Found Photos – “Pictures from Japan and Elsewhere” Occupied Japan (1947-1949) – By Christoph Traugott

In the old-books library vendor portion of Pleasant Hill Antique Mall, East Peoria, Illinois, in the magazine rack section, normally covered by Monkee Spectaculars and other Tiger Beats, Flips, Faves, Teen Mags, and other such magazines, found a treasure-trove.

I’m not sure if the album was new to the store or if I passed by it a zillion times, never looking underneath, but I surmise someone bought the Tiger Beats due to the Peter Tork tragic news, which made this Photo Album visible.

Clarence V. Ward was sent with the US Army to provide ophthalmology care to war-refugee Japanese children and adults as well as American Service personnel. The album is entitled, “Pictures from Japan and Elsewhere”, Occupied Japan era, Captain Clarence V. Ward, US Army from 1947-1949, 28th General Hospital, Osaka, Japan. Clarence resided in Peoria, Illinois (Feb. 13, 1922 – June 5, 2009).

Clarence served in the US Army from 1947-1949, 28th General Hospital, Osaka, Japan attaining the rank of Captain. He graduated from St. Bernard’s Grade School in 1936; Spalding Institute in 1940; University of Notre Dame in 1944 where he earned a BS; and University of St. Louis School of Medicine in 1946.

He served his internship at St. John’s Hospital in St. Louis, MO from 1946-1947; Post Graduate at Northwestern University in Ophthalmology from 1949-1950; Residency at Hines Veterans Hospital in Hines, IL from 1950-1952 in Ophthalmology. He was an Ophthalmologist full time from 1952-1995 and part time from 1996-2004.

I was able to track down the family, and grant back the album to his surviving wife, who actually made the album – it had gotten lost in so many moves. The full logistics of how, 65 years later, it ended up behind Tiger Beats in an antique store, would be a tale. The family has graciously allowed for the digitization and display of Ward’s images.