Interview of Margaret M. Lyon on her service as a civilian teacher for the U.S. Army in France, Italy, and Japan Dorothy Harrison: Um, Margaret, I’d like to start this interview of your experiences overseas, uh, by asking you if you would give us some biographical data on yourself. Though [inaudible 00:14] a word like [inaudible 00:14] I don’t know whether to say “day-ta” or “dah-ta”. [laughter] However, this by the way, is Dorothy M. Harrison, and I am interviewing Margaret Lyons, and you spell your last name L-Y-O-N. Margaret Lyon: Y-O-N. Dorothy Harrison: Just no S. Very good. Margaret Lyon. [00:31] So, tell us, uh, a little biographical background so that we’ll have something to build on. Margaret Lyon: Um, when I went overseas to teach school, I was 26 years old. I had been a teacher, uh, in the, um, Louisville City Schools. Before then, I had taught, uh, three years in the parochial schools. I had gotten my, uh, BS in education from Spalding College, and I also had, uh, lots of credits in, um, education. So, uh, by the time I went over, I had a standard teacher, teaching certificate and about six years’ experience. Dorothy Harrison: Good. [01:17] In other words, you are a Kentuckian, a Louisvillian born and bred or is [inaudible 01:22]? Margaret Lyon: No, I was – my mother and father are both from Loretto, Kentucky but I was actually born in Atlanta, and then we returned to Kentucky when I was 13. I had gone through, uh, to high school in, uh, at St. Catharine’s in Springfield, Kentucky, for the most part. So, uh, then… Dorothy Harrison: [01:42] You [feel] yourself a Kentuckian? Margaret Lyon: Right. I do because my parents are from here and most of my life has been spent… Dorothy Harrison: Spent here in Kentucky. Margaret Lyon: …in Kentucky. Dorothy Harrison: I should, I should mention that this is the Louisville unit of the Women’s Overseas Service League that is making this report. Um, very good. And, uh, that does give us some background and, uh, now, uh, my first question is, [02:04] what branch of service did you server in? Margaret Lyon: Okay. I was actually a civilian worker for the, uh, Department of the Army, and, um, I was employed… Dorothy Harrison: [coughing] Margaret Lyon: …out of Washington, D. C. and I was employed here in Louisville to go overseas and to teach in Verdun, France. And so, I was a third-grade teacher. Dorothy Harrison: That was a historic sight to be teaching in. That was a terrible World War I battlefield. Margaret Lyon: It was a very interesting place. The – just of – the whole, uh, area was interesting. Dorothy Harrison: Good. [02:45] Now, how long did you – were you attached, uh, as a civilian to the Department of the Army? Margaret Lyon: I, uh, taught the one year in Verdun. I stayed there from September through… Dorothy Harrison: [02:58] September of what year? Margaret Lyon: …September of ’56 through August of ’57. And, uh, then I went down to, uh, Verona, Italy, and I was there one year. I was there from August to, uh, July. Came home then on July the 4th, 1958. Dorothy Harrison: Very good. [03:21] And what influenced you to volunteer? Margaret Lyon: Um, I had wanted to travel. I always wanted to travel, and I think I finished college because I had in mind to be an air stewardess. And then when I finished, uh, I got into teaching, and when this opportunity came up, um, I applied. I had applied, uh, the year before and, um, that would’ve been in 1955. And because they had closed all the schools in Austria, there were a lot of, uh, surplus teachers in Europe, and so I didn’t get, uh, get my job until 1956. Dorothy Harrison: [04:04] Uh, what did you do prior to your service overseas? Margaret Lyon: Prior to my service, I was an elementary school teacher here in Louisville. I had taught at Engelhard and also down at Roosevelt in the west end. Dorothy Harrison: May I congratulate you on surviving Roosevelt. I happen to know that school [laughter]. [Inaudible 04:25]. Margaret Lyon: Well, Roosevelt, back in those days, was not exactly like Roosevelt is today. So, it was, uh, it was a nice experience. It was great. I had come from an affluent neighborhood of [Ottoman Park 04:41] and had gone, um, I had taught in [Ottoman Park 04:46] for two years and so when I, I, switched down to