WHO BECAME KAMIKAZE PILOTS (Who became kamikazee), страница 2

(College graduates) only. The former was an application form, and the latter was a

survey. The survey asked: "Do you desire earnestly/wish/do not wish/to be involved in

the Kamikaze attacks?" They had to circle one of the three choices, or leave the paper

blank. The important fact is that the pilots were required to sign their names.[29] When

the military had the absolute power, and the whole atmosphere of Japan expected men

to die for the country, there was great psychological pressure to circle "earnestly

desire" or "wish." The Army selected those who had circled "earnestly desire." The

reason that the Special Flight Officer Probationary Cadet had to answer such a survey

rather than send the applications at their own will was probably because the military

had known that the students who had come from college had a wider vision, and would

not easily apply for such a mission. For the regular application, the Army was confident

that there would be many young pilots who would apply. They were correct. Every

student of the 15th term of the Youth Pilot Training School had applied. Because there

were so many volunteers, the military had decided to let the ones with better grades go

first.[30]

There are several factors which made so many young pilots volunteer for such a

mission. Extreme patriotism must have been one factor for sure. Added to that, there

was the reverence for the Emperor, a god. Some say that it was generally believed that

if one died for the emperor, and was praised in Yasukuni Shrine, they would become

happy forever.[31]

The effect of the brainwashing that the military had done to the students is surprising.

The pilots felt it was "obvious" that they were to take part in the Kamikaze attacks.

Most pilots mention in letters that they were happy, and proud of being given such an

honorable mission. It is true also that they believed that if they took part in the mission,

it might improve the war situation for Japan.[32]

What the military education was like was described in a diary kept by Corporal Yukio

Araki, from the time he had entered the Youth Pilot Training School, until the night

before his original date of departure for Okinawa.

Since anything written was checked by one of the military staff, nothing that would

upset the military or contradict the ideas of the Japanese government could be written.

However, more importantly, because of the lack of privacy, personal emotions could

not be written. Therefore, in Corporal Araki's diary, very rarely can anything "personal"

be found. The first several days in the Training school, he simply lists the subjects that

were studied that day, and what was done for physical training. Later on he mentions

what was done for training, the events that took place, and other things he had done.

However, most of what he wrote was about the "warning" he received.[33] The

following are some of the "warnings" he had received:

There is an attitude problem when listening to the officers.[34]

Some students seem to smile or laugh during training, and others are being

lazy...In general there seems to be a lack of spirit.[35]

Straighten yourself. It reveals your spirit.[36]

The education emphasized the mind, spirit and attitude. Neatness and cleanliness were

also frequently mentioned. Usually, a hard slap in the face accompanied these warnings.

The way the 15-year- old boy responded to the warning was: "I must try harder."[37]

One of the listed subjects in the diary was a course called "Spiritual Moral Lecture,"

nearly every other day. What exactly was taught in the course is not mentioned.

However it seemed that in some of these courses, great military figures who died for

Japan were mentioned.[38] It is a certainty that this course was one factor in making

the pilots feel "happy and proud" to be involved in the Kamikaze attacks.

The military education was quickly absorbed by these young pilots-to-be. It was in

October 1943 that the young boy had entered the Training School. By the next

February, he had written a short poem saying that a Japanese man should be praised

when he dies as he should for the Emperor.[39]

The amount of time students spent in the Youth Pilot Training School was reduced from

three years to less than two years for the 15th term students. Therefore, the schedule

was tight and tough.[40] There was almost no holiday at all, and many of the planned

holidays were canceled.[41] What Corporal Araki called a "holiday" was very much

different from what is normally considered a holiday. An example of his holiday started

with some sort of ceremony, followed by listening and learning new songs (probably of

war), and watching a movie. Something related to the military was taught even on days

called "holidays."[42] Therefore, they were given no time to "think." There was

something to do almost every minute that they were awake, and they were taught what

the right spirit was. By not giving them time to think, they had no time to evaluate what

they were being taught. They just absorbed it, and as a result, by the time they

graduated, they were brainwashed.

Corporal Araki had an older brother and three younger brothers. In his will to his

parents, he mentioned that he wished two of his younger brothers to also enter the

military; one should enter the Navy and become an officer, the other to enter the Army

and also become an officer. He also mentions that he wishes that his brothers follow his

path (and be involved in the Kamikaze attacks).[43]

Mr. S. Araki, Corporal Araki's older brother, mentioned that his brother had greatly

changed after entering the military school. He remembers that his brother's attitude

towards him was not casual, and it was not like he was talking to a brother. He felt that

he had really grown up since he had seen him last, both physically and

psychologically.[44]

There are three references in which Corporal Araki's thoughts towards the mission may

be found: his will, last letters, and his diary. In his will to his parents, and to his brother,

he mentions that he has no nostalgic sentiments. In his will addressed to his brother, he

mentions that he would like him to consider the mission as piety. In a postcard sent on

the day of his mission, he calls the mission, "an honorable mission," and that he is

looking forward to see them again at Yasukuni Shrine.[45] It was in the end of March

1945, that Corporal Araki's unit's mission was ordered to take place.[46] From just

before then, Corporal Araki had not written in his diary. After an entry on March 16,

there were no entries for two months. He wrote, because he was busy, there was no

time to write.[47] Could that be true? Indeed, his squadron was on a tight schedule for

March. From the 25th, they returned from P'yongyang to Gifu prefecture.[48]

However, Sergeant Kazuo Arai had been able to keep a diary at the time.[49] It may

be because of strong personal emotions he just could not keep the diary. Or, it may be

that he could care no longer about keeping a diary. In either case the fact that he had

not written an entry on the day that the mission was officially ordered, when he had

written every other special event down, reveals that he was no longer in the state of

mind that he had been.

