I was born in Japan. My dad was a pathologist working on an off shoot of the atomic bomb commission. He did up to 10 autopsies a night. He discovered a form of thyroid cancer that didn’t need the aggressive treatment we were doing to kids.
His heart broke over the destruction of the land. The people. I left as an infant. One of the best movies ( set before the bombs, but when we burned down all the villages)” grave of the fireflies “ its a dim in the last moths of hoş life we watched again and again…
My mom cam from war torn Latvia.🇱🇻.my dad an Los Angeles “ native “ meaning his family had lived there for generations not Native American. I grew up on stories of war. 2 very different stories. My mom who stayed in camps with her family before immigrated to Iowa USA . The war was prevalent in the stories I heard. My dad only served in Japan because it was his only choice. The Japanese didn’t approve of autopsies they dod them at night ( families permission of course) . 2 very different views and stories.
This is fascinating. I recently visited the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art. I came across a gallery with a few paintings about WWII. One depicted the surrender of the British of a territory, another the surrender of the Dutch. Both showed a group of men in uniforms sitting around a table; pretty banal. But there is also a painting of a Japanese war plane and two US B-52s in battle. This is the first time I've seen (as an American) that war depicted from the 'other' side. I didn't linger in the gallery.
Earlier on the trip we had dinner next to a group of German tourists, and it struck me (as the son of a WWII veteran who served in the Pacific and landed in Japan after the surrender) how my father might not understand me visiting friendly Japan alongside friendly German tourists (he wasn't particularly happy when I bought a Toyota).
Thank you for your comment, and for sharing your family history. Having read a few memoirs by veterans, what they went through just made it near-on impossible for many of them to reconcile with Japan, no matter how much time passed. In case it's of interest, 'Forgotten Highlander' is a great memoir, by someone trying to come to terms with the war and the behaviour of Japanese forces in particular.
Those poor kids. I appreciate that you ended your article with Hayashi Ichizō's heart-rending words of love for his mother, Christopher. It highlights even more poignantly how horrible war is.
Thanks Portia. I have a son who turns 17 in a few months. Whole life ahead of him. Really makes you feel the deep unfairness of it, for all sides in that war.
I can't even imagine the heartbreak of all those parents. Who in their right mind would want to fight in another world war? We have to protect our own children, and the children of others too.
Thankyou for this highly illuminasianing post Mister Harding, i surely hung on every word of it. I hope however you won't think me churlish for asking what sort of inessentials could be removed from a WWII fighter plane and still have a functiomal kite?
They tried all sorts of things like replacing landing gear with a simpler version that could be jettisoned after take-off. Depending on the target, smaller fuel tanks, too.
I was born in Japan. My dad was a pathologist working on an off shoot of the atomic bomb commission. He did up to 10 autopsies a night. He discovered a form of thyroid cancer that didn’t need the aggressive treatment we were doing to kids.
His heart broke over the destruction of the land. The people. I left as an infant. One of the best movies ( set before the bombs, but when we burned down all the villages)” grave of the fireflies “ its a dim in the last moths of hoş life we watched again and again…
My mom cam from war torn Latvia.🇱🇻.my dad an Los Angeles “ native “ meaning his family had lived there for generations not Native American. I grew up on stories of war. 2 very different stories. My mom who stayed in camps with her family before immigrated to Iowa USA . The war was prevalent in the stories I heard. My dad only served in Japan because it was his only choice. The Japanese didn’t approve of autopsies they dod them at night ( families permission of course) . 2 very different views and stories.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grave_of_the_Fireflies
Hi, thank you so much for your comment. Fascinating to read this. And 'Grave of the Fireflies' is a great tip for a war film. Not an easy watch...!
It brought is to tears. The last few months of his life. He passed in February.
My condolences to you, Mary (if I may).
Many thanks… he was ready. Even of we weren’t.
This is fascinating. I recently visited the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art. I came across a gallery with a few paintings about WWII. One depicted the surrender of the British of a territory, another the surrender of the Dutch. Both showed a group of men in uniforms sitting around a table; pretty banal. But there is also a painting of a Japanese war plane and two US B-52s in battle. This is the first time I've seen (as an American) that war depicted from the 'other' side. I didn't linger in the gallery.
Earlier on the trip we had dinner next to a group of German tourists, and it struck me (as the son of a WWII veteran who served in the Pacific and landed in Japan after the surrender) how my father might not understand me visiting friendly Japan alongside friendly German tourists (he wasn't particularly happy when I bought a Toyota).
Thank you for your comment, and for sharing your family history. Having read a few memoirs by veterans, what they went through just made it near-on impossible for many of them to reconcile with Japan, no matter how much time passed. In case it's of interest, 'Forgotten Highlander' is a great memoir, by someone trying to come to terms with the war and the behaviour of Japanese forces in particular.
Those poor kids. I appreciate that you ended your article with Hayashi Ichizō's heart-rending words of love for his mother, Christopher. It highlights even more poignantly how horrible war is.
Thanks Portia. I have a son who turns 17 in a few months. Whole life ahead of him. Really makes you feel the deep unfairness of it, for all sides in that war.
I can't even imagine the heartbreak of all those parents. Who in their right mind would want to fight in another world war? We have to protect our own children, and the children of others too.
Thankyou for this highly illuminasianing post Mister Harding, i surely hung on every word of it. I hope however you won't think me churlish for asking what sort of inessentials could be removed from a WWII fighter plane and still have a functiomal kite?
They tried all sorts of things like replacing landing gear with a simpler version that could be jettisoned after take-off. Depending on the target, smaller fuel tanks, too.