Hiroshima and Mitsuo Fuchida

 

I mentioned in another conversation that I’ve been reading the new Jeff Sharra book on Pearl Harbor. In the process of looking up some of the people in critical positions, I came across this quote from Mitsuo Fuchida, who actually led the attack. He was speaking to Enola Gay commander Paul Tibbets after the war.

“You did the right thing. You know the Japanese attitude at that time, how fanatic they were, they’d die for the Emperor … Every man, woman, and child would have resisted that invasion with sticks and stones if necessary … Can you imagine what a slaughter it would be to invade Japan? It would have been terrible. The Japanese people know more about that than the American public will ever know.”

I never knew what happened to Fuchida after Pearl Harbor. Badly wounded at Midway, he served as a staff officer in Japan after his recovery. He was in Hiroshima for a meeting the day before the bombing but was recalled to headquarters. After the war, he converted to Christianity.

He was surprised to find his former flight engineer, Kazuo Kanegasaki, whom all had believed had died in the Battle of Midway. When questioned, Kanegasaki told Fuchida that they were not tortured or abused, much to Fuchida’s surprise, and then went on to tell him of a young lady, Peggy Covell, who served them with the deepest love and respect, but whose parents, missionaries, had been killed by Japanese soldiers on the island of Panay in the Philippines.

For Fuchida, this was inexplicable, as in the Bushido code revenge was not only permitted, it was “a responsibility” for an offended party to carry out revenge to restore honor. The murderer of one’s parents would be a sworn enemy for life. He became almost obsessed trying to understand why anyone would treat their enemies with love and forgiveness.

Fuchida created the Captain Fuchida Evangelistical Association based in Seattle, Washington and spoke full-time of his conversion to the Christian faith in presentations titled “From Pearl Harbor To Calvary”.

What an amazing story.

Published in General
This post was promoted to the Main Feed by a Ricochet Editor at the recommendation of Ricochet members. Like this post? Want to comment? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.

There are 25 comments.

Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.
  1. Henry Racette Member
    Henry Racette
    @HenryRacette

    Terrific story! Thank you.

    Healing and redemption are wonderful and mysterious processes. When my family lived on a farm in rural Missouri, we knew an old man in our church who had served in the Pacific at the end of World War II. He was in the first wave of liberating American forces when the war ended, and was among the first to walk into the Japanese prison camps in the Pacific islands.

    He confided in me one day that he had struggled with a hatred of Asians his whole life, since seeing what he saw during his time in the service. And he said that it was spending time with our three adopted Asian children, with whom he became quite close, that had finally allowed him to get past that. He passed away not long after.

     

    • #1
  2. Limestone Cowboy Coolidge
    Limestone Cowboy
    @LimestoneCowboy

    I had often wondered what happened after the war to (then) Commander, later Captain Fuchida.

    I think that America was fortunate to have General MacArthur to head up the occupation and rebuilding of post-war Japan. He admired and understood key elements of Japanese culture. And in turn he was respected by many of his former adversaries.

    And it goes without saying that we also owe much to the above mentioned Peggy Covell, and those like her, who, perhaps as much as MacArthur, helped turn a military victory into victory plus true reconciliation.

    Thanks for an interesting and touching post.

    • #2
  3. CJ Inactive
    CJ
    @cjherod

    It is a wonderful testament to how powerful Christian love is to bring true, lasting peace, a peace that passes understanding. The early Christians defeated their adversaries in the same manner as Miss Covell and her parents–by enduring persecution through love. It is the surest way to turn enemies into brothers.

    • #3
  4. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Is Bushido even around anymore?

    • #4
  5. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    I just last week finished reading a book about the last days of the war in Japan  (The Fall of Japan:  The Final Weeks of World War II in the Pacific, by William Craig, published in 1967.)  He goes into some detail about the preparations for suicide attacks against the upcoming invasion, and a great deal of detail about the attempted coup by elements of the Army when they found out the Emperor was planning to surrender.

    The Hiroshima bomb is “controversial” today, but has to be understood in the context of the time, particularly the kamikazes and the battle for Okinawa. 

