Japanese-American WWII bomber crew vet reflects on bombing missions over Japan

[gkanai]

Fascinating. 4 part interview of which only the first two parts are up at the moment.

Japanese-American WWII bomber crew vet reflects on bombing missions over Japan

CAMARILLO, California -- When the United States was at war with Japan, second generation Japanese-American Ben Kuroki did what he thought would prove his loyalty to his country: He volunteered to bomb Japan. However, when he was actually over Japanese cities, high explosives and incendiaries dropping from the open bomb bay doors of his B-29 Superfortress, he was deeply torn.

The Mainichi visited Kuroki, now 92, at his home in Camarillo, California, to interview him about his experiences. He has previously talked to the American media, but his interview with the Mainichi marked the first time he has spoken with a Japanese reporter.

[Hikonejou]

It must've been hard on many Pilots after the War.

And it wasn't just the bombs being dropped on innocent civilians that disgusted me, it was the "method" of the bombings.

General Curtis Lemay (also known as "Bombs Away Lemay") the architect of the Bombing of Tokyo, purposely dropped the bombs over Tokyo from the outside first, then sweep to in and drop more bombs through the center, there by trapping the Japanese between two Walls of Fire.

People literally were incinrated with no way to escape.

The only thing they could do, was to dive in the Sumida River to escape the ragging Heat and Flames.

Most of the people drowned because, they couldn't either swim or they were too injured to swim.

Civilian Men, Women, and Children all perished.

As an American, I am ashamed at that "Method" of that Bombing.

There was no reason to bomb the metropolitan part of Tokyo, other than to inflict civilian casualties. Most of the Naval Bases were along the cost line.

War brings out the uttermost Beast in Humans.

I hope humanity can look beyond the aquistion of Wealth and Power.

[Mike Oxlong]

[yt]SfPwR00HXM0[/yt]

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

It must've been hard on many Pilots after the War.
There was no reason to bomb the metropolitan part of Tokyo, other than to inflict civilian casualties. Most of the Naval Bases were along the cost line.

I think it would be harder on the pilots now...they were indoctrinated to hate the Japanese, they didn't actually see the victims close up (and may have had little sympathy had they done so) and they would have believed what they were doing was "just" and "right." They would have done so with a support of the great majority of American people at the time. Now, to have seen their efforts questioned would probably make things much harder for them to fathom.

Without wishing to condone the raid, it's wrong to say there was no strategic value in carpet-bombing Tokyo with incendiaries. Large portions of the war industry were concentrated in small mom-and-pop type factories across Tokyo and the entire economy was on a war footing, meaning that the same "innocent civilians" being slaughtered were nearly all spending their lives dedicated in one way or another to slaying Allied troops. (It becomes a moral issue because they really had no other choice but to do that or face arrest or worse). I don't disagree that the Tokyo raid should be classed as an atrocity and its perpetrators should have been pursued. It was one of the most evil, heinous acts ever committed. But the fact that the civilians were engaged so deeply in the war effort should also not be forgotten as a mitigating circumstance.

If you feel "ashamed" as an American, perhaps you should ask yourself why your country still persists in refusing to allow its suspected war criminals to face trials (or, better still, do something about it).
The U.S. made a farce of the War Crimes Tribunal in the Far East by only trying (some) Japanese and ignoring Allied crimes. It has never dealt with its own war criminals in a severe manner, yet expects the rest of the world to do so.
Considering its post-1945 proclivity for war-mongering, I'd say the U.S. probably has a greater proportion of war criminals than most, including perhaps Mr. McNamara, whose conscious-clearing gesture in the above movie was meaningless as long as he didn't have to face a court of law.
I'm sorry, but any U.S. shame strikes me as being a bit hypocritical as long as it continues to have one set of rules for itself and another set for others.

[kagemusha]

I'm sorry, but any U.S. shame strikes me as being a bit hypocritical as long as it continues to have one set of rules for itself and another set for others.

And of course no other nation in the world does the same, not the soviets, then the Russian, not china or Iran, not the Arabs nor Israel - It's only the evil USA who cares for its national interests first.
Yeah, right.

[tokyolimited]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjeg4ea89hQ&feature=related
Nothing is fair.

[Mock Cockpit]

My school was involved in bring a B-29 crew member to Japan. Actually he had been on a B-29 that had actually bombed that city. I imagine there would have been a few raw moments. But it got the kids directly involved in their history. Was quite impressed by the lengths the school went to to get something meaningful out of it all.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

And of course no other nation in the world does the same, not the soviets, then the Russian, not china or Iran, not the Arabs nor Israel - It's only the evil USA who cares for its national interests first.
Yeah, right.

Yeah, yeah...I'm not suggesting these countries are innocent by any means. The topic was about U.S. shame (or one American's, at least).
The point I was trying to make it that it sounds hypocritical to hear expressions of "shame" when actions suggest otherwise.

[Behan]

About ten years back there was an article in a newspaper about a Japanese soldier who was tried for executing a near-death survivor of a B-29 crash. The plane crashed in a town near where I used to live. The B-29 crew member was likely to die but the local citizenry wanted to kill him, anway. The executor claimed he was putting the airman out of his misery.

[Mike Oxlong]

Somewhat off-topic, perhaps, but:

A convicted American war criminal speaks...

[Samurai_Jerk]

Japanese-American WWII war hero Ben Kuroki dies

Ben Kuroki, who overcame the American military's discriminatory policies to become the only Japanese American to fly over Japan during World War II, has died. He was 98.

Kuroki died Tuesday at his Camarillo, California, home, where he was under hospice care, his daughter Julie Kuroki told the Los Angeles Times on Saturday.

The son of Japanese immigrants who was raised on a Hershey, Nebraska, farm, Kuroki and his brother, Fred, volunteered for service after the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor.

[...]

At the time, the Army Air Forces banned soldiers of Japanese ancestry from flying, but Kuroki earned his way onto a bomber crew and flew 58 bomber missions over Europe, North Africa and Japan during the war.

[matsuki]

Any Japanese media reporting on this?

Traitor!!! or Nihonjin!!