U.S. military vehicles enter restricted road
In Shirohara, Ginoza, just after 10:00 a.m. on July 15, a convoy of U.S. military amphibious vehicles drove on the narrow road where locals have previously asked for them not to pass (photograph taken by Futoshi Hanashiro).
July 16, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo
A convoy of ten U.S. military amphibious vehicles drove through Village Road No. 1 in Shirohara, Ginoza on July 15. Because the road through the village is only narrow the residents oppose such vehicles using it because of the risk of accidents. The U.S. military actually forbids its vehicles from using the road, but nevertheless occasionally heavy military vehicles cut through the road.
Heading towards Camp Hansen, the vehicles entered the road through Shirohara just after 10:00a.m. They often went a significant distance across into the lane for oncoming traffic and their radio aerials sometimes touched the branches of trees.
The Okinawa Prefectural Government provides the U.S. military with access to the road. In 1995, a heavy military truck hit and killed a child. In response to locals’ requests, in 1997 the commander of Camp Hansen promised that they would not use the road except in emergencies, but as in this case, U.S. military vehicles still occasionally use the road.
(English translation by T&CT, Lima Tokumori and Mark Ealey)
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