Mitsuko "Miko" Martinez

In 7 July 1932, Mitsuko (Takaguchi) Martínez was born in Oita Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan but she grew up in Fukuoka Prefecture. Married Airman Ricardo Martínez at Fuchu Air Base, Tokyo, Japan. They were married at the U.S. Air Base Chapel in Fuchu AB and again at the American Embassy in Tokyo; all in November 1958. She had three sons: Michael John, born in Tachikawa AB, Tokyo, Japan - 1959; Mark Daniel, from Marysville, California - 1960; and Joseph Mathew also from Marysville, California – 1961. Preceded in death by her parents, Michinori and Tsuyuko Takaguchi and her sister Hisayo Takagi. She is survived by her sisters Toshie Kaji, Masako Mitani and her brother Okitoshi Takaguchi with his wife Yoshimi. Then there are the grandchildren: Michael Jr, Zacaríaz, Mitsuko, Michelle, Danielle, Anna and Claudia … with their 12 Great-Grand Kids! And from our mother’s family … 6 nieces and 2 nephews, plus 8 grand nieces and nephews.

She met Amn Martínez in Fuchu AB while employed as a cashier at the NCO Club. Later she was employed as a Bookkeeper in Tachikawa AB. She was very active in sports and taking trips around Japan, acting as a tour guide to Amn Martínez. Our mother was on the squadron bowling team and ping pong team … she was the reigning ping pong base champion for many years. She enjoyed taking her family on sightseeing trips throughout Japan and later abroad through Asia, United States and Europe.

She had so many hobbies: knitting many items, sewing/creating clothes, crochet blankets, molding bread flowers, involved in Cake Decorating, busy with ceramics pieces, “grew” African Violets, designing cigarette wrapper umbrellas, firing glass plates with flower designs (mostly blue bonnets), making quilts … her interests were so dynamic!

And she was a volunteer … fundraiser with her squadron during base activities, helping the church with all its activities and fundraisers, cub scouts, and a volunteer with the various civil programs in the community.

Along with MSgt Martinez, she retired in Accounting and Finance from Civil Service here at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas after 50 years of service. Our parents lived out their lives in Schertz, Texas. But she had a problem with our father’s mistress … the Rockin’ RM ranch in Seguin, Guadalupe County, Texas. She said she did not like the country. But she was from the country? At times there were chickens, rabbits, baby goats, calves, a duck, parakeet, turtle(s), dogs and a cat that she helped raise, fed or doctored.

Our mother did not have an easy life. She grew up with bombings and attacks on her village during WWII. And the Japanese Army took her family’s house before the war began there in 1939. Our grandfather knew of a cave on the coast and that is where they lived. In 1945, at the age of 13, she witnessed the atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. She wondered at the forming of the “cloud” but before the winds came, my grandfather got her back into the cave. Later he found a cart and my mother along with her family drugged/pushed that cart to Tokyo. There were no highways or trains back then to Tokyo. Today it’s a 15-hour drive on the present highways. They went through Hiroshima a few months after the Atomic Bomb was dropped there. No one in her family developed any problems attributed to radiation poisoning. Our mother was a two-time Atomic Bomb survivor, and she was 93 years old.