From the wiki review on "Flyboys" (an excellent book, BTW):
As U.S. Marines in 1945 invaded Iwo Jima some 150 miles away, U.S. warplanes bombed the small communications outpost on Chichi Jima. While Iwo Jima had Japanese forces numbering 22,000, Chichi Jima's forces numbered 25,000. Additionally, Iwo Jima has flat areas suitable for a naval invasion, while Chichi Jima's geography included hilly terrains and unsuitable coasts. According to one Marine (who Bradley does not identify), "Iwo was hell. Chichi would have been impossible." Assumedly, it is because of this that U.S. pilots, known as "Flyboys", were needed to neutralize Chichi's defenses.[1]
Nine crewmen survived after being shot down in the raid. One was picked up by the American submarine USS Finback. His name was Lieutenant George H. W. Bush, who later became the forty-first President of the United States. The others were captured by the Japanese and were executed and partially eaten as POWs, a fact that remained hidden until much later. The names of Flyboys were Jimmy Dye from Mount Ephraim, New Jersey, Floyd Hall from Sedalia, Missouri, Marve Mershon from Los Angeles, California, Warren Earl Vaughn from Childress, Texas, Dick Woellhof from Clay Center, Kansas Grady York from Jacksonville, Florida, Glenn Frazier from Athol, Kansas, and an airman whose name was never known. Senior Japanese Army Officers hosted a Sake party for their Navy counterparts where the livers of American POW's were roasted and served as an appetizer. The Navy officers subsequently reciprocated by hosting a party where they butchered and served their own American POW's.[1]
The book also documents Japanese cannibalization of not only the livers of freshly killed prisoners, but also the cannibalization-for-sustenance of living prisoners over the course of several days, amputating limbs only as needed to keep the meat fresh in the harsh jungle environment. It also cites cannibalisim of Allied soldiers killed in action and of Japanese dead, wounded and by lot drawings.[2]
These atrocities on Chichi-jima, were discovered in late 1945 and was investigated as part of the war crimes trials. In 1946, 30 Japanese soldiers were court-martialed on Guam and five officers (Maj. Matoba, Gen. Tachibana, Adm. Mori, Capt. Yoshii, and Dr. Teraki) were found guilty and hanged. All of the enlisted men were released within eight years.[3]
I knew WH had been shot down, but did not know all that.
Thank you for the correction... It’s been a long while since I read the book about that particular incidence. I loaned the book out to a Japanese friend who was interested in reading it and haven’t seen it again :/ (That was about 6 years ago).
Many things out there, lots to learn, and not enough people reading about history. So sad.
Again, thank you for setting that straight ;)
Bush was shot down on 2 september, 1944...five months before the Iwo landings.