NAVSECGRUDET Sakata, located approx 300 miles north of Tokyo at Sakata City in Yamagata
Prefecture on the sea of Japan. The town of Sakata is a farm community of (at the time - l962) was
approx. l00,000 souls. It is a rural community with heavy harbor and seaport business.
The base supported many local programs, including an orphanage and many taught English at
the local schools. Baseball, volleyball and basketball was played with the locals.
There were approx 36 military personnel: 3 officers and 33 enlisted
There were approx 35 locals working on the base.
There were approx 8 to l0 American families at the base.
The local personnel provided Security - Fire Protection - All Public Works Operations, steam plant,
etc.
There was a 60 foot dish antenna.
There were 4 sets of govt. qtrs - 3 officer and one enlisted. The Chow Hall had a bar
and movie area at one end. The rec-room was used as a chapel and general purpose room.
A local Catholic Missionary and a Luthern Missionary held services.
Mt. Chokai - Mt. Chokai had a rotating contingent from NSGDET Sakata that worked on a small
temp. base set up at the summit. Troops lived in large 20 man tents and used "Quick Vans" for
operations. Marines provided choppers for the Quick Vans and other heavy equipment. Locals
provided porter service for every-day supplies. One small Japanese porter could carry 6 cases of
beer clear up the Mt. with no sweat. We sailers could barely make it with a canteen.
Cdr Burns decided that everyone at the base excluding civilian personnel would make the trip at
least once.
Payday was held once a month, brought up by the Disbursing Dept from Kamiseya. We ordered
stamps, money-orders, etc., at the same time.
The Chow-Hall was allowed a "45" Mess status. Meaning that any mess with under 45 personnel
was allowed a rather hefty "additional" amount of funding. Thus, it was a good feeder.
Commissary supplies for families were ordered from Yokuska thru our Supply Dept. on a once
per month basis.
The PX - Each new individual reporting aboard was required to contribute $25 to our "cigar-mess".
The storekeeper who ran the mess kept it supplied with required material, including shaving gear,
clothes and body soap, tooth brushes, etc. The mess also acted as our local loan dept. $l0 cost you
$l2 on payday. Monies were used to add additional stock, etc. to the mess. Not sure how legal it
was, but it worked. As an individual was transferred, his $25 was refunded. When the base was
decommissioned, the mess was closed out and monies and products were divided among the crew.
Dependent children were taught by their mothers using the Navy sponsored "Calvert
Correspondence System"
provided by the University of Maryland at the cost of $l25 per student
per year. Because the home school day only required a couple of hours per day, all of the
dependent children attended local Japanese schools too.