Roosevelt, of course, it was quite a different situation. Dorothy Harrison: Actually, I thought that the staff there was very good at [inaudible 04:56] [what I saw] but I [inaudible 04:58]. Margaret Lyon: Yes, they were. Dorothy Harrison: [Inaudible 04:58] for those who are listening to this tape explain that Roosevelt High School or Roosevelt School, rather, was [I hope I’m not incorrect 05:05] was built in the Civil War era. Margaret Lyon: Right. Dorothy Harrison: And it’s a very antique building and it seemed somehow, uh, difficult to imagine getting anything done with the noise in the halls, the, uh, size of the rooms and the decrepit neighborhood was rather discouraging [inaudible 05:27], but as I say, I think the staff was very dedicated to teaching. [05:34] All right. Now, what, what did you actually do there in your service, uh, overseas? Did you also teach the third grade there? Margaret Lyon: I taught the third grade. I had, uh, [throat clearing] we lived about four miles away in – at the, uh, officer’s quarters. And, uh, then every day we would, uh, drive in our car down to the base. And, uh, my classroom was one part of a three-part Quonset hut. And I had the furnace in my room [laughter], so… Dorothy Harrison: [That, that was fun 06:17] [laughter]. Margaret Lyon: It was actually a round Quonset hut and, uh, so, uh, the floors were concrete and the playground was, um, a mixture of gravel and sand. [Inaudible 06:33] Dorothy Harrison: [I bet there were a 06:33] number of skinned knees in that, uh… Margaret Lyon: It was an interesting experience. Dorothy Harrison: [06:40] Um, the, uh, the next question – now, this was – this Quonset hut was in, uh, in Verdun? Margaret Lyon: The Quonset hut was on the, um, the American army base there in Verdun. Dorothy Harrison: Verdun, right. Uh, this next question seems, um, nonapplicable in your case. [07:00] Did you expect it to – experience to prepare you for a career? Obviously, you were prepared for a career [laughter] before you went, so therefore, you just did what you were – what you already were [planning on doing again 07:11]. Margaret Lyon: Right. I did. Dorothy Harrison: [07:14] And, uh, what was your pay? Margaret Lyon: My pay, the best I remember, was maybe $3200 a year. And this included, um, housing and, um, [they counted 07:31] medical expense. And so, actually… Dorothy Harrison: You were able to save on the [inaudible 07:37]. Margaret Lyon: I was actually, uh, able to realize more money than I was realizing here at home. Dorothy Harrison: That’s very interesting. That is a good – that’s pretty good pay in those days. Margaret Lyon: I remember that we thought we were rich off $6000 here. [That was in the States 07:52]. [coughing]. Dorothy Harrison: [07:55] Um, here’s the next – the next question on this, um, list, uh, is were you given equal opportunities for service and education? I think that is a proper [inaudible 08:09] question [inaudible 08:10], so somebody doesn’t [inaudible 08:12]. So, I think… Margaret Lyon: I had equal [status 08:16] with the men. Dorothy Harrison: With the men, right. Um, [clearing throat] you’ve already told us, uh, a little bit about your housing in, uh, Verdun, that you were housed in officer’s quarters. [08:32] Was that BOQ, the base officer’s quarters? Margaret Lyon: I was a BOQ, and, uh, it consisted of, um, about four buildings, uh, in a square with a parking lot in the middle. And, um, there were, uh, women assigned to one, one room with, uh, uh, bathing facilities in the middle. And so, this was shared by a, um, another woman. For instance, what I’m trying to say is there was a woman on the other side, and we shared a bath. They had a common bath. Dorothy Harrison: You were living in luxury [laughter]. We were lucky if we had a… Margaret Lyon: We had, uh, we had our breakfast and our dinner over at the, uh, officer’s club with, uh, all the, the people that lived there at the compound. Dorothy Harrison: [09:32] Were all your teachers American? Margaret Lyon: All the teachers were American, right. Dorothy Harrison: [09:37] And you were teaching dependent children? Margaret Lyon: We were teaching dependent children, and they, of course, were, uh, an interesting group. Uh, one child had a German mother and, um, he worked in the, the