The planned date of the mission of the 72nd Shinbu squadron (which was the squadron

to which Corporal Araki belonged) was initially, May 21, 1945. However, because of

rainy weather, it was postponed to May 27, 1945. In his last diary entry on May 20,

1945, he wrote:[50]

...at ** o'clock I received the thankful command to depart tomorrow. I

am deeply emotional, and just hope to sink one (American battleship).

Already, hundreds of visitors had visited us. Cheerfully singing the last

season of farewell.[51]

and is cut off there. His handwriting however was very stable, and was not as if he was

losing control. If for some reason he had to leave the diary for a while, why did he not

go back to it? Was it that he had become extremely emotional that he could no longer

write? In any case, he never returned to his diary.

Part Five

In reading the last letters of the Kamikaze pilots, there are generally two types. One,

the "Typical" letters and the other, the "Unique" letters. Most of the typical letters were

written by graduates of military schools such as the Youth Pilot Training School. The

"Unique" ones were written by the Special Flight Officer Probationary Cadets--the

graduates from college. The first two of the following five pilots have written a typical

letter, and the other three have written unique letters.

Corporal Masato Hisanaga of the 72nd Shinbu Squadron was twenty years old. In his

letter, he thanked his parents for the years that he was alive, and reported to them how

he had been doing, and informed them of the kindness of the people where he had

been. After asking his parents to say "Hi" to various people, he says that he will take

revenge for his older brother (who, as it appears, must have been killed in the war) by

sinking the enemy's battleship and killing its soldiers. He too asks that his younger

brothers follow their brother (himself). "All of the (Japanese) population is the

tokkotai." He too mentioned, "I have no nostalgic sentiments."[52]

Corporal Shinji Ozeki, 19 years old wrote a will to his mother saying:[53]

As a man I will courageously go. Now, I have no special nostalgic

sentiments. However, I will go regretting that although being born a man, I

have not had filial piety.

To give this young self for the protection of the imperial nation, I believe is

piety.

I hope that you will forgive my sin of being undutiful and that you will live

in happiness.[54]

This is similar to what Corporal Araki and Hisanaga had mentioned. All reveal their

thoughts towards their parents. They believed their dying was piety, which shows that

they were doing it for their family. All had mentioned having no nostalgic sentiments

possibly to make their parents feel easier. Because these are "Typical" letters, many

others had written just as they had.

The unique ones written by the college graduates included more personal feelings. For

example, Second Lieutenant Shigeyuki Suzuki wrote:[55]

People say that our feeling is of resignation, but that does not know at all

how we feel, and think of us as a fish about to be cooked.

Young blood does flow in us.

There are persons we love, we think of, and many unforgettable

memories. However, with those, we cannot win the war.

To let this beautiful Japan keep growing, to be released from the wicked

hands of the Americans and British, and to build a 'freed Asia' was our

goal from the Gakuto Shutsujin year before last; yet nothing has changed.

The great day that we can directly be in contact with the battle is our day

of happiness and at the same time, the memorial of our death...[56]

Second Lieutenant Ryoji Uehara, a graduate of Keio University was 22 years old. His

ideas were "radical" for the time, and if known by the Kenpeitai, he would not have

been left alone.[57] In a note, he wrote to a journalist just before his mission that he

was greatly honored to be chosen as a Kamikaze pilot.[58 ]Yet he also wrote, thinking

logically with the skills he had gained in college. He believed in democracy. He believed

that the victory of democracy was obvious, and although fascism would make the

country appear to be prosperous temporarily, only decline would wait for it. He

mentioned the fact that Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany had been defeated, and that the

power of "Freedom" will appear in history. He says that if his ideas were correct, it

would be a tragedy for the nation but that he would be happy. In the end of the note he

wrote:

Tomorrow, one believer in democracy will leave this world. He may look

lonely, but his heart is filled with satisfaction.

Second Lieutenant Uehara believed that he would not go to Yasukuni Shrine, but go to

heaven where he would be able to meet his brother and the girl he loved, who died

earlier.[59]

Second Lieutenant Toshio Anazawa was engaged. Yet being chosen for such a mission

that [engagement] was to be canceled. He wrote in his last letter to her all the

thankfulness he felt for her and her family. He tells her that he does not want her to

reflect on the time they had spent together.[60] He wrote:

As an engaged man, as a man to go, I would like to say a little to you, a

lady before I go.

I only wish your happiness.