    Full disclosure – my father lost two first cousins in the Pacific, one to a kamikaze attack in December 1944, and one to the sinking of the Indianapolis in July of 1945.

    Relevant to the discussion of forgiveness, the captain of the submarine that sank the Indianapolis was welcomed to the reunions of the survivors, and his children and grandchildren still regularly attend.

    • #5
  6. Chris O. Coolidge
    Chris O.
    @ChrisO

    This gave me goose bumps. And then Henry’s comment. Thanks for sharing.

    • #6
  7. Cow Girl Thatcher
    Cow Girl
    @CowGirl

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    Terrific story! Thank you.

    Healing and redemption are wonderful and mysterious processes. When my family lived on a farm in rural Missouri, we knew an old man in our church who had served in the Pacific at the end of World War II. He was in the first wave of liberating American forces when the war ended, and was among the first to walk into the Japanese prison camps in the Pacific islands.

    He confided in me one day that he had struggled with a hatred of Asians his whole life, since seeing what he saw during his time in the service. And he said that it was spending time with our three adopted Asian children, with whom he became quite close, that had finally allowed him to get past that. He passed away not long after.

    My father joined the Navy after Pearl Harbor happened. He served as a radioman on Mindanoa, Philippines, for much of WWII.  He’d say that he “listened” to the war. He came home after the war and married my mom in 1946. My parents did not show any prejudicial inclinations in my experience, as I grew up on our little farm in the Rocky Mountains. Of course, most of the people with whom we associated were relatives. However, in 1973, I’d saved up some money and wanted to buy a car. My roommate from college owned a little Datsun, and I really liked it. I expressed interest in buying a Toyota. My dad seemed a little put out, but he went shopping with me, in the “city” and I found a Toyota Corona (2 door) that I really liked and he helped me sign for it (I was still a college student with no job). 

    Later on I found out that it was terrifically hard for him to go and help me buy a Japanese car. He felt like it was wrong, and just was so not into buying something from Japan, that when my younger sister wanted to get a car about six months later, she ended up with an American car. It was a fine car, too. But my Toyota was the only non-American car my dad had a hand in purchasing. He did not like Japan or Japanese things.

    • #7
  8. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    Cow Girl (View Comment):

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    Terrific story! Thank you.

     

    My father joined the Navy after Pearl Harbor happened. He served as a radioman on Mindanoa, Philippines, for much of WWII. He’d say that he “listened” to the war. He came home after the war and married my mom in 1946. My parents did not show any prejudicial inclinations in my experience, as I grew up on our little farm in the Rocky Mountains. Of course, most of the people with whom we associated were relatives. However, in 1973, I’d saved up some money and wanted to buy a car. My roommate from college owned a little Datsun, and I really liked it. I expressed interest in buying a Toyota. My dad seemed a little put out, but he went shopping with me, in the “city” and I found a Toyota Corona (2 door) that I really liked and he helped me sign for it (I was still a college student with no job).

    Later on I found out that it was terrifically hard for him to go and help me buy a Japanese car. He felt like it was wrong, and just was so not into buying something from Japan, that when my younger sister wanted to get a car about six months later, she ended up with an American car. It was a fine car, too. But my Toyota was the only non-American car my dad had a hand in purchasing. He did not like Japan or Japanese things.

    My dad was tail-end WWII.  Never saw combat, but was at Clark Field in the Philippines for about 6 months just after the war ended (He said they still got shot at every night).  He said he never again in his life saw hate the way the Philippinos hated the Japanese.  I remember him telling me about them going  out of their way to kick and spit on Japanese bodies in the ditches on the side of the road.

    I already mentioned his two cousins who were killed in the Pacific in a previous comment.  In about 1976 or so our church had an exchange program where we had some Japanese kids stay at our house for a week.  My mom told me later that she heard my dad make a comment to our minister that he was still pretty mad at the Japanese about the war.  The minister just pointed out that these kids hadn’t even been born then.

    Also, when my sister was first dating her now-husband of 40-some years, he drove a little Mazda pickup truck.  The first time my dad saw it, he asked if it came with a map of Pearl Harbor in the glove compartment.

