For your consideration
Original vintage 1950s Korean War era Okinawa Hand-Painted Souvenir Duffel UN Kadena
“MEMORY OF OKINAWA & KOREA”
Artwork & Iconography
FRONT: Full hand-painted red silhouette map of Okinawa with bases in teal script:
OROKU – TOMAN – NAHA KADENA – ISHIKAWA – CHINEN – WHITE BEACH – NAGO
Cursive banner: “Memory of Okinawa & Korea”
Blue winged star patch with red center and “20” (likely 20th Air Force / Kadena unit)
U.N. Forces globe & laurel emblem
Green pine branch motif (local Ryukyu touch)
“U.N. Forces” banner + teal sailing ship (Ryukyu Islands symbol)
Every letter, line, and color is hand-applied by a Naha street artist in 1950–53 — no two bags are alike.
Exterior: Heavy jute / cotton duck canvas (burlap texture) – crunchy, flaky, and stiff from age
Reinforcements: Genuine leather at corners, handle, strap, and zipper gussets
Hardware: YKK metal zipper (works but missing lock tab)
Interior: Plaid cotton lining – very dusty, some staining
DISPLAY ONLY
This is a 70+ year old survivor ~ priced for what it IS, not what it isn’t.
Canvas: Crunchy, flaky, and stiff — paint cracking in spots (adds character)
Seams: Separation at stress points (left gusset, bottom corners) — still holds shape
Leather: Dry, cracked, but intact — handle solid
Zipper: Functional but missing lock tab
Strap: Missing buckle/keeper on right side (common loss)
Interior: Dusty, stained — display piece, not for daily use
NO REPAIRS, NO RESTORATION ~ 100% as-is found.
Presents beautifully on a shelf or under glass
*** Bag with wine bottle for size reference only
Measures approximately
DIMENSIONS
Length: 18 in
Height: 10in
Depth: 12 in
Zoom in on photos for details and overall condition and message with any questions
• In 1952, a 20th Air Force crewman stepped off a dusty C-54 at Kadena, Okinawa—fresh from bombing runs over Korea. With 72 hours of R&R burning in his pocket, he hitched to Naha’s neon-lit Kokusaidori, handed his blank duffel to a street artist, and said, “Put Kadena, the bases, my squadron—make it scream Pacific.” Two days later he boarded the troop ship with this canvas masterpiece: a red Okinawa silhouette blazing under “Memory of Okinawa & Korea,” the UN globe gleaming, and the “20” wings forever etched. Seventy-three years later, it’s back from a Missouri attic - battle-worn, paint cracked, but still roaring. •
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