My name is Tsubasa Takagi, and I am the first
grandchild of Minoru Sasajima who was in the 1st Airborne of Japanese
Self-Defence Army around the 1950s-60s.
I have just come across your comment thread in the 508th PIR website
mentioning Lt. Sasajima and I have shared the information with my mother
and uncle. We were very interested in your post.
My mother Kasumi Takagi (née Sasajima), my uncle Mamoru Sasajima, and
I believe that the Lt. Sasajima that you met at Camp Kashii, Fukuoka
back in 1955 was my grandfather. Unfortunately, my grandfather passed
away in Japan in 2007 from cancer at the age of 80.
We are very proud of my grandfather's achievements. He has received
Airborne badges from Japan, the U.S. and West Germany.
I remember that my grandfather used to talk about people he had met
in the U.S. and Europe through his military career. When he was sent to
the United States Army Field Artillery School from 1959-1960, he saw
people enjoying skydiving as a sport there. After returning to Japan, he
was assigned to Airborne unit in Japan. This was when he found out that
there were people from the U.S. Army stationed in Tachikawa, Tokyo
enjoying skydiving and asked them to teach him and his colleagues how to
skydive.
He was especially thankful to the people of the U.S.
Army in Tachikawa, Tokyo for accepting him and his fellow officers and
teaching them skydiving. They also gave them some parachute equipment
which enabled them to spread sport parachuting in Japan.
My grandfather was in fact the first man to skydive in
Japan and my grandmother was the first woman. He was my father and my
mother's skydiving instructor. In fact, they met through skydiving. (My
father also served in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and trained as a
test pilot in Edwards AFB for a year.) I was the youngest Japanese
person to skydive at the age of 16 and 6 days in Japan.
After reading your post, I wanted to make contact with
you. My grandfather and I were very close, and it was really touching to
read your post. I hope this letter finds you well.
Sincerely,
Tsubasa Takagi
tsubasa.tkg@gmail.com
