Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific, 1944-1945 (The Pacific War Trilogy Book 3)

by Ian W. Toll

Clark later said that he “regarded those islands as my special property,” and his aviators nicknamed them the “Jocko Jimas.” Upon returning to Eniwetok the previous month, they had drawn up stock certificates in an imaginary real estate investment company, the “Jocko Jima Development Corporation,” which advertised its business as the acquisition and development of “exclusive sites in the Bonin Islands.” Designated “shareholders” were presented with colorfully illustrated stock certificates, which entitled the owner to a share in “choice locations of all types in Iwo, Chichi, Haha, and Muko Jima—only 500 miles from downtown Tokyo.” As “president” of the make-believe firm, Clark signed each certificate in his own hand. Share No. 1 was issued to Admiral Mitscher. The certificates soon became prized collectors’ items and were traded (in some cases for real money) throughout the Pacific and as far afield as Washington.