fields with the French, uh, farmers, and they did not live on the base. And, um, he spoke three languages. He was 10 years old. Um, I had [clearing throat] – one child that was a, uh, the son of a Puerto Rican person that was in the army, and he spoke no English. And so, on my lunch hour, I did teach him to speak English, which was an interesting experience. And you just had to figure this out by yourself. And so, I got a, uh, Spanish-to-English dictionary, and we started with a first-grade book. I had, uh, the general’s son in my class and… Dorothy Harrison: [10:38] It was a totally Democratic group there? Margaret Lyon: Oh, absolutely. And, um, then we had, uh, one young lady that came to the base every day, and she taught, uh, French to the children. On the base too, um, there were, uh, there was a high school. And some of the high school teachers lived in our BOQ. Uh, all together, the best I remember, there were 10,000 men attached to this particular base. And many of’m lived out in the countryside. One doctor, Dr. [Kuhn 11:17], was from Louisville, and he lived across the street in the French housing. Dorothy Harrison: [11:24] That is not by any chance, uh, a dentist? Margaret Lyon: No. I think he’s a plastic surgeon. And, um, let’s see. As I mentioned previously, across the hall from me was, uh, [Phillis Crevata 11:38] whom I had gone to college with. And, um, so, it was quite interesting when you had traveled 4000 miles [and walked into 11:47] to the BOQ on Sunday morning and a girl comes up and says, “May?” Dorothy Harrison: [laughter] [Inaudible 11:55] Margaret Lyon: [laughter] [And it’s Phillis Crevata 11:55]. It was, it was quite interesting. Um… Dorothy Harrison: [11:59] Now, what about your housing in [Verona 12:00]? Margaret Lyon: I would like to say that, uh, the teachers that I was with were from all over the United States. There were teachers from California and there was a girl from Texas. Uh, one of my best girlfriends was from St. Louis. Another girl was from Denver, Colorado, so it was a very interesting experience from that, uh, standpoint also. Uh, Verona was different. Verona was, um, a different type of base. It was part of the air command. Um, it was connected with the army. It was a much smaller base. Uh, we had two elementary schools there. The, uh, high school people went down to Vicenza to high school. And, uh, some of’m went to a boarding school in Germany. Um, our – the one school where I was when I first got there was a brand-new school they had built out, um, out of town, and the children were bussed in there. Uh, then later on, um, because of the, uh, increased enrollment, we were switched to another school that was, uh, uh, [inaudible 13:26]. And the first place we lived was an old, Italian hotel. And, uh, [laughter] that was one of my first experience with rats. And, of course, I didn’t really know that there were rats all over Europe. And, um, so, anyway, whenever anyone would leave the, uh, door open to the cellar, the rats would come up in the kitchen. And if you were walking by the canal, you would see these rats that’re almost the size of, uh, kitty cats. So, that, that, in itself, was interesting. We, um, lived there, I think, for about four or five months. And, uh, the place was musty and, um, the furnace never did quite work. [laughter] There were, uh, quite a few, uh, service connected people and, uh, quite a few people from Verona that would come in and inspect the furnace from time to time… Dorothy Harrison: [14:32] But it never really worked? Margaret Lyon: …but it never really worked. And so then, later on, in the middle of the year, we were transferred over to a new house. And, um, it was just a very large house. In my room, um, my one friend, Rae, that was from California, uh, she and I shared single beds in this one room, and the other teachers were accommodated much in the same manner. And, uh, there was one central area for bathing. Dorothy Harrison: Very good. [clearing throat] [15:08] Of course, you got medical attention… Margaret Lyon: Yes, we did. Dorothy Harrison: …as part of your, your, uh, salary? And we know that it was usually quite good. [15:18] Uh, did you wear a uniform at all? Margaret Lyon: No, we did not wear a uniform. Dorothy Harrison: [15:27] Uh, where