The Things Our Fathers Saw—The Untold Stories of the World War II Generation From Hometown, USA-Volume I: Voices of the Pacific Theater

by Matthew Rozell

  Unbroken

  Joe Minder

  July to early August, 1945

  Johnson and Milchesky started working at the shop. I started working at the bottom of the mine. Very dangerous down there, because of many cave-ins and rocks rolling down from the four levels above, however the work there is much easier than pushing and loading dirt cars, so I’ll take my chances.

  More air raids every day now. Getting soya beans in small amounts. We got so weak last month and so darn many men passed out on the job that the Japs realized they wouldn’t be able to get any more work out of us unless our diet was picked up a bit. No one has gained any weight, but at least we aren’t passing out on the job anymore.

  ‘A Question Until The End of Time’

  Well before the fighting on Okinawa was over, planning was complete for the invasion of Japan. The invasion, code named ‘Downfall,’ was to be in two stages. The first, Operation Olympic, would take place on the southern island of Kyushu on November 1. Phase two, Operation Coronet, would use Kyushu as a staging area for the invasion of the Tokyo plain in March 1946.[79]

  In this narrative, we must suspend for the moment arguments about the moral legitimacy of the bomb, and focus on the facts of the day and the voices of the veterans themselves. When President Truman and the Allies demanded Japan’s unconditional surrender after the successful July testing of the atomic bomb in the sands of New Mexico, the reality was that up to one-third of the American invasion force in the battle for Okinawa was killed, wounded, or missing. Invasion planners were certain that the coming invasion figures would be grimmer. It is also true that the Japanese prison camp commandants, since 1943, had been given the “kill-all” order in the event of imminent invasion, a policy which was carried out on numerous occasions and updated, reinforced, and clarified as time went on.[80]

  From the Potsdam Conference in defeated Germany, President Truman warned the Japanese to surrender. On August 6th, 1945, a single bomb tumbled from a B–29 Superfortress flying from Tinian in the Mariana Islands. Hiroshima was devastated by both the blast and thermal and radioactive effects that would lead later estimators to put the death toll at 140,000.

  John W. Norton, a seaman on the repair ship USS Vulcan, was there shortly afterwards.

  John Norton

  We were in Hiroshima at the time they signed the official surrender. I was there almost six months, anchored off Hiroshima, and I spent a lot of time in the city. When we got there it was just leveled, and there were two shells of buildings—one was a hospital and one was a school—and those were the only buildings that looked like they had been buildings. We walked around. The people, the civilians, were looking at us wondering what we were going to do to them. And, oh my God, the scars on their faces and burns. Oh God, it was sickening. Women and children—it was just sickening. [81]

  Asked if he thought the bomb was necessary, Mr. Norton replied, ‘Well that has been the question and it will be the question until the end of time, I guess, but it saved many lives.’

  Ralph Leinoff was resting up from combat at Iwo Jima and preparing for the inevitable.

  Ralph Leinoff

  I was tired and I was disgusted. I knew that I still had another landing to make, and while out in the field at Maui doing the training exercises for Japan, we got word that something happened, that a bomb wiped out an entire city of people and that the bomb may end the war.

  I couldn't believe it. We had been fighting the Japanese for three years and I felt no one bomb is going to make them turn around and change their mind; they're going to fight to the death. Everyone in the Japanese Army was told ‘you're going to die, but you have to take ten Marines with you; before you die, you take ten Marines with you!’ So when the word came about Hiroshima, suddenly it seemed like maybe there was a chance we would not have to do that landing.

  We had a new company captain at that time—he called us together. He said ‘Look fellas, this is just a rumor, we can't go by it. We know how tough the enemy is, we're going to put all our heart and soul into these training exercises because as far as we know, we're going to have to land on Japan. It's going to be a brutal, brutal thing. Japan is going to be really bad.’ Three days later word of Nagasaki came and he called us together again. He said ‘Well, there is a possibility we may not have to do it, but just for old times’ sake, go through the exercises you're supposed to do.’ [laughs]. So we went through training exercises, but I never got to Japan.

  With no answer to the call for surrender coming from the Japanese High Command, on August 9th the second (and last) bomb was deployed against Nagasaki in southeastern Japan. The death toll was at least 70,000. Marine Walter Hooke had occupation duty in Nagasaki.

  Walter Hooke

  We landed in Sasebo [the major naval base in Nagasaki Prefecture]. Every city in our first few months there, we went from one end... to the other, and every city was flattened, you know. I have some pictures I can show you. There is nothing in the cities—they were wiped out, they were worse than Nagasaki—but Sasebo, the town we landed in appeared more devastated compared to Nagasaki—except I saw the difference.

  When I got to Nagasaki, there were all these people around that had been burned and injured, and the hospitals were overflowing. They could not take care of people, and you know, I did not get there in Nagasaki until October—and from the bomb [I could see] there had been people with skin hanging off. It was awful.

  Roman Catholic cathedral on a hill in Nagasaki.

