The Very Unofficial Surrender of Japan

[The Night Rider]

I also have a bunch of P38's but I keep losing them

They have a big bucket of those at my local Surplus Store. The Army didn't use P38s when I was in but they had the same type of can opener for a T-Rat can. The only difference was it was about twice the size of the P38

I carried one on my dog tag chain and I used it every time we went to the field

 

[Talyn]

The larger ones were/are called P-51s.

 

[The Night Rider]

The larger ones were/are called P-51s.

I seem to remember a sign on the counter that says "P-51- 50 cents"

 

[Talyn]

P-38 can opener - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Amazon.com

 

[Cedric]

I also have a bunch of P38's but I keep losing them

True story. As a civilian I still wore my dog tags since I traveled overseas a lot. Hanging with them was my P-38 can opener. Was going through airport security a few months after 911 and the TSA mensas confiscated it! It's not as if it was irreplaceable, but this one had been with me for over a decade. So, forget box cutters. It was really the P-38s that were deadly.

 

[powerboatr]

If you are a WW2 history buff, you probably know that General MacArthur landed in Japan on 30 Aug 1945 and accepted the surrender of Japan on 2 Sep on the battleship Missouri. And according to William Manchester's American Caesar - Douglas MacArthur 1880-1964 ... "Japan, the only major power whose soil had never been sullied by the boot of an enemy soldier, lost that distinction at dawn on Tuesday, Aug 28, when Colonel Charles Tench, a member of MacArthur's staff, stepped from a C-47 and set foot on Atsugi's bomb-pocked runway."

History is in error on two counts. MacArthur was not the first to take the surrender of Japan, nor was Tench the first to sully the Japanese soil.

The Very Unofficial Surrender of Japan

The first Allied aircraft to land on Japan after its surrender was a...

On August 25, 1945, a pair of P-38L-5LOs piloted by Colonel Clay Tice and his wingman were the first American aircraft to land in Japan after the surrender on August 15. They later claimed that this unauthorized landing was due to "engine difficulties", a somewhat suspect explanation. Nevertheless, this was a fitting recognition for an aircraft which had contributed so much to victory.

and a freaking awesome aircraft

 

[The Night Rider]

P-38 can opener - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Amazon.com

That looks about right

I keep a P38 and a German beer bottle opener (not sure how it got there, I don't drink) on my toolbox keys.

I don't see any reason to carry a P38 or P51 with me anymore because I always have this anyway.

I used it at home a couple times when we couldn't get the can opener to work right, it pissed SWMBO off to no end.

 

[The Night Rider]

True story. As a civilian I still wore my dog tags since I traveled overseas a lot. Hanging with them was my P-38 can opener. Was going through airport security a few months after 911 and the TSA mensas confiscated it! It's not as if it was irreplaceable, but this one had been with me for over a decade. So, forget box cutters. It was really the P-38s that were deadly.

I used to keep my dog tags on my key ring until I realize that that tag had all the information somebody needed to steal my Identity on It. I'm pretty sure my wife has my dog tags now.

 

[Cedric]

I used to keep my dog tags on my key ring until I realize that that tag had all the information somebody needed to steal my Identity on It. I'm pretty sure my wife has my dog tags now.

Call it precauthionary after 911 when flying. Wanted some chance of identification in case the aircraft augered in for whatever reason.

 

[HayesGreener]

I had a regular can opener in my air conditioned hooch in SEA. (Air Force, you know). My housegirl could spitshine boots and make amazing meals with C Rations, along with many other talents.