did you eat? [You always 15:28] ate with the medic-, with the army unit or – that you were with or did or with the air force unit you were with? Margaret Lyon: Now, when we, um, moved down to Italy, we, uh, we would have to go out to the base if we wanted to have dinner there at the, uh, at the base. And we usually just, um, arranged to have, um, a dinner there in town. We did have a hot meal that was brought in from the base. And, um, so, we did get one hot meal a day. For the most part, I think we just ate in some of the local restaurants or fixed our own. Dorothy Harrison: [16:05] But you paid for that yourself, of course? Margaret Lyon: Yes, we did. Dorothy Harrison: Right. [16:08] But the other was free? Margaret Lyon: Correct. Dorothy Harrison: Right. Margaret Lyon: Well, no, actually, we paid every time we went to dinner. Dorothy Harrison: [16:13] You paid when you went to dinner with the army? Margaret Lyon: The best I remember, we did. Dorothy Harrison: Oh, that is interesting. Margaret Lyon: [I think 16:20]. I can’t really be sure, but it did seem like that we did. Dorothy Harrison: Very good. Well, of course, you were civilians. So, that made a difference in the way you would be treated, I would think. [16:35] Now, we’ve come to one of the more interesting questions that – what – you’ve already, actually, told us what one of your memorable experiences was, was trying to teach this young Puerto Rican, uh, English. Uh, but they’re asking for any other memorable experiences which you may have had in the course of your… Margaret Lyon: It was, uh, the whole, the whole experience was memorable. I think, um, comin’ over tonight, I remembered that, um, when we were in, um, Verdun, it, uh, we were just in a little compound out in a field and, um, the place was patrolled at night by Polish, um, uh, people. And the story was that they had come, come out of Poland, and if they served the Americans for five years or so, they were given their citizenship. And, uh, so, we never really got to know any of them, but there was always a Polish guard that walked back and forth in the compound. That was rather interesting. Uh, I remember the, um, Algerians were there in Verdun, and you would, uh, very often seen, um, them. In fact, there was a, a base there… Dorothy Harrison: [coughing] Margaret Lyon: … not too far from, from us where the Algerians were and, of course, they were, uh, uh, easy to spot because of their colorful uniforms. And, uh, that, that was interesting. Um… Dorothy Harrison: That’s very interesting, indeed, about the Polish, that they were told they could have citizenship… Margaret Lyon: Mm-hm. Dorothy Harrison: …if they served… Margaret Lyon: But they lived there and, uh… Dorothy Harrison: …five years. Margaret Lyon: Um… Dorothy Harrison: [18:20] Did you have any visits from any, um, famous people or outstanding, um [inaudible 18:30]? Margaret Lyon: No, not while we were there. I wouldn’t think so. The, uh, I don’t remember anyone coming to the base that, that, uh, was par-, particularly memorable. Um, the same in Italy. Dorothy Harrison: [18:42] Most of your – yes. Your, your challenges were almost all – you’re – almost all your challenges were from your students? Margaret Lyon: There were a few challenges from the teaching. Uh, for the most part though, it was very similar to, um, teaching here at home. Dorothy Harrison: The challenges you would get here. Margaret Lyon: Right. I think, uh, just the, uh, uh, the one thing that, uh, really struck me was the fact that you, um, worked and lived with the same people on a 24-hour a day basis, which, uh, took a bit of getting used to. And, um, uh, Verdun, you had so many more civilian employees there, and so, um, it was a more comfortable situation perhaps then going down to Italy where, um, there were about 13 of us, uh, ladies and, uh, we actually lived together on a 24-hour basis, and there was quite a range in age. It really wasn’t a problem exactly, and we were all friends, it was just that it was, uh, such an adjustment. Dorothy Harrison: An adjustment, yes. Margaret Lyon: And I used to tell Rae, “Rae, I didn’t mind working with you, but I just didn’t realize this was gonna be a 24-hour business.” And it, it was just an adjustment on everybody’s part. And, and you