Ask the Scholar

Portions of four American maps have been taped together to show the area surrounding Tokyo Bay. The map shows highways, roads, trails, boundaries, principal navigational lights, railroads, rice fields, relief, and other details. The legend, written on a separate piece of paper, states that the black line on the map represents the boundary of the area of initial evacuation while the red line represents the boundary of the Tokyo Bay area. Additional handwriting on this page reads: "Notes to drafts man: 1. Leave our blue pencil line boundary between corps. 2. Label green line Phase 1. Make it straight line instead of...[sketch of a curved line]. 3. Label top black line Phase Line 2. OPNS Overlay Number 2." Additional annotations on the map, in blue, show the post-war occupation areas controlled by the 11th Airborne Division. The positions of 11th Airborne units, such as the 187th Glider Infantry Regiment, the 188th Glider Infantry Regiment, and the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment, are included. Other units represented on this map are the 27th Infantry Division, XI Corps, XXX Corps, and XIV Corps. Finally, multiple areas are circled in blue and green pencil including: Kisarazu, Chofu, Sunagawa, and a railroad and airfield near Sunagawa. Handwriting on the back identifies this map as being part of the President's Secretary's Files. The handwriting reads: "Truman Papers-PSF, Misc. File."