. Sam Houston and Ft Bliss.?
Prostitution will always be available wherever soldiers are stationed. One way or another.

[camle]

there’s a little difference between voluntary prostitution, and involuntary mass-rape of occupied people. that this guy doesn’t get it is part of a problem that he should work on.

[america-rules]

The women who provided sexual comfort after WWII were happy to just have something to eat.

Japan was starving after WWII and this was a way for a women to survive back then !

[wideawake]

They made the whole thing up?

Reading between the lines, it seems that the actual history is the following:

(1) When Japan surrendered, the Japanese government feared that the conquering Americans would behave exactly as the conquering Japanese did in the Philippines and elsewhere: i.e. round up whatever women they thought were attractive and put them in camps for systematic rape.

(2) To prevent this, the Japanese government hit upon the idea of ordering local women who were already working as prostitutes to report to police barracks.

(3) The Japanese government then welcomed US troops to these makeshift brothels to enjoy free sex at Japanese government expense.

(4) The Japanese government paid these women, and apparently paid them much better wages than non-prostitutes were making.

(5) Some of these prostitutes complained that they did not want to sleep with American soldiers, but preferred Japanese. So the government paid them more to convince them to go through with it.

(6) When Douglas MacArthur became aware of the arrangement, he decided to abolish it a few months after it began.

Not a glorious moment in US history, but it is understandable that not all GIs would turn down an offer of free sex, especially when it was advertised as a government-sponsored service by the local police.

There is no comparison between this and the systematic rape Japan practiced in conquered territories - but the AP is attempting to compare it.

[krb]

After its surrender with tacit approval from the U.S. occupation authorities Japan set up a similar "comfort women" system for American GIs.

I guess they thought it was their way to say "sorry."

[snowsislander]

My guess is that no Japanese woman will claim such money as proper redress.

I believe that this was similar to the traditional Yoshiwara district; if so, then this would be treated by Japanese as traditional mizu-shobai behavior.

[31M20RedDevil]

Same here,VN 70-71.

The MPs would bring the girls to us as Quang Tri was
off-limits.

This stuff has been going on forever I imagine.

AP story,just another hit piece on our troops

[NonValueAdded]

one heck of a reparations program!

[Political Junkie Too]

Or that the elite white male soldiers would have made them dance for them first.

-PJ

[RedEyeJack]

Into the 1970’s the Okinawan women were still providing this “service” to American servicemen. After reversion to Japan (1972) it became shameful for Okinawans to be prostitutes (or to provide “special” services in the steam houses) The local mafia continued to provide however by importing women from the Philippines to work the profession. It was also fairly common for American women (service women and dependents) to “hook” wealthy Japanese men vacationing in Okinawa (think Miami) as a easy way to make a few extra bucks. There will always be some of this activity where you have lonely men willing to seek “comfort” where they can find it. Far, far different from slavery enforce prostitution that is a war crime as practiced by the Japanese...

[GATOR NAVY]

Because otherwise, the Americans surely would have raped anything that moved?

The Japanese assumed that was SOP for the US military. It was, after all, SOP for the Japanese Imperial Army.

Exactly. And Japanese propaganda had been preaching this to whole country as they prepared for the U.S. invasion.

[ZULU]

AP stinks and I KNOW why they are raising this issue right at this point - to discredit American military forces in Iraq.

[Atlas Sneezed]

AP: “Prostitution=Rape”

[stumpy]

Welcome home brother. Semper Fi.

[ApplegateRanch]

Well I got a lot of comfort from the “working women” on Okinawa, and Honshu during 1966-67, and from the “working women” of Viet Nam in 1967-68

So THAT'S why you're called 'Stumpy'! I just thought you were a wood-worker.

"No need aputate; three day, it turn black, fall off by itself!" LOL