Burbank Airport was the historical home of the Lockheed "Skunk Works," which designed many black project aircraft during the Cold War, including the U-2, SR-71 Blackbird and F-117 Nighthawk. The "Skunk Works" name originated in 1943 due to the strong odor emanating from a manufacturing plant near the Burbank site. As of 1988, when Lockheed announced the Skunk Works' relocation to Palmdale, Lockheed employed around 12,000 people at Burbank.
My Mother also worked at the Lockheed facility in the mid 1960s and transferred to Howard Hughes Corporation to work on the Apollo 11 program. However, she was not alone, close to 400,000 people worked with the Apollo 11 program throughout the program.
There was a small sign on the front of the building stating that there was to be an Antique sale on the following Saturday morning.
I arrived early, only a few people were in line. There was approx. 10 sellers inside, most sellers were senior Ladies. I immediately noticed the below pictured Samari display. I asked the cheerful Lady the asking price and any history she might have on the framed set. She advised me that her husband had brought it back from Japan in the very early 1950s. He had been in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Japan during the American Occupation (1945-1952) She had unfortunately lost her Husband a couple years before this meeting, and that he had worked at the Lockheed Skunk Works for many years and retired.
The cheerful Lady was aware that the sword was not an original Samari, and advised me that she would sell it for a firm $100. I agreed and it has been on my wall since.
My wife speaks numerous Asian languages but not Japanese, she has a friend that does speak Japanese, she said that the Japanese writings state dates from separate time frames and Emperors of Japan.
There are no other inscriptions on the framed set.
A little interesting history on "Occupied Japan"
Gen. Douglas MacArthur had no idea what he was giving birth to in 1945, when he set up headquarters in Tokyo after World War II and was entrusted with governing the defeated nation. His mission: to revive Japan's economy. Between 1945 and 1952, under MacArthur's command, all factories were instructed to print "Occupied Japan" or "Made in Occupied Japan" on their products. What began as a simple means of identification for U.S. import authorities has become the alpha and omega for a growing number of collectors.
Look for the Occupied Japan mark. An exception: items that are not individually marked, but are packed with other items in a box with the mark.
