Hog Lift Diplomacy Initiates
Healing, Cooperation & Trade
Harold Hughes
Iowa Governor 1963-1969
U.S. Senator 1969-1975
Iowa Governor Harold Hughes, a WW II veteran, visited Japan in 1965. "After we landed in Tokyo, I left ... for the two hour train ride to Kofu. Arriving at the station, I found myself amid a sea of little children waving American and Japanese flags. Some five thousand people were there for a tumultuous welcome. "I toured the farms, including the hog barns which are enhanced with fresh flowers in vases every day. 'For the benefit of the hogs,' said my Japanese guide. When he pointed to thousands of swine and said, 'From Iowa,' I remembered the Japanese friendship bell recently installed on our Statehouse grounds and thought how some twenty-odd years before we were deadly enemies. I glanced at my guide and estimated him to be my age. If I had been sent to the South Pacific, we could have killed each other." ~Harold Hughes The Man From Ida Grove (Lincoln, VA: Chosen Books): 218-219 |
Dr. Kenneth Quinn
Former U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia
"Overcoming the legacy of bitter post-war feelings has been a long and very difficult process in both countries. Citizen exchanges have, in my opinion, contributed significantly to this effort. I saw this during our visit to Yamanashi [in April 2010] when our group took part in a traditional celebration which commemorated a historic event from medieval times. We Iowans joined in the parade dressed like samurai warriors. As we marched through town the crowds along the parade route cheered and waved at us and we waved back. The friendliness was as genuine as it was palpable. One of our group remarked, 'It looks like the war is finally over.' I believe that the exchanges between Iowa and Yamanashi dating back to the hog lift have been part of that process of draining the poison of post-war bitterness from both countries." ~Dr. Kenneth Quinn, E-mail to author |
Governor Shomei Yokouchi
Yamanashi, JapanGovernor Yokouchi believes maintaining a relationship with Iowa is important to "develop a global mindset in students...[and] to open up Yamanashi to the world by increasing the population engaged in International Exchange.
"Throughout the years of exchange, we see achievements in different fields including:
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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack
Marking the 50th Anniversary of the Hog Lift in 2010 Secretary Vilsack observed:
"That relationship which started here in Yamanashi ... led to the formulation of the U.S. Grains Council and an extensive amount of trade between the two countries over the last 50 years."
"That relationship which started here in Yamanashi ... led to the formulation of the U.S. Grains Council and an extensive amount of trade between the two countries over the last 50 years."
Legacy of an Unsung Hero
Richard Thomas was not looking for accolades—he was looking for a solution to a problem and the lasting impact of his actions outlived his moment of fame.