just had to, uh, uh… Dorothy Harrison: Get used to it. Margaret Lyon: …get used to it, right. Dorothy Harrison: All right. [20:18] Um, so, the question is did you experience conflict with, with between being feminine and being a military professional. Well, since you weren’t a … Margaret Lyon: No. Dorothy Harrison: … military professional, there was no conflict. Margaret Lyon: No. Dorothy Harrison: Um, and the next question also about getting benefits from the GI Bill is, is not applicable. [20:39] Um, what did – what do – you have just rather expressed one of the answers to the question that’s next is what demanded the greatest adjustment? Uh, [inaudible 20:49]… Margaret Lyon: It was all just a big adventure as far as I was concerned. It was a big, delightful adventure. Dorothy Harrison: [20:57] And you had a good relationship, I’m sure, with the military, so that… Margaret Lyon: Yes, we did. Dorothy Harrison: …it was just a lack of… Margaret Lyon: They were just very, um… Dorothy Harrison: …privacy that, um, you had to… Margaret Lyon: They were, uh, just very friendly and, um, um, just very charming and it was, um, you, uh, just had a great deal of respect for them because they showed so much heart to one another. Dorothy Harrison: That’s an interesting thing and I, I’ve often wondered how – in what way the, the, uh, army occupation forces [inaudible 21:33] quality [was different than those who were in there 21:35] fighting, uh, the war, in the previous decade. And, um, I’m sure the atmosphere must’ve been totally, totally different. And to have their families there and their children there made it much more like a small town. Margaret Lyon: Really, it did. Dorothy Harrison: All right. Now, let’s see. [22:00] What did you do after your service was concluded? Margaret Lyon: After my service there was concluded, I came home and I was home then for two years. And then, uh, I got a job with the navy in Japan, and so I was in, um, Yokosuka, and that, again, was just a totally different experience, just a great adventure. Dorothy Harrison: [22:31] When was this? Margaret Lyon: This was in – from 1960 to 1961. And, uh, again, we lived in a BOQ. And, um, my school was probably eight miles out around the peninsula, uh, to a little housing settlement that had been turned over to the army, uh, from the air force. And that, in itself, was just a grand experience because every day we’d get to see the people in their fields. You got a beautiful picture of Japanese life and, uh… Dorothy Harrison: This was country life too. Margaret Lyon: This was country life. Dorothy Harrison: [23:13] And you were – what – in what place was this? Margaret Lyon: Yokosuka. Dorothy Harrison: Yokosuka. [23:16] It was on the island of Honshu? Margaret Lyon: Right. It was on the island of Honshu and on the bay of Japan. And, um, it was, um, a little south of, uh, Yokohama and also Tokyo. Dorothy Harrison: [23:33] And you were serving the air force at this time? Margaret Lyon: No. Dorothy Harrison: [No, the navy 23:36]. Margaret Lyon: This was with the navy. Dorothy Harrison: The navy. Margaret Lyon: Right. So, on our way out to school, uh, some mornings, we could see Mount Fuji. And, of course, this was breathtaking. And, uh, it was, uh, just a, a fantastic experience. Of all the different, uh, scenes I’ve seen in my life, I think this still stands out as the most beautiful. And, of course, the fact that you could maybe only see it once or twice a month, uh, added to the fascination. Dorothy Harrison: [24:07] And that, uh, that – the, uh, what did you think was different about the way the Japanese country people lived and worked that would be different from the way our own farmers lived and worked? Margaret Lyon: Well… Dorothy Harrison: [24:22] Was there anything that stood out? Margaret Lyon: Just, um, I think with the Japanese people it was just their, uh, constant, um, movement and their, uh, energy level was just amazing. And the fact that, uh, they work so very hard, and the women worked right along with the men, and you would see the women out building the roads along with the men and, of course, there would be elderly women. And, uh, this, of course, was new to me. And then, um, um, it was more like a, uh, a gardening than it was a farming. We never