| Popis: |
The wartime occupation of Okinawa demonstrates the crucial role that considerations of race and ethnicity have on the conduct of military government. American military government planners recognized both the possible threat a population of 463,000 civilians might pose and the complexities of the relationship between Okinawa and Japan. Without losing sight of the impact that the civilians would have on military operations, planners from all services, including the Marines, analyzed the ethnicity of the Okinawans and how their cultural distinctiveness might inform their behavior. While the Marines’ policy prohibited further assessment of the population upon landing on the island, preliminary analyses provided the military leadership of all services with a more robust understanding of the battlefield that they faced and thus better prepared them to preserve military lives, safeguard American secrets, and win the battle. Acknowledgment of ethnic differences, done in a manner that seeks educative understanding, should hopefully foster cognizant policy that still supports military goals. An examination of the wartime occupation of Okinawa provides an example for effective military government programs now and in the future. |