  National Archives.

  On the radio the Japanese Emperor Hirohito spoke to his people and said, ‘The time has come when we must bear the unbearable.’ It was the first time they had heard his voice. Shaken prison camp commandants awaited word of whether or not to carry out the “kill-all” order within their camps.

  Joe Minder recorded his observations as the prisoners dared to hope that their redemption was near.

  Joe Minder

  August 15, 1945

  Heavy bombing near here all last night. Terrific explosions. 12:00 AM: All Japs went to town. We didn’t go to work until 3 PM—something is darn funny around here. Guards are very quiet today.

  August 16, 1945

  Many peace rumors floating around camp today.

  August 17, 1945

  Australian officers received paper written in Japanese. They say the war is over from what they could interpret in the paper.

  August 18, 1945

  Worked in garden near camp a half day. Heard loudspeakers blaring away downtown.

  August 19, 1945

  Camp commander announced we would not work in the mine any more. War must be over?

  August 20, 1945

  War’s end was officially announced by interpreter, ‘Mosiki’ at 1:15 PM! Still hard to believe!

  August 21, 1945

  Four prisoners who escaped from camp June 18 returned and were turned loose with us. They told us of the horrible brutal treatment they received after being captured by Japs.

  Now, the moment of liberation was at hand. It would stay in the ex-prisoners’ minds for the rest of their lives.

  August 22, 1945

  After 3½ years of starvation and brutal treatment, that beautiful symbol of freedom once more flies over our head! Our camp tailor worked all night and finished our first American flag! The blue came from a GI barracks bag, red from a Jap comforter and the white from an Australian bed sheet. When I came out of the barracks and saw those beautiful colors for the first time I felt like crying!

  I know now, like I never did before, what it means to be able to live in a peaceful nation like the U.S.A. with its unlimited amount of liberties and freedom.

  Japs increased our chow. An 800 lb. bull was brought in camp. Had fried fish and fried greens and fried tomatoes, also a level bowl of barley/soya bean/ thick blood soup for supper.

  August 25, 1945

  Twelve American planes flew over near camp! Large “PW” signs were nailed onto the roofs, and also a huge sig
n made out of blackout shades and white paper by the Australian officers saying “SMOKES—CANDY—NEWS—300” was placed on the ground in front of our barracks, in the hopes that the Yanks would spot our signs and drop us supplies!

  6:00 PM

  Capt. Beadstine just announced that our parents had been notified of our whereabouts.

  Bundles from Heaven

  August 28, 1945

  What an exciting day!

  This morning we were waiting anxiously for the two cigarettes which the Japs issue each day, as their daily issue, and wondering if we would receive a level bowl of barley and beans for dinner. Our food, clothing, and cigarette worries finally ended at 4 o’clock this afternoon. About 2 PM, two American planes zoomed real low over our camp, then circled around again and dropped a note saying “OK boys, read your message. Stand clear, supplies will be dropped shortly.” About 20 minutes later they returned escorting Grumman dive bombers and a B–29 and started dropping tons of candy, smokes, food, clothing and medicine, with large parachutes. I don’t think I have seen a more beautiful and exciting sight in my life! We could watch the men in the rear of the plane tumble those huge bundles of blessings out, then huge cargo parachutes of all different colors opened, and the food which we have been waiting for 3½ years started falling like rain all over our campground!

  This continued until 4 PM when the B–29 opened and closed its bomb bay doors signaling us ‘that is all’, and flew away. Men started running around excited as heck, gathering up the large bundles scattered inside and outside the compound on the roofs and downtown, where one heavy load was dropped by a B–29 in a muddy rice paddy, burying many large drums deep in the mud when they broke loose from their parachutes. Several large bundles also broke loose from the parachutes over our camp and riddled many barracks full of large holes as if bombs had been dropped on us.

  Bill Fisher and an Australian officer were killed by falling bundles. Bill was killed instantly when two large 55–gallon drums broke loose from the parachutes and crashed through the side of the barracks about eight feet from where my bed was located![82]

  5:00 PM

  Left camp to help dig supplies out of rice paddies and haul them back to camp. Much food was broken open, so I filled my gut with candy, canned fruit, army ration and God-knows-what-not. I’ll never forget the first taste of American food I had! I salvaged a small amount of cocoa, a cube of pineapple and Type-C crackers on the road on my way downtown.

  8:00 PM

  It started raining hard so I returned back to camp, barefooted, wet, muddy and cold but with a full gut and as happy and excited as a kid would be just after Santa Claus left!

  August 29, 1945:

  About 10:00 AM, a B–29 dropped a large load of supplies outside of camp. I helped haul it back to camp. Got several candy bars from boxes of candy which Mayhue and Johnson carried in.

  August 31, 1945:

  Very sick this morning and last night from overeating. Just don’t know when to stop; this food tastes so darn delicious!

  11:00 AM

  Truck just brought in another big load of supplies dropped by mistake by a B–29 at a Japanese camp about 80 miles from here!