    • #8
  9. MiMac Thatcher
    MiMac
    @MiMac

    Another interesting story is that of Guy Gabaldon an Hispanic street kid/gang member who was taken in by a Japanese-American family in the later 30s. He enlisted in the Marines and became known as the “pied piped of Saipan” because with his ability to speak Japanese and understanding their culture he talked well over a thousand Japanese soldiers into surrendering rather than fighting to death or committing suicide. He snuck out at night & convinced Japanese men to surrender- his CO threatened to court martial him if he did it again- so he did. After that he was allowed to try to coax in Japanese soldiers on a regular basis. A movie was made about him “From Hell to Eternity”. He was something more than brave & I imagine a bit crazy. 

    • #9
  10. MiMac Thatcher
    MiMac
    @MiMac

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    Cow Girl (View Comment):

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    Terrific story! Thank you.

    My father joined the Navy after Pearl Harbor happened. He served as a radioman on Mindanoa, Philippines, for much of WWII. He’d say that he “listened” to the war. He came home after the war and married my mom in 1946. My parents did not show any prejudicial inclinations in my experience, as I grew up on our little farm in the Rocky Mountains. Of course, most of the people with whom we associated were relatives. However, in 1973, I’d saved up some money and wanted to buy a car. My roommate from college owned a little Datsun, and I really liked it. I expressed interest in buying a Toyota. My dad seemed a little put out, but he went shopping with me, in the “city” and I found a Toyota Corona (2 door) that I really liked and he helped me sign for it (I was still a college student with no job).

    Later on I found out that it was terrifically hard for him to go and help me buy a Japanese car. He felt like it was wrong, and just was so not into buying something from Japan, that when my younger sister wanted to get a car about six months later, she ended up with an American car. It was a fine car, too. But my Toyota was the only non-American car my dad had a hand in purchasing. He did not like Japan or Japanese things.

    My dad was tail-end WWII. Never saw combat, but was at Clark Field in the Philippines for about 6 months just after the war ended (He said they still got shot at every night). He said he never again in his life saw hate the way the Philippinos hated the Japanese. I remember him telling me about them going out of their way to kick and spit on Japanese bodies in the ditches on the side of the road.

    I already mentioned his two cousins who were killed in the Pacific in a previous comment. In about 1976 or so our church had an exchange program where we had some Japanese kids stay at our house for a week. My mom told me later that she heard my dad make a comment to our minister that he was still pretty mad at the Japanese about the war. The minister just pointed out that these kids hadn’t even been born then.

    Also, when my sister was first dating her now-husband of 40-some years, he drove a little Mazda pickup truck. The first time my dad saw it, he asked if it came with a map of Pearl Harbor in the glove compartment.

    If you get a chance read Hampton Sides Ghost Soldiers- it is about a raid to save US POWs held by the Japanese in the Philippines. As US forces neared POW camps the Japanese would massacre the prisoners- so as the US neared the largest camp a plan was hatched to rescue them. A major reason the plan worked was the burning hatred that the Filipinos had for the Japanese. You can’t help but admire the Filipinos bravery in trying to aide the POWs-during the Death March and later during the raid. Read the book skip the movie about it-the book is much better. The book’s stories about the POWs is a chronicle of what bright men with time & anger on their side can come up with.

    • #10
  11. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    MiMac (View Comment):
    If you get a chance read Hampton Sides Ghost Soldiers- it is about a raid to save US POWs held by the Japanese in the Philippines.

    I read about 15 or so years ago.  It’s very good.

    The Japanese were real bastards.  In some ways they outdid the Nazis when it came to atrocities.

     

    • #11
  12. tigerlily Member
    tigerlily
    @tigerlily

    Limestone Cowboy (View Comment):

    I had often wondered what happened after the war to (then) Commander, later Captain Fuchida.

    I think that America was fortunate to have General MacArthur to head up the occupation and rebuilding of post-war Japan. He admired and understood key elements of Japanese culture. And in turn he was respected by many of his former adversaries.

    I’m not a fan of General MacArthur, but I agree with you about this.

