The base I am visiting, Camp Zama, is not without its history, just as is the case with so many military installations. According to the guide books and Wikipedia, Zama was the site of a military school whose construction was overseen by a past emperor. Apparently, as one of the pictures below shows, there are a number of historical elements around, visible on a short walk.
Most of my business has taken place at the post gym, which is named after a Medal of Honor recipient. The citation is framed at the entryway, and there is a bronze plaque of it outside by the doorway. That is a very nice athletic facility they've built in honor of Sgt. Yano.
There's also this small Normandy memorial, the first photo with this post, which includes soil taken from those shores and placed here. This one in along my walk to the gym, so I make a note of it each morning and evening.
The final one I will make a note of today is this red gate, which according to Wikipedia is a Hachiman Torii. These torii are often used to mark shrines, and this one is near one of the post's main gates. The building in the background is the base chapel, which is listed on the guide to base cultural structures as well.
If you are interested in a basic introduction to the base, there's one on Wikipedia at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Zama. I'm pretty sure if I were stationed here I would have loved it (but nothing will take the place of my beloved second home town, Berlin).
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