Shurei No Hakari

Above is the cover and back page of my only surviving copy of Shurei No Hikari. This magazine about Okinawa History and Culture was published by the 14th PsyWar Bn and later by the 7th PsyOp Group. The publication was printed in both Japanese and English but my copy is in Japanese so I cannot read the contents.

On one of the inside pages is a photograph of (I think) Lt General Paul Caraway who was High Commissioner of the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa) from 1961 - 1964.

George Lane, a member of PACFO (Pacific Field Office) a group organized in the early 1960's on Okinawa, recently wrote me about his collection of Okinawa publications. George had put some of his library for sale on E-Bay and is concerned about the lack of history and possible loss of remaining copies of this magazine. George indicated he may try to preserve his remaining copies by scanning and storing electronically. He writes in a 1/18/06 e-mail:

An American school teacher at a Japanese school on Okinawa bought my Legends of
Okinawa which is a compilation of articles in Shurei No Hikari by the
7th PSYOP GP.  He had searched high and low for a copy and finally was
able to read a copy in the reading room at the library of the Univ. of
the Ryukyus. So as I had feared, those wonderful issues of Shurei No
Hikari may be lost now, except for the 3 year collection that I have. 

As to the origin of this magazine, George said he believed it was inspired and commissioned by General McArthur during his role as Supreme Commander of Japan following WWII. Who first published the magazine and how the 14th PsyWar Bn became involved is unknown to me.

I would apperciate hearing from anyone who knows any history of this magazine and or anyone who has copies. Perhaps if enough of the remaining copies can be preserved by digitizing, they can be catalogued and made available to historians and others who may be interested.

Tim Yoho