To start, I absolutely love my country, I love serving in the military, and I believe in what I’m doing out here. Yet at the same time, the more I read about the history of Okinawa and what its people have gone through, and the more I engrain myself in the culture and customs of this island, the more I question whether we should be here in the capacity that we are. Almost 25% of the total land area of Okinawa is U.S. military bases. And I truly feel like these people deserve their land back. I read a book, “Islands of Protest” that delves heavily into the anti-American sentiments of Okinawa that have been alive since the Battle of Okinawa, which killed almost a third of the total population at the time. I wish there was more I could do to try to make things right with these people.
by Kal-El_Skywalker1998