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Video by Ayako Watsuji

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“There I Was …” An Oral History Featuring Yoko Dazely_Episode 3, “1945 ‘Poisoned’ Chocolate?”

U.S. Army Garrison - Japan

March 13, 2026 | 2:00

“Each photo has a story,” Yoko Dazely says.

Yoko, 90, is a former local-national employee who worked as a typist at the Army Audit Agency Office and Civilian Personnel Office at Camp Zama and Hardy Barracks, Tokyo, from 1953 to 1960.

She married the late William Dazely, a retired Army master sergeant, and lived in San Francisco for more than 40 years before returning to Japan.

The U.S. Army Garrison Japan Public Affairs team spent several hours with Yoko over the last four months revisiting her old photo albums and retracing her steps across several significant locations and moments throughout her youth, her career, and her globetrotting experiences as an Army spouse.

Using Yoko’s personal archive of photos and audiovisual materials, we produced 10 vignettes titled, “‘There I Was …’ An Oral History Featuring Yoko Dazely.”

An oral history is a field of study and a method of gathering, preserving and interpreting the voices and memories of people, communities and participants in past events.

Through Yoko’s storytelling, we hope to bring you an extra dimension to Camp Zama’s long and storied history!

Here is Episode 3, “1945 ‘Poisoned’ Chocolate?”!

Opening graphics by Derek Mayhew, Visual Information Division
Music licensed by Audiio

#OralHistory #ArmyFamily #MakeADifference #BeAllYouCanBe