The Blackened Canteen

Jerry Yellin

Jerry Yellin came to our store to do a book signing last August. A former Farifield resident, Jerry was a fighter pilot during World War II. His story is told in Of War & Weddings. After many years of hatred towards the Japanese Jerry finally learns forgiveness and understanding…the catalyst being Jerry's son who falls in love and marries a Japanese woman.

After the book signing Jerry gave me an assignment to read his latest book The Blackened Canteen and to e-mail him with my observations. Well, the book is a mirror image of Jerry. Jerry's deep passion and unsentimental but heartfull emotions shine throughout his historical account of an incident in Japan during World War II. Jerry's book is based on actual events that took place during the war. Some of the characters stories have been fictionalized, but the facts are historically accurate.

This is an inspiring story told within the backdrop of the horrible sufferings of the bombing of the Japanese town of Shizuoka. A local resident interred the bodies of 23 dead Air Force pilots, soldiers responsible for the bombing and destruction of 2/3rd's of the city and the death of 2,000 people, alongside the bodies of the dead Japanese. He later went on to build a memorial to honor the lives of both the Japanese and the Americans who lost their lives on that fateful day.

A blackened and charred canteen belonging to one of the fallen American soldiers has now become part of an annual memorial service honoring the dead of that tragic day. Told with vivid immediacy, we see the war through the eyes and fears of soldiers—young innocents saddled with a responsibility few of us could even fathom. The main character driving the story is Jack O'Connor, whose dreams of a normal life with the woman he loved was interrupted by the War. Jack is one of the fallen that fateful day—his body buried with the local citizens of the town.

The book has many intriguing scenes, such as the secret diplomacy between the U.S. and Japan, attempting to avert conflict. Much of this behind-the-scenes narration gives us fascinating glimpses of history. I can now see more clearly the reasoning behind the Japanese surprise attack on the U.S. One of my favorite minor characters is the Admiral of the Japanese Navy who tries to prevent and block the path to war.

Many lives intertwine and meet on that fateful day in Shizouka… lives meeting a destiny they could not have ever imagined, a destiny that laughs at us and our feelings of individual control.

Here is what Yoko Ono says about Jerry Yellin's book: "Having campaigned for peace for many years, this beautiful story strikes a deep chord with me. I hope it will become more widely known around the world and inspire other people too."

The world is a better place because of brave men like Jerry Yellin, Jack O'Connor, and the citizens of Shizouka who put aside hatred to find common ground. Jerry recently attended the annual memorial service in Shizouka Japan (a service that honors the Japanese and Americans that lost their lives that day). His inspiring visit can be viewed here.

The book is not only a great peek into a world that the majority of us baby boomers could not imagine, but also a heartwarming inspirational message that resonates to the reader with the same powerful qualities of Three Cups of Tea.

Review by Tony Kainauskas