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Help Identify Plaque Referring to Iwo Jima Airfield w/Japanese Characters


tom63
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Found this plaque at the local flea market and have no idea what country, outfit, squadron, association or ?? it represents.  I looked up the coordinates on Google Earth and they point to a spot in the middle of the runway on present day Iwo Jima.    Can anyone ID?

iwo plaque.jpg

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numbersix

The 6 characters [ 硫黄島 基地 隊] read 'Iwo Jima Base Team' in Japanese or 'Iwo Jima Base Squadron', I think.

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Numbersix, Thanks for the translation.  I'm thinking that this is a Japanese military aircraft squadron plaque maybe?

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numbersix

It may refer to the base itself rather than a specific squadron. The base appears to be operated by JMSDF (Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force) as an air base at what was Central Field since 1968. JASDF (Japanese Air Self Defence Force) also use it but I do not know of a squadron for either that uses a scorpion on it's patch, so I lean towards it being for th Air Base itself. I did find images of these types of patches scorpions that all seem to be to do with the Iwo Jima Air Base Group:

 

IwoJimaJMSDF_JASDF_patch.png.80ebb7cbb096cc0aa28219867996d302.png

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