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| continued from Front Page Doug loved the outdoors and spent so much time jogging and biking, he became as much a part of the scenery in Japan as the castle or Kourakuen park or the statue of Momo Taro. Unfortunately, not everyone shared Doug's passion for fitness and the outdoors and this caused some friction with his managers who strictly advised their workers to arrive on site wearing full suit and tie each morning. But Doug was smart and upbeat and knew how to get around such obstacles...One day for instance, he was asked to be a guest on a televised quiz show (Doug spoke fluent Japanese), and he showed up dutifully wearing the proper attire only to pull out and put on - just before airtime - a big and green frizzy wig. That was Doug - he was always ready to make people laugh. Once Yuko Kishigami, a photographer who had studied photography in California for many years, asked me if I knew someone who would be comfortable in the outdoor scenery we were photographing, the mountains, rivers, streams, so I told her of Doug and called around to find him. It was then I learned that Doug had slipped out of Japan to teach in Korea. Life in Japan was not only very stable and safe compared to many other places but also very interesting and fascinating. Of course, it wasn't without its share of hardships. I recall a difficult time in Japan ensued after a young Japanese exchange student was killed in Louisiana which seemed to strike a nerve in Japanese society. During this time I suffered a beating to the head by a young gang who insulted my wife for being with a foreigner. And three other teachers in Okayama were also assaulted in separate incidents. In one of these incidents Doug came to the aid of a fellow teacher at a popular spot near the government prefecture office. An enraged man had grabbed the teacher's chest and twisted his shirt in his grip so hard that his shirt ripped and its buttons flew off. Doug quickly intervened and kindly and bravely diffused the situation. The offender glared at Doug with hatred while Doug never blinked. Doug smiled confidently and his eyes were wide-open as he nodded his head as if saying, "Don't give in to hatred and violence, young man. But if you must. Go ahead. Make my day." Flustered, the offender stormed off angrily. Then Doug sat down and carried on as if nothing had happened. I bought Doug a beer and told him he did a brave thing. Then I left early. A few friends of both men had crowded around during Doug's intervention but I had hung back where I sat alone. I had just had the stitches in my head removed and I had seen enough already... During this same period, a few of us teachers formed a band called 2DK. One original song we usually performed there in Japan was Don't Give Up which came out of the emotions of that period and was inspired by Doug's clear and unabashed sense of right and wrong. If Doug showed up at our concert, the night was sure to be a success as others were sure to follow and lucky for us, he nearly always came. We thank Doug for being our friend, for entertaining us with a great sense of humor, for attending our weddings, our concerts, our parties, for helping us through our difficult moments so that we may reach the happier ones. We won't ever forget you, Doug.
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