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Winfield veteran to return WWII samurai sword to Japan
Albert Schmidt plans to return a 3 foot long samurai sword sent by the U S Army after World War II to its Japanese owners. The sword, hung on his wall for decades, carries a painful memory and a desire for closure shared with the Kikuchi family in Yamagata. Across decades Schmidt and supporters navigated government channels, meeting Aoki of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to arrange a transfer that honors both sides.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Winfield, Iowa
Albert Schmidt
Schmidt
Japan
Shuji Kikuchi
Kikuchi
Yamagata
Tokyo
11Th Airborne
Philippines
Winfield
Honshu
J.W. Swing
U.S. Army
Iowa Wesleyan College
Iowa Wesleyan
Mount Pleasant
Fred Volkmann
Wesleyan
Washington University
St. Louis
Volkmann
Aki Hiro Aoki
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Aoki
Ministry of Welfare
Aki
Nobusuke Kikuchi
Chiu Kikuchi
Nobus
11Th Airborne Division
Luzon