Did Japanese PM Suzuki & POTUS Truman accidentally bring on the nukes?

[robycop3]

Yeah, only the officers were allowed to have swords--not that the average PFC would want to carry around a big samurai sword through the jungle!

Funny story. Pastor K., a good friend, had an uncle who had been a samurai and still had the sword. (Swords are very much regulated nowadays.) He used to get drunk, get his sword, and run through the house waving it around. The family would all have to run and hide. The the oldest son was allowed to take it with him to fight in WW2. Fighting in the war, he lost it somewhere, and the whole family breathed a sigh of relief!

By the way, on a preaching trip to Okinawa years ago we were taken on a tour of the Japanese WW2 base in the tunnels, and were shown the room where the generals, or at least one of them, committed suicide.

I believe Ushijima & Cho sat side-by-side to kill themselves, from what accounts I've read.

 

[John of Japan]

I believe Ushijima & Cho sat side-by-side to kill themselves, from what accounts I've read.

That must be the room in the tunnel system that I saw.

 

[robycop3]

That must be the room in the tunnel system that I saw.

There were Americans only 50 feet away at the time.

 

[John of Japan]

There were Americans only 50 feet away at the time.

That gives new meaning to "just in time"! (Japanese, ma ni atta, 間に合った, meaning "met the interval").

 

[robycop3]

That gives new meaning to "just in time"! (Japanese, ma ni atta, 間に合った, meaning "met the interval").

From what I've read, the Japanese could still escape out another opening, and several did, including Col. Yahara. As you've seen that cave, perhaps you can tell which way they went. I reckon they got off "lucky", even the 2 generals, as the Americans often fired a long flamethrower burst into any cave opening they came across, late in the battle.

 

[John of Japan]

From what I've read, the Japanese could still escape out another opening, and several did, including Col. Yahara. As you've seen that cave, perhaps you can tell which way they went. I reckon they got off "lucky", even the 2 generals, as the Americans often fired a long flamethrower burst into any cave opening they came across, late in the battle.

As I recall, the room was deep in the tunnel, so a flamethrower probably would not have gotten them unless it was fired off well inside.

Well, now, I looked back through my stash of photos and came up with some of that trip in 1991. I'll post them. Note the actual room where the suicides occurred, the one with flowers on a table. I have the other room labeled as "Naval Headquarters." Note the stairs, showing how deep underground the Japanese were.

 

[robycop3]

Ushijima'd had the time, materials, equipment, & laborers(the native Okinawans) to fortify the island as well as one could be fortified at that time.

MacArthur roundly criticized the Navy for undertaking to conquer the whole island, rather than cordoning off the arrowhead area & Shuri, but he didn't know the enemy had powerful, well-manned artillery that could hammer much of the island from there, including the airfields being built, as well as being able to launch attacks from it. The Allies could not have effectively used Okinawa long as Ushijima's army was intact. It wasn't like many other islands, where there wasn't much artillery or even enough to eat; Ushijima was well-equipped to keep up the fight.

 

[John of Japan]

From what I've read, the Japanese could still escape out another opening, and several did, including Col. Yahara. As you've seen that cave, perhaps you can tell which way they went. I reckon they got off "lucky", even the 2 generals, as the Americans often fired a long flamethrower burst into any cave opening they came across, late in the battle.

As you can see from the picture of the room I posted, there was another exit.

 

[robycop3]

As you can see from the picture of the room I posted, there was another exit.

Yep. Ushijima had prepared thoroughly.