U.S. battleship hit by a kamikaze fighter

It's difficult to analyze the feelings and final thoughts of a dead man. Many times their last words are not recorded, and therefore, an important thing to note is that most of the images expressed on this web page were given by survivors or relayed by pilots who watched their "brothers" fly to their deaths.

An ex-Ohka pilot recalls feeling "a strange sense of freedom from all thoughts and ideas" as he waited for the signal. The mission was ultimately called off due to bad weather.

Masaki Okamoto too recalls "finding peace" as he and his fellow pilots awaited their orders, or "shutsujei meirei", as they approached the target.

Another youth, comments, "most of you will never know how nerve-shattering it was to wait for the final orders, never knowing the exact moment."

Rarely do the survivors relay their brothers' last words, rather, they comment on the poise and manner with which their fellow pilots completed their missions.

A young man was impressed to see the "cool, calm" behavior of a man who was called to make his final sortie six times before he quietly entered the plane and was finally released.

Another recalls watching a fellow pilot sleep until seconds before the Betty plane reached its target. The young man yawned, crawled into the plane, and was then released. A letter was later sent to family members of his "courageous" death.

"I remember watching another crawl into his plane, get ready, and then crawl back out because the release wire didn't work...A mechanic came by later, smiled, and assured us that it would work this time."

Often times, kamikaze survivors and those who never recieved their final orders expressed failure and embarrassment. To these men and to others, it was noble to die for your emperor and country. A survivor was, at times, a disgrace to the family.

A dying survivor lay in bed with his family crowded around him."I'm sorry," he began," to lay before my family and not to have done my duty."

"When I was told the war was over, I cried and felt deprived of death!"

"To us...suicide...was a natural thing," replied a survivor when asked why he wanted to have given his life.

Family members varied in their reactions. One family set a bowl of rice and flowers in the middle of the room and repeated praises of "Banzai". Other families expressed a sense of pride in their sons and revealed so as they venerated their deaths by bringing cherry blossoms to the shrine. Others were deeply upset upon the announcement of their son's death. Little children were many times noted to behave this way by crying to their rooms. Many women reported that even years after the war, they simply could not look at another young male. "It is a foolish way to die," they often cried."One life in exchange for another's plane."

The following quotes were addressed to respective families of kamikaze fighters before their last mission.

"Please congratulate me because I have been given the splendid opportunity to die."

Lieutenant Kentaro Mitsuhashi, Ohka Squadron 71st Term Graduate, The Naval College, Age 22
-When men did their best and left the rest to providence, they were rewarded with divine winds. Will there be other divine winds to protect our homeland now? Of course, I believe there will be. But that happens only when men do their best!

Reserve Sub-Lieutenant 1st Class yuzuru Ogata, Ohka Squadron Graduate, Age 23
- With my mission now at hand, my dear old town, my dear old people, I now abandon everything and leave to protect this country; to pursue our eternal and just cause, I now go forth. My body will collapse like a falling cherry blossom, by my soul will live and protect this land forever. Farewell, I am glorious wild cherry blossom. I shall return to my mother's place and bloom!

Flight Petty Officer 1st Class Ataru Shimamura, Ohka Squadron 17th Term Category B, Graduate Naval Training Course, Age 20
- I shall fall, smiling and singing songs. Please visit and worship at Yasukuni Shrine this spring. There I shall be a cherry blossom, smiling, with many other colleagues. I died smiling, so please smile. Please do not cry. Make my death meaningful.

Kamikaze plane in action

Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Tomio matsuo, Betty Squadron 12th Term, Category A, Graduate Naval Training Course, Age 20
I am going, but I am not feeling lonely because I have the haramaki (stomach-band) which mother made to protect me.

Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Naokichi Kameda, Betty Squadron 18th Term, Category B, Graduated Naval Training Course, Age 19
A man will die sooner or later. The value of being a man is given at the time of his death.

" I will be one of the cherry blossoms blooming in the garden of the God of Thunder...like a cherry blossom torn full bloom in the garden of Yasukuni."

This exhibit was researched and designed by Guillermo Louis Rivell.
This exhibit and museum were created during an introductory seminar on the Asia-Pacific War, taught at Wake Forest University during the spring semester 2002.The material and opinions are those of their respective authors and do not represent the views of the University or
the Department of History.