Cover of the day for April 30, 2020

[Howard Weinert]

The first American casualty of the Japanese:

A cover with enclosed letter sent to East Orange, New Jersey by Lt. Warren Hector Langdon [1888-1921], chief engineer on the USS Albany in Vladivostok. Postmarked U. S. S. Albany Vladivostok Siberia on 17 March 1920. Inscribed "Lt. W. H. Langdon, U. S. S. Albany, Asiatic Station, via S. Francisco" and "Officer's Mail." On 7 January 1921, Langdon went ashore to a Russian Christmas party. The festivities lasted well into the next day and Langdon, in uniform, made his way back toward his ship with the aid of a flashlight. When he was near the headquarters of the Japanese occupation force, a sentry ordered him to halt and identify himself, which he did, and then proceeded on his way. The sentry fired his rifle and a bullet hit Langdon in the back, piercing a lung and exiting through his chest. Langdon returned fire with his pistol, then made his way back to the ship. Before dying on the 9th, he gave a full account of what had happened. Americans in Siberia were often harassed by the Japanese, but Langdon was the first American serviceman to be killed by a Japanese soldier, two decades before Pearl Harbor. At first, the sentry who shot Langdon insisted that Langdon had not stopped when challenged and had in fact fired his weapon first. A few days later he changed his story and agreed with Langdon's account except to say that his rifle discharged accidently. An American court of inquiry completely absolved Langdon of any wrongdoing. The Japanese accepted responsibility for the event but refused to punish the sentry for the killing, saying that his orders were improper. They did sentence him to 30 days confinement for making false statements. His superior officers took the brunt of the punishment. The commander of the Japanese garrison was removed from the active list and four subordinate officers were sentenced to house arrest for 7 to 30 days. These actions took place within six weeks of Langdon's death, but the issue of reparations for Langdon's parents dragged on. In March 1923 the Secretary of State asked his ambassador in Tokyo to propose a $40,000 reparation. Thirteen months later, the Japanese countered with an offer of $15,000, and that amount was paid to Langdon's parents in July 1924.


Excerpts from the letter:

We have been in this place since Dec. 19, 1919. Since the capture of the town by the Reds, or Constitutionalists as they call themselves, everything has been very quiet. We very seldom hear any shooting and very few murders occur. There were numerous suicides right after the place was captured but they were principally officers of the old Russian army and their wives.
There has been any amount of sickness here and typhus, smallpox, scarlet and typhoid fevers, flu, pneumonia and some cholera have claimed countless numbers of the Chinese coolies and Russian peasants. It is difficult to imagine the filth and poverty that this place abounds in. I have seen lots of dirt and filth but this place beats them all. I am mighty glad that all our troops will be out of here about May 1st, both for their sakes and the future of Russia. I have spent the winter in Siberia and have not seen three inches of snow in all that time.
Tonight I am invited out to dinner and a private movie, so far very good, but I am the only English speaking person in the party and having met the young lady I am to take to dinner, I admit I'll have to speak Russian for this is going to be no time to keep quiet. Just imagine the horrible hashing up the poor Russian lingo is going to get tonight.