  The View from Tokyo Bay

  On September 2nd, 1945, Admiral “Bull” Halsey’s flagship USS Missouri was in Tokyo Bay awaiting the arrival of the Japanese delegation with General MacArthur and Admiral Nimitz aboard, positioned in the exact spot where Commodore Matthew C. Perry had anchored on his first visit to Japan in 1853, and flying his original 31-star flag.[83] The Japanese delegation was escorted promptly aboard at 9 AM and signed the terms of surrender. In the United States and Europe, it was six years to the day that the bloodiest conflict in human history had begun. Joseph Marcino, a Marine tank commander on Iwo Jima from the North Country, was on board one of the many ships in the bay as a witness to history.

  Joe Marcino

  What a sight that was! When daylight came, you could not see a place on the ocean where there was not a ship. The bay was just filled with all ships – massive—a lot more than Iwo Jima. At that time, we had some inkling we were going to make a landing on Japan. And so we were in that position, with ships as far as you could see on the horizon. The ocean was just full of destroyers, battleships, cruisers, and landing craft—just everything.[84]

  Surrender ceremonies, 2000 plane flyover, USS MISSOURI left foreground. National Archives.

  The Redeemed Captive

  As the Japanese delegation signed the instrument of surrender, General MacArthur concluded the ceremony: ‘It is my earnest hope, indeed the hope of all mankind that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge from the blood and carnage of the past.’ Present just behind him on the deck for the honor of the occasion was the newly liberated General Jonathan Wainwright, who had spent much of his captivity leading his men (including John Parsons, who was imprisoned with him on Formosa) in defying the Japanese. Once the signatures were all in order, the 11-man Japanese delegation was immediately escorted off the ship. The awesome task of reconstructing and restoring civilization could begin, but for most of the prisoners of war, the journey towards home and healing had not even gotten underway.

  Joe Minder

  September 1, 1945

  Feeling good again, going to try and take it a little easy on that rich food. Had pictures taken and got weighed this afternoon. Gained four and a half pounds in seven days.

  September 3, 1945

  Many men sick from overeating. Camp baking oven completed today. Had 20 doughnuts for supper, first since May 1942. Had baggage inspection this morning. We are getting packed ready to leave!

  6:00 PM

  Had chocolate covered cupcakes for supper—they were delicious!

  September 4, 1945

  B–29s dropped supplies at Camp 6 and 8 today. Still waiting for our food drop. Had biscuits for supper. First type of bread since April 1942. They were made out of Jap barley flour.

  September 5, 1945

  Fifteen large sacks of potatoes and a dressed horse came in this afternoon. A B–29 circled over camp several times but didn’t drop anything.

  7:00 PM

  Just finished hearing my first American voice over the radio since the fall of Corregidor in May 1942. [The commander was] urging us to remain in our camps and we would be evacuated from Japan as soon as possible.

  September 6, 1945

  Heard our first American news broadcast at noon: 4,000 POWs have already been liberated, 14% of the total POWs here in Japan.

  September 9, 1945

  Killed fat horse this morning. Had delicious horse steak and horse blood gravy for supper, also few Irish spuds and rice.

  September 11, 1945

  Stayed up until 12:30 last night with Bradley eating and drinking coffee. Got weighed, gained 13 pounds in the past 19 days!

  3:00 PM

  Waiting here in the camp yard, packed, ready to march to the train to meet the Yanks at the sea coast. God, what a crazy looking bunch we are! Baggage of all sorts strapped to our backs. Some are packs made of different colored parachutes, blankets, Red Cross boxes and some even have their belongings in old packed barracks bags which originally came from Bataan or Corregidor. Our pockets and shirts are crammed full of candy, gum, cigarettes, canned food, God-knows-what-all. Wish I had a picture of the entire bunch!

  6:00 P.M

  Just got on train for our 13–hour train ride to the coast!

  Like scores of others like it, the ex-POW train clacked and snaked through the Japanese countryside, slowing to pass through firebombed cities which were now just charred husks of their former glory, peopled in some places only with the silent, dazed, and desperate. At the port of Yokohama, the soldiers disembarked and began the second leg of their long journey home.

  Joe made it back to the Philippines where he found he had been promoted to corporal. He was booked on a troop transport with 3,200 other Americans and headed for home.

  October 10, 1945

  We
are sailing past Corregidor, Fort Hughes, Fort Drum and the Bataan peninsula now. Although we are quite a distance from these fortified islands, we can still see the result of the terrible bombings and shellings which these forts took from both the Japs and Americans. I can see Monkey Point on Corregidor very plainly from this side of the ship now. That is where the Japs finally forced us to surrender after battering away at us with bombs and shells for five months.

  6:30 PM

  In a few minutes now we will be able to get the last glimpse of the battlefields where our buddies lie, unfortunate not to be going home with us. Never thought when I sailed into this bay on October 23, 1941, that these small green tropical islands would be hot battlefields within two months.