    And it goes without saying that we also owe much to the above mentioned Peggy Covell, and those like her, who, perhaps as much as MacArthur, helped turn a military victory into victory plus true reconciliation.

    Thanks for an interesting and touching post.

    • #12
  13. Bob W Member
    Bob W
    @BobW

    My dad was a POW in Japan at the end of the war. He finally had to buy a Sony TV because there were no US models left, but he held out as long as he could. After about 70 years he bought a Toyota after his Buick broke down on a trip. I had a Camry with 250,000 miles with no trouble and  told him they were assembled in the US which helped. He never talked much about his experiences, now that he is gone I wish that I had tried to get more from him. I remember him showing me the rope burns around his wrists when he got back, and that was at least a month after getting out of Japan. I found some old newspaper clippings about their treatment and release, and a telegram and letter from H Truman to my mom eapresssing sorrow for her loss since he was presumed dead. I had the unusual experience of attending both of his funerals.

    • #13
  14. Bob W Member
    Bob W
    @BobW

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    Terrific story! Thank you.

    Healing and redemption are wonderful and mysterious processes. When my family lived on a farm in rural Missouri, we knew an old man in our church who had served in the Pacific at the end of World War II. He was in the first wave of liberating American forces when the war ended, and was among the first to walk into the Japanese prison camps in the Pacific islands.

    My dad was from a rural farm in S. Missouri. It was near Elkhead, which was just a general store with gas pumps in front and feed in the back. The farm was in the family for several years. His sister took it over and I spent time there off and on in the 40’s and 50’s. Dad went to the U of M on the GI Bill when he got out of the Navy. I looked up Elkhead on Maps and it’s now a a burb of Springfield. I thought it was way out in the country! Well it was to a young boy.

    • #14
  15. J Ro Member
    J Ro
    @JRo

    I have visited the ‘suicide cliffs’ on the island of Saipan, where Japanese jumped (after tossing their toddlers) so as not to be captured and eaten by US Marines. 

    Their fanatical leaders had poisoned their ability to make decisions based on facts and rational arguments.

    In a way it is like the behavior of American leftists who tell us they are pillaging, looting, and killing innocents to achieve “progress” or in a quest for “social justice”. Their leaders, from community organizers to bishops, teachers to college professors, mayors to governors and legislators, have been allowed to corrupt our civil discourse with irrational thinking. 

     

    • #15
  16. MiMac Thatcher
    MiMac
    @MiMac

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    MiMac (View Comment):
    If you get a chance read Hampton Sides Ghost Soldiers- it is about a raid to save US POWs held by the Japanese in the Philippines.

    I read about 15 or so years ago. It’s very good.

    The Japanese were real bastards. In some ways they outdid the Nazis when it came to atrocities.

    Max Hasting’s Retribution is about that last year of the war in the pacific (Armageddon is about the last year of the war in Europe). Hastings states that if anyone earned the atomic bomb it was the Japanese, due their numerous atrocities. Both books are very good. 

    • #16
  17. Al Sparks Coolidge
    Al Sparks
    @AlSparks

    One of the things I like to do after watching a war movie or documentary, is look up the many of the major players that survive the war, especially if they weren’t generals or admirals.

    It’s interesting to see what happened to them, whether on the winning or losing side.

    Many times, the people who survive on the losing side have some very interesting stories because of the hardships they endure post war.

    • #17
  18. Al Sparks Coolidge
    Al Sparks
    @AlSparks

    Stad (View Comment):

    Is Bushido even around anymore?

    I just googled it to get a sense, and Wikipedia compares it to chivalry, which isn’t really around either.

    • #18
  19. Limestone Cowboy Coolidge
    Limestone Cowboy
    @LimestoneCowboy

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    “The Hiroshima bomb is “controversial” today, but has to be understood in the context of the time, particularly the kamikazes and the battle for Okinawa. “

    @miffedwhitemale, we’re in total agreement on this.

