A Very Brief History of Yokosuka circa 1967

Joan Asks,

I have a jewelry box that says MCD Employees, PWC, YOKOSUKA 30 June 1967 on the bottom, it’s black with mother of pearl inlaid. Just wondering what the history [of it] is?

Hey Joan,

I wasn’t able to find anything directly related to activity occurring on 30 June 1967 in Yokosuka but here is what I can put together from the research I found.

First the engraving, if the acronym is the official military one it refers to the Medical Crew Director.

Perhaps, and I’m only speculating, it was a gift to the MCD, or some other top brass, from the Employees but I can’t find any information on who that person might have been.

The second one (PWC) has no official designation for the acronym but probably refers to the Public Works Center based in Yokosuka.

The Public Works Center’s function is the same as you would think of our local Public Works/Municipal Districts here in the States.

As far as the significance of Yokosuka during that time here is a small excerpt from Wikipedia:

The U.S., still an occupying power in Japan (1950), turned its full efforts to the support of South Korea. The Navy Dispensary was enlarged and expanded and was commissioned a U.S. Naval Hospital in 1950. The Naval Communications Facility, Yokosuka, was commissioned in January 1951. In April 1951, the Ship Repair Department became a component command. It was redesignated the Ship Repair Facility. As the major naval ship repair facility in the Far East, the Yokosuka Facility assumed a vital role in maintenance and repair of the U.S. Seventh Fleet during both the Korean War and Vietnam War.

…In December 1952, the headquarters were shifted from Tokyo to Yokosuka. The expanded Supply Department of Fleet Activities became Naval Supply Depot, Yokosuka in August 1952. In 1960, the Naval Communications Facility was redesignated U.S. Naval Communications Station, Japan.

…

On 5 October 1973, USS Midway, with Carrier Air Wing Five and her accompanying task group, put into Yokosuka, marking the first forward deployment of a complete carrier task group in a Japanese port. This was the result of an accord reached on 31 August 1972 between the U.S. and Japan. In addition to the morale factor of dependents housed along with the crew in a foreign port, the move had strategic significance because it facilitated the continuous positioning of three carriers in the Far East at a time when the economic situation demanded the reduction of carriers in the fleet.

During that missing period of years between 1952-1973 Yokosuka would serve to support the war efforts in South Korea and South Vietnam.

With the Korean conflict “ending” in 1953 the service Yokosuka provided would be to increase communications, repair ships and serve as a base for the 7th fleet, and provide medical attention from 1950 onward mainly in support of US operations in Vietnam.

Yokosuka’s significance still lasts for the United States today as a result of WWII and our accord with Japan. The last major operation conducted by Yokosuka was “Operation Tomodachi” (Operation Friend) in response to the Fukushima Earthquake, Tsunami, and consequent Nuclear Power incident in 2011.

As far as the Jewelry box itself goes, it sounds like a fairly common and often beautiful traditional Asian artisan box. They are often found in gift shops and range widely in value depending on material and workmanship.

Here’s one I own which was a gift to me from South Korea.