Indian battleground

(Ready to cut up some venison ribs!)

Late on Sunday night I saw the flashing numbers on the answering machine. It was N.Y. Rob. I had semi-forgotten that we were kicking around the idea of doing something on Monday since we were both off. I wasn’t initially too enthusiastic about the idea since I was coming off a 5 day straight wood working binge building kitchen cabinets at the wood hobby shop on Camp Lejeune. But I figured I’d give him a call and see if he could talk me into something. “Yo, bout time youse called! We doin sumptin tomorrow or waaht.” The man from N.Y. mumbled on the phone.

We decided to head up thru the backwoods of Eastern N.C. and check out a fella’s antique store who I knew is/was a big Indian relic hunter. As we traveled thru the backroads I had N.Y. Rob pull over to check out a historical marker I always thought to be quite relevant for Indian enthusiasts.

“On the morning of March 20th, every man was at his post when a trumpet sounded the signal for the attack. Three days later Fort Neoheroka lay a smoldering ruin and the enemy acknowledged defeat. The Indian loss was 950, about half killed and the balance taken into slavery. Moore's loss was fifty-seven killed and eighty-two wounded. With this one crushing blow, the power of the Tuscarora nation was broken”

Right down the road we pulled over into the driveway of a old dilapidated country home I have been keeping tabs on as a possible buy as its location is choice. Soon, after we were done poking around the property the farmer who rents the land pulled up and started to chit-chat. After talking about the house for a bit the topic turned to the battlesite. “Right over there cross the road whar that pole is, is whar ECU come out and did a dig. They covered all the post holes of the fort up, and I’ve been planting over everything ever since.” The farmer related. I wish you could have seen N.Y.Rob’s eyes pop open, “Sir, can we do some arrowhead hunt’n if we promise not to trample the crops?” With a little hesitancy the farmer in the pickup truck relented and said “Go ahead” and off we went!

Well, for me a new hobby was tested, and the taste was excellent. I don't think that I'll ever have enought time to pursue it to the fullest, but it was pretty close to relic or fossil hunting and something to plan for when the crops come in.

Sunken Ship Found!

Hey Gang,
Big news on the island with the anniversary kicking up dust. It seems every few years the Kerama mystery ship makes an appearance in the news. Keep one eye on the below thread for interesting info about the topic. It’s possible that it’s the Hobbs Victory that I wrote about in the manuscript but you never know…

Mr. Cliff Stryker posted on the forum the other day, and he’s an old tunnel rat from the heyday of relic hunting. Check out the thread and chime in!

In reasearch news; I talked to Mr. William Sass the other day on the phone. He’s a veteran of the campaign and was with the Seabees during the battle. He’s helped out in regards to some of the Seabee photographs I’ve recently scanned into the site. Of particular note he mentioned how he was part of a three man cave detail assigned to coax die-hards and civilians out of the caves after the battle. He said that some things are just too difficult to describe and painful to remember. That being said; respect the ground you trend upon out in the field be it Okinawa or Gettysburg.
http://www.japanupdate.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6757

Okinawarelics

Konnichi wa Okiphiles!
I figured I’d put some effort into being able to put out some disjointed ramblings about our favorite topic; Okinawa. Or relics, or maybe the war or some sort of mix of those and others. Anyway, I believe this website has been successful in regards of bringing such a very small niche of us together in one spot. I want to thank a few people who without their material, ideas and help I wound not have been able to put this site together. Ken Spink, Torii Station museum director who jumpstarted a dead website. My relic hunting pals, Dewayne Barth and Preston Brenchley who provided help and support from day one. David Davenport, for providing his expertise and assistance in this endeavor. Chris Majewski from the Okinawa battle museum for information and updates from the island.
To Dave Davenport aka Grandpa Rat for whom this hobby was a life’s passion. His tireless work of preserving and teaching about the sacrifices made by all combatants and innocents in that dark time in history will always be missed.