did actually see the, the, uh, large farm situation that we have here in the United States, but they did have, uh, three or four crops a year on the same little plot of ground. Dorothy Harrison: Very intensive farming. Margaret Lyon: Yes. And, of course, they – as in Europe, did fertilize with human man-, manure. And they would, of course, gather this in their – and, uh, then distribute it out on the fields. And that, that was interesting. Dorothy Harrison: [25:29] Was there a faint aroma of, uh, that you… Margaret Lyon: Uh, Japan just had its own aromas, you know, you just, uh, I don’t really remember the aroma of the fields. I do remember, um, while I was there I did a lot of volunteer work and I did, uh… Dorothy Harrison: [25:47] Where did you volunteer? Margaret Lyon: I, uh, went over to what would be equivalent to our Annapolis or West Point. And, uh, we taught English conversation to the boys that were from about 18 to 21. Dorothy Harrison: [25:59] Japanese boys? Margaret Lyon: Japanese boys. And that was an interesting experience because they were not only from Honshu, they were from all over Japan. They were extremely polite and, uh… Dorothy Harrison: Probably very bright too. Margaret Lyon: Yes. And just a marvelous experience. And then, uh, on Saturday, I would go in to the, uh, Japanese schools and, uh, teach, uh, English. And I remember I taught the – taught’m, uh, the song Bingo – had a dog, B-I-N-G-O, his name was Bingo, and we would clap, leave out a letter and clap. Dorothy Harrison: Oh, yes. That’s… Margaret Lyon: It was a lot of repetition, and so they could get it and they liked the rhyming. And so, then I taught them, um, [sighing] Coming ‘Round the Mountain. And that had a lot of repetition and they picked it up. And it was interesting because months later they were still singing these songs. Dorothy Harrison: Coming ‘Round the Mountain [laughter]. Margaret Lyon: Yeah. She’ll be coming ‘round the mountain when she comes. And, um, so, that, that was just a very fascinating experience and they very, very anxious to learn English. And, uh, then too, we had an association with the, uh, Japanese teachers and went on several field trips with them, which was just a lot of fun. I remember the one day we went out to some favorite spot and coming back, uh, we stopped and had lunch, which was, uh, cold fish [laughter]. Dorothy Harrison: [27:34] Was it at least cooked? Margaret Lyon: It, it was cooked, right, but it was, it was quite an experience. And, uh, I’m, I’m an easy person to, to please when it comes to food and not the least bit timid, so it, it was, it was all just a very, very marvelous experience. Dorothy Harrison: Very good. I hadn’t realized that you had been in Japan too as well… Margaret Lyon: Yes. Dorothy Harrison: …as in, uh, in Europe. Margaret Lyon: And there too, you, you had a variety of children. You had, uh, I think probably the most outstanding from, from that particular class was, uh, seems like it was the second third-grade class, and I had, uh, two children, [Akimi and Kuzumi 28:15] whose parents, uh, whose father was an American, um, navy officer and the mother was from Okinawa. The children had been left on Okinawa and so when I got them, they spoke no English at all. And so, again, it was the, uh, starting at lunch time and you would have to take their little Japanese dictionaries and start with basic words and build up a vocabulary. So, they were able to read about second grade or third grade when I finished with them that year. We had, uh… Dorothy Harrison: That was marvelous. [28:50] Now, how did you do this? With just repetition and, and pointing to objects or… Margaret Lyon: Uh… Dorothy Harrison: [28:54] You begin with the Japanese word? Margaret Lyon: We began with that. I have done this two or three times, so we did it a couple years ago with a little girl that was from, uh, Korea that didn’t even know the American alphabet. And, uh, we just started with a book of pictures, a picture dictionary. And then you – when they build up a picture, uh, vocabulary, then you start with your first-grade words. I mean, your first-grade books and so on. So, um, but anyway, I did take [Akimi and Kuzumi 29:26] at lunchtime, and we had English lessons. And, uh, they were just the most