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Kamikaze Pilot
Osamu Shibata
(permission required from
Yuko Shirako for photo use)
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Stories
I have translated thirteen pages for Stories
of Bereaved Families, which are included on the Japanese web site Aozora
no hateni (To the blue sky's end). These stories relate to families of
kamikaze pilots who died in the war, and several of the stories include letters
written by the pilots. The webmaster for this site is Senri Nagasue, a former
kamikaze pilot who has written several books in Japanese on the Navy's kamikaze corps in
addition to creating this large Japanese web site about his wartime experiences and the
stories of men who served with him in the Japanese Navy.
The following web pages are a sample of
these translated stories:
- To Hometown Skies - Kamikaze pilot flies over home to drop final letter to
his mother.
- Final
Duty to His Parents - Mothers worried about their sons' situation and
searching for some news. Final letters of kamikaze pilot to his mother and to his
home village.
- Bravely - Son writes only a short letter to family prior to kamikaze
attack probably due to military censorship of correspondence.
- Connecting Threads - Woman finds out details of uncle's death more than
fifty years after end of war.
- I Do
Not Yet Want to Die! - Son's final farewell to mother is very different
than the
words in his final letter to his family.
This web site on Kamikaze Images contains the following personal stories:
- Censored Suicide - Tragic suicide by
Japanese Army commander's wife and two children so that he would be free to
become kamikaze pilot.
- For Five Seconds, A Gunner - Account of
twin engine Japanese attack bomber that dove into Dutch freighter off Ie
Shima.
- Forever Grateful - Fred Mitchell is
forever grateful to shipmates who helped him survive after two
kamikaze planes hit the destroyer Drexler, which sank in 49 seconds
after the second plane hit the ship.
- Kamikaze, the Ultimate Sacrifice
- Eyewitness account of kamikaze plane that dove into American landing ship
off Okinawa on May 20, 1945.
- Little Italy to Okinawa - Joe Curgino,
survivor of
sinking of destroyer Drexler by two kamikaze planes, relates his
wartime experiences and his family's loving support.
- Mighty Midget 2007 Reunion - 21st
annual reunion of veterans of 130 LCS(L) (Landing Craft, Support (Large))
ships, many which battled kamikaze planes during the Battle of Okinawa.
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Shunsuke Tomiyasu - Story of
kamikaze pilot who hit aircraft carrier Enterprise (CV-6) with his
Zero fighter carrying 500-kg bomb.
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Survival of Drexler Survivors
Reunion Association - May 2006 reunion of 14 men who survived sinking of Drexler.
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2007 USS Callaghan (DD-792)
Reunion - Cincinnati reunion of 17 survivors from last ship sunk by
kamikazes in WWII.
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2007 USS Morrison (DD-560)
Reunion - Gathering in May 2007 of ten survivors of sinking of destroyer
Morrison, which was hit by four kamikaze planes on May 4, 1945.
- Who Sank the Destroyer Drexler? -
Investigation to determine which squadron of kamikaze planes sank Drexler
on May 28, 1945.
- Yoko's Hopes and Losses - Yoko Sato
becomes engaged to Osamu Shibata, who dies shortly thereafter in a kamikaze attack off Okinawa.
Story written by daughter of Yoko Sato.
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