Okinawa History

Re “Okinawa” by Norman Sklarewitz, April 21: We who served our country on Okinawa refer to it as “the little green island,” and your picture-post card photograph is lovely. It shows the cloud cover for which the island is famous. It is, however, very disappointing to have you ignore the history of this fascinating people. Even two paragraphs would have helped. The ancient Kingdom of Liu Ch’iu is represented today by castle ruins, and tourists can visit the old castle sites. The castle at Shuri was bombed but Shuri Museum is a feast for the eyes and imagination.

The peaceful Kingdom of Liu Ch’iu was first disturbed by us when Commodore Perry demanded admission and walked into Shuri Castle on June 6, 1853. . . . The price of hotels there and the influx of Japanese tourists is just part of the story. . . . This was readers’ introduction to Okinawa and they deserve to be better informed.

W. MAXINE DOUGAN

historian

18th Tactical Fighter Wing

Kadena AFB, Okinawa