charming, beautiful children. Dorothy Harrison: I can imagine. Margaret Lyon: Yes. Dorothy Harrison: [29:36] Uh, did they, uh, have Japanese, um, eyes or was it American eyes? I, I’ve often wondered… Margaret Lyon: They didn’t look like, uh, um, full-blooded Japanese but they were very beautiful children. Dorothy Harrison: Children [inaudible 29:47]. Margaret Lyon: No. They just stayed with their grandparents and, uh, the mother and father left’m with their grandparents for about eight years, and then when they came back to Japan, they had a little sister with’m and they picked the two children up, and then they started them in, uh, our school there in Japan. And I had, uh, two other children that had spent their whole life in Japan. Dorothy Harrison: [30:12] American children? Margaret Lyon: American children. And, uh, the one, of course, uh, she would go out with us and be the interpreter when we went on field trips and the Japanese were always surprised. They’d say, “She sounds Japanese.” And, of course, she did. And the other lit-, and they spoke absolute fluent Japanese because they had been raised, reared by Japanese, uh, nurses. So – and they had, uh, all the Japanese customs like, uh – I was adventure – uh, I did just try any food that came along. Well, they had a long, dried squid that looked like licorice; it was black. And, uh, so, the mother, uh, one of the mothers one day that had gone on the field trip said, “You really should try it.” And I did, and it just wouldn’t go down. It was one of the few things – but now, this other little, blonde-haired girl that had been raised in Japan, they ate that all the time like it was candy. So… Dorothy Harrison: It’s what you’re used to. Margaret Lyon: It, it was a very interesting and totally different and a very interesting experience. I had, uh, they – I think one of the other things that was, um, quite remarkable about the Japanese was, um, even to the last child, they seem to be artistic. And they had, um, so much art in their school. And, uh, they all learned, uh, um, the art of paper folding. They could do that. And they learned, uh, flower arranging. They all learned to juggle little, uh, beanbags at a very early age and so, uh, they had, uh, just really a lot of, uh, talent. And then they did go to school six days a week, uh, 11 months a year, which to me was quite interesting. Dorothy Harrison: [32:05] And why – how – what kind of a schedule was your school on in Japan? Margaret Lyon: Our sch-, our schedule was the standard, American’s schedule. We had the standard, American books. And it was just like you had transported an American school over to, uh, Japan, which, is in essence is what it was. Dorothy Harrison: [32:24] Uh, and how many, how many teachers did you have there and how many pupils? Margaret Lyon: In our school, we had four teachers. [laughter] And, um, it was, it was just a lot of fun. Now, I had – with our two older teachers… Dorothy Harrison: [32:37] How… Margaret Lyon: … and two younger ones… Dorothy Harrison: …how many, how many kids were there? Margaret Lyon: Um, probably about 150. There was one man. There were five then, I guess. And, uh, that was this one little school and its housing compound. Now, back on the bu-, uh, the base, they had, um, a high school and another elementary school. Dorothy Harrison: [32:58] So, you were just an isolated elementary school? Margaret Lyon: We were an isolated elementary school, but I chose to go out there simply because I would get, uh, get to see more of the countryside. It was – it was [fascinating 33:10]. Dorothy Harrison: [Inaudible 33:11] that sounds quite fascinating. Margaret Lyon: It was. Dorothy Harrison: [33:14] Uh, were you able to visit any of the, uh, special, uh, cities, uh, and shrines in Japan [while you were there 33:22]? Margaret Lyon: Yes, we did. We went to, uh… Dorothy Harrison: [Inaudible 33:25]. Margaret Lyon: We went to Tokyo often. We went to Kyoto, uh, um, Kamakura. At, uh, Christmas time we took a trip down to, uh, Singapore [and China 33:40] and, uh, we were in, uh, Vietnam before the war. And, uh, we were in Bangkok. And, uh… Dorothy Harrison: You really did make use of your time there. [33:57] How long were you in, uh, Japan then… Margaret Lyon: In Japan… Dorothy Harrison: …in