    Victor Davis Hanson has observed that in all probability the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki spared the Japanese from an almost unbelievable bombing campaign in the latter part of 1945. At that point the war in Europe was over and there were now literally tens of thousands of heavy and medium British and American bombers, with trained crews and surplus bombs available for redeployment to the Pacific. And instead of being a 30 hour round-trip mission from Saipan, it would be just a few hours from Okinawa, which would mean the possibility of multiple sorties per day for each aircraft. The scale of bombing operations could have been orders of magnitude higher than those already suffered by the Japanese population.

    General Sherman’s oft quoted “War is cruelty and you can not define it” was as true in 1945 as it had been in 1864. Mercy in that context meant getting the war ended as quickly as possible.

    • #19
  20. CJ Inactive
    CJ
    @cjherod

    Limestone Cowboy (View Comment):

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    “The Hiroshima bomb is “controversial” today, but has to be understood in the context of the time, particularly the kamikazes and the battle for Okinawa. “

    @miffedwhitemale, we’re in total agreement on this.

    Victor Davis Hanson has observed that in all probability the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki spared the Japanese from an almost unbelievable bombing campaign in the latter part of 1945. At that point the war in Europe was over and there were now literally tens of thousands of heavy and medium British and American bombers, with trained crews and surplus bombs available for redeployment to the Pacific. And instead of being a 30 hour round-trip mission from Saipan, it would be just a few hours from Okinawa, which would mean the possibility of multiple sorties per day for each aircraft. The scale of bombing operations could have been orders of magnitude higher than those already suffered by the Japanese population.

    General Sherman’s oft quoted “War is cruelty and you can not define it” was as true in 1945 as it had been in 1864. Mercy in that context meant getting the war ended as quickly as possible.

    The nuclear bombing of innocent civilians is a war crime. I don’t think it can be rationalized by saying that you would have otherwise committed a bloodier, more expensive, and longer drawn-out war crime.

    • #20
  21. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    CJ (View Comment):

    Limestone Cowboy (View Comment):

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    “The Hiroshima bomb is “controversial” today, but has to be understood in the context of the time, particularly the kamikazes and the battle for Okinawa. “

    @miffedwhitemale, we’re in total agreement on this.

    Victor Davis Hanson has observed that in all probability the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki spared the Japanese from an almost unbelievable bombing campaign in the latter part of 1945. At that point the war in Europe was over and there were now literally tens of thousands of heavy and medium British and American bombers, with trained crews and surplus bombs available for redeployment to the Pacific. And instead of being a 30 hour round-trip mission from Saipan, it would be just a few hours from Okinawa, which would mean the possibility of multiple sorties per day for each aircraft. The scale of bombing operations could have been orders of magnitude higher than those already suffered by the Japanese population.

    General Sherman’s oft quoted “War is cruelty and you can not define it” was as true in 1945 as it had been in 1864. Mercy in that context meant getting the war ended as quickly as possible.

    The nuclear bombing of innocent civilians is a war crime. I don’t think it can be rationalized by saying that you would have otherwise committed a bloodier, more expensive, and longer drawn-out war crime.

    Why?  What makes nuclear bombs different?

    We killed more people in the conventional firebombing of Tokyo than we did at Hiroshima.

    And we would have killed a lot more in a conventional invasion.  

     

     

    • #21
  22. CJ Inactive
    CJ
    @cjherod

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    CJ (View Comment):

    Limestone Cowboy (View Comment):

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    “The Hiroshima bomb is “controversial” today, but has to be understood in the context of the time, particularly the kamikazes and the battle for Okinawa. “

    @miffedwhitemale, we’re in total agreement on this.

    Victor Davis Hanson has observed that in all probability the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki spared the Japanese from an almost unbelievable bombing campaign in the latter part of 1945. At that point the war in Europe was over and there were now literally tens of thousands of heavy and medium British and American bombers, with trained crews and surplus bombs available for redeployment to the Pacific. And instead of being a 30 hour round-trip mission from Saipan, it would be just a few hours from Okinawa, which would mean the possibility of multiple sorties per day for each aircraft. The scale of bombing operations could have been orders of magnitude higher than those already suffered by the Japanese population.

