Countdown to 2000: Cowboys and inspiration

Noaki Schwartz

Without a doubt, the biggest personality that ever hit Newport Beach in

the 1940s was John Wayne, the man who inspired boys across the nation to

want to grow up to become cowboys. The actor who was best known for his

westerns settled down in Newport with his wife, Pilar.

During World War II, however, a new kind of personality rose in Costa

Mesa and Newport Beach: the familiar faces that were fighting in the war.

The following appeared in local papers:

“Seaman first-class Marion Chomer Martin of the navy is serving in the

South Pacific Theater. His invasion campaigns include: Guam, Palau,

Saipan and the Philippines. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. M.R. Martin of

Orange Ave.”

And then there were the reports about residents’ awards, for example:

“Sgt. Umlor gets a citation after serving 11 years in the army. He

received the legion of merit.”

There were also those who were fighting a different kind of war on the

home front.

In 1942, a letter appeared in the Costa Mesa Globe from a former

resident, Mrs. Sano, living in a relocation camp in Arizona. During the

war, thousands of Japanese American citizens lost their land and

valuables when the government decided that they were a threat to national

security and moved them to remote places. The same “dangerous”

individuals were asked to join the U.S. Army to defend their country.

The letter said:

“As for George, he has refused to be voluntarily sent where the army

wishes to send it’s combat forces and also claims allegiance to Japan. I

know as well as a lot of other people that he can’t have real allegiance

to Japan, when he was born and raised here and has never been outside of

this country. But, he’s taken his final stand because of the war hysteria

and the fact that there has been so much Japanese hatred in western

papers.”