total? Margaret Lyon: Uh, I was there from August of ’60 to, uh, June of ’61. Dorothy Harrison: To June of ’61. Very good. You did a great, great deal in that time. Margaret Lyon: Yes, I really did. It was a fascinating year. It really was. Dorothy Harrison: [34:19] Uh, now, is that the end of your adventures or did you go elsewhere? Margaret Lyon: That was it. [laughter] Dorothy Harrison: That was it. [laughter] Margaret Lyon: Yeah, that was it. Dorothy Harrison: All right. Now, uh, then you came back to the United States and came back to Louisville. Margaret Lyon: I came back to the United States, came back to Louisville. Um, got a job in Jefferson county because that was the one job that was open. Dorothy Harrison: Good reason. Margaret Lyon: And, uh, so, I’ve been here ever since. Dorothy Harrison: [34:46] And you are now principal? Margaret Lyon: I am now principal at Bates Elementary out in Fern Creek, 40291. Dorothy Harrison: Yes. I know it well. [laughter] Margaret Lyon: Yes. Dorothy Harrison: Uh, and it’s a good school. Margaret Lyon: Yes. It’s a lovely school. Dorothy Harrison: And we’re very glad that you talked to us on this night, and we thank you very much, and, uh, well, that concludes our interview, unless someone else has a question they’d like to ask Margaret? In which case, speak up because this old microphone may – will need to pick up your voice. Jenny? Jean? Virginia? Virginia: [Inaudible 35:31]. Dorothy Harrison: Well, I think we can – Female 1: You were, uh, [inaudible 35:38]. Margaret Lyon: Yes, we did. Yes, we were in both instances. Female 1: [35:47] Uh, did – you didn’t have to wear any uniform or anything? Margaret Lyon: No. We wore no uniform. There was no restriction on any of our travel and… Dorothy Harrison: [35:55] Did you have to wear some kind of an identification badge, I’m sure, [to get in and out of the] [inaudible 33:58]? Margaret Lyon: Um, there must’ve been something on the car. I’m sure there was something on the car, and I’m sure that we must’ve had a, uh, an identification, like a badge of some type. We did use the [script 36:11]. We used the army [script 36:14] money, both in, uh, France and in Japan. Dorothy Harrison: [36:18] In Italy too? Margaret Lyon: Right. We did. Dorothy Harrison: Very good. Very good. Female 2: Now, America [inaudible 36:25]? Margaret Lyon: Uh, yes. Dorothy Harrison: [36:30] Did, did – was that a question – [yeah, it’s all right 36:32]. Uh, what did… Margaret Lyon: I, um, we had – now, we had, um, I think there was a, an actual love for the Americans in Japan. I felt that. We had the one chaplain that came out one day and talked to us, and he had, uh, gone in, uh, to this particular base where we were, to Yokosuka, right after the war when the people were starving. And, uh, he said at one time that, uh, he had gone in and scooped up just eggs and rice and things of that type and taken’m out to a family that was literally starving. And he had come back there then as a missionary. He was quite interesting to, to, uh hear. But, um, I think the Americans were loved in Japan. They seemed to just have a lot of camaraderie, I think, between. And we were always treated just beautifully by the japanese. We went on a ski trip with, uh, with the Japanese ladies and the Japanese men one weekend, and they were just marvelous to us. But on the other hand, uh, they’re a very polite people. But I did get the, get the feeling that they, uh, had a general admiration for Americans. Female 2: Uh, the reason for their positive attitude toward us was that they knew that we were not there to [inaudible 38:06]. We were there… Margaret Lyon: Right. Female 2: … [inaudible 38:08]. Margaret Lyon: That’s right. Female 2: To stand on their own feet and be Japanese [inaudible 38:12]. Margaret Lyon: Mm-hm. Female 2: But we were not there [inaudible 38:16] to occupy Japan. Margaret Lyon: Right. I, I think they truly felt that. Dorothy Harrison: I suspect it was a great surprise to them ‘cause I have a feeling that perhaps they would not have been as generous to us. Female 2: I believe so. I mean, I’m sure they were very [conscious of that 38:30]. Margaret Lyon: Right. Female 2: Because I think their attitude toward the U. S. [inaudible 38:36]. Dorothy Harrison: Thank you, Margaret, very much.