    General Sherman’s oft quoted “War is cruelty and you can not define it” was as true in 1945 as it had been in 1864. Mercy in that context meant getting the war ended as quickly as possible.

    The nuclear bombing of innocent civilians is a war crime. I don’t think it can be rationalized by saying that you would have otherwise committed a bloodier, more expensive, and longer drawn-out war crime.

    Why? What makes nuclear bombs different?

    We killed more people in the conventional firebombing of Tokyo than we did at Hiroshima.

    And we would have killed a lot more in a conventional invasion.

     

     

    You are right. It isn’t the “nuclear” part that is the problem. It makes no difference to the women and children and babies how they were murdered. And I agree with your other statements. Doesn’t this mean that the U.S. military indiscriminately killed women and children? I understand that, given the government’s objective to achieve an unconditional surrender, it only had a limited set of options to achieve that objective.

    • #22
  23. Tex929rr Coolidge
    Tex929rr
    @Tex929rr

    CJ (View Comment):

    The nuclear bombing of innocent civilians is a war crime. I don’t think it can be rationalized by saying that you would have otherwise committed a bloodier, more expensive, and longer drawn-out war crime.

    That is certainly worthy of its own conversation.  But the dropping of the nuclear bombs on Japan also prevented the invasion of the Japanese mainland, which would clearly not have been a war crime.  The casualties on both sides resulting from Operation Olympic would have made Iwo Jima into a footnote of history.  There is no way to deny the fact that dropping those weapons likely saved literally millions of lives.  

    Would shooting down the hijacked 9/11 aircraft have been a war crime?  

    • #23
  24. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    CJ (View Comment):

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    CJ (View Comment):

    Limestone Cowboy (View Comment):

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    “The Hiroshima bomb is “controversial” today, but has to be understood in the context of the time, particularly the kamikazes and the battle for Okinawa. “

    @miffedwhitemale, we’re in total agreement on this.

    Victor Davis Hanson has observed that in all probability the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki spared the Japanese from an almost unbelievable bombing campaign in the latter part of 1945. At that point the war in Europe was over and there were now literally tens of thousands of heavy and medium British and American bombers, with trained crews and surplus bombs available for redeployment to the Pacific. And instead of being a 30 hour round-trip mission from Saipan, it would be just a few hours from Okinawa, which would mean the possibility of multiple sorties per day for each aircraft. The scale of bombing operations could have been orders of magnitude higher than those already suffered by the Japanese population.

    General Sherman’s oft quoted “War is cruelty and you can not define it” was as true in 1945 as it had been in 1864. Mercy in that context meant getting the war ended as quickly as possible.

    The nuclear bombing of innocent civilians is a war crime. I don’t think it can be rationalized by saying that you would have otherwise committed a bloodier, more expensive, and longer drawn-out war crime.

    Why? What makes nuclear bombs different?

    We killed more people in the conventional firebombing of Tokyo than we did at Hiroshima.

    And we would have killed a lot more in a conventional invasion.

     

     

    You are right. It isn’t the “nuclear” part that is the problem. It makes no difference to the women and children and babies how they were murdered. And I agree with your other statements. Doesn’t this mean that the U.S. military indiscriminately killed women and children? I understand that, given the government’s objective to achieve an unconditional surrender, it only had a limited set of options to achieve that objective.

    Then why did you bring up “nuclear” specifically, and ignore all the conventional bombings?

    • #24
  25. Jules PA Inactive
    Jules PA
    @JulesPA

    Tex929rr: “You did the right thing. You know the Japanese attitude at that time, how fanatic they were, they’d die for the Emperor … Every man, woman, and child would have resisted that invasion with sticks and stones if necessary [Mitsuo Fushida]

    I think by the point of nuclear in the war, maybe the civilians were no longer civilians?

    This is to their credit for their loyalty, but also part of their demise. 

    Isn’t that why the Emperor finally capitulated? His civilians’ loyalty to him was going to cause their culture’s full destruction? 

    War is hell. It challenges leaders and societies to the core of their beliefs.

    It is not a game to be played half-way.

    We live in a broken world. 

    • #25
Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.