Armed with American-made weapons and supported by a U.S.-supplied tank, the soldiers were part of the 160,000-man ground, sea and air self-defense forces undergoing intensive training for the defense of the Japanese homeland.
The transition from former enemy to ally is evidenced by these GI-clad Japanese army volunteers during maneuvers at the Fuji Army School outside of Tokyo on May 15, 1957. (27/53)
