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Occupational Attrocities in Japan -- Girard Trial

Discussion in 'Massacres and Atrocities of the Second World War' started by CAW1, Mar 16, 2017.

  1. CAW1

    CAW1 Member

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    Put on trial for shooting a Japanese woman collecting scrap metal around the Camp Whittington base perimeter. It caused an international diplomatic incident mid 1950's.
     

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  2. USAAFson

    USAAFson Member

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    Very poor images. Do you have more details to classify this as a war crime?
     
  3. laura01

    laura01 New Member

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    Thanks for the knowledge. actually, I am an assignment help Australia provider but sometimes I would love to do some gardening.
     
  4. R Leonard

    R Leonard Member

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    Before people start throwing around loaded words like "Atrocity," I would suggest that some reading is in order.

    It would appear that the victim in this case was killed by a blank cartridge case, note, not a bullet, fired from through a grenade launcher affixed to a rifle, said firing done also with a blank cartridge and, in my opinion, done by one of those 'hey, this ought to be funny' fools that one can find just about under any nearby rock. The "international incident" revolved around the jurisdiction to try the case, not the actual act which caused the victim's death. No one ever denied the event occurred, no one tried to shield the perpetrator from justice, except, perhaps, his lawyer. The US Army agreed, after observing the protocols for doing so, to turn over Spec3 Girard, the "shooter" to the Japanese for trial. It was his lawyers who wanted the US Army to retain jurisdiction, thus causing an minor uproar that went all the way to the US Supreme Court.

    Perhaps this link might be educational. Wilson v. Girard, 354 U.S. 524 (1957)

    Oh, and just as a point of order, the ending of the occupation of Japan was specified in the Treaty of San Francisco, signed on 8 September 1951 and was effected as of 28 April 1952. This unfortunate event occurred on 30 January 1957, four years, eight months AFTER the occupation of Japan ended. Had Japan still been under occupation, the US Army never would have considered having Girard tried by the Japanese.

    Eventually, at trial in Japan, in a Japanese court, the Japanese judge ruled that he could find no evidence of deliberate murder and Girard was handed a three-year, suspended sentence. Girard was also demoted to private by the US Army and was discharged at the end of his term of service.



    R
     
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2017
    green slime and lwd like this.

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