I've been to a lot of the battles fields and you do still find bones on occasion.
My grandfather was First Lieutenant/Damage Control Officer on the Bunker Hill when it was kamikazied during that battle.
The Okinawans still don’t like the Japs. A percentage, not sure how large, would like to go back to the Kingdom of Ryukyus.
Spent 18 months there back in the ‘60’s - gorgeous country, lovely people - stories were around that there were still Japanese soldiers up in the hill ready to carry on the fight, but seemed to be more mythology than reality......
I believe the severity of the fighting, convinced the leaders that this was what an invasion of Japan was going to be like, and tipped the scales in favor of using the Atom Bomb.
My dad was an LST coxswain, he drove one of the small boats that carried troops from the big navy ships to the shore. Talk about a cr@ppy dangerous job!!! He drove LST’s for the invasions of the Solomon Islands, Saipan, and Okinawa. He was on two ships that were sunk by kamikazis at Okinawa. It’s a miracle that he survived the war.
Both my Mom and my Dad had brothers who were Marines there.
During the battle he jumped into a foxhole. Moments later a Japanese soldier jumped in also, apparently ducking for cover as well.
The Japanese soldier said something. Uncle Rob didn't know what. Without even thinking he decapitated the soldier with his bayonet.
Excellent writer.........And was THERE!
Until this battle most Japanese civilians and many of their military didn’t even know how bad the war was going. Almost every news report in Japan until then was of their “victories.” First time many Japanese heard how bad things were going was their schoolchildren singing songs on the radio in support of their “brave defenders” on Okinawa. Had many people in Japan wondering what else they were lied to about for the first time.
Propaganda was so strict in Japan that every sailor who knew what happened at The Battle of Midway ( the loss of the 4 carriers ) was banned from ever returning to Japan until the end of the war. Wounded from that battle who had to be taken back to Japan were in their own hospital ward and restricted to base, not getting out until the war ended. Just talking about the defeat could mean death.
There is a Marine in the church I go to that went aboard Okinawa on Easter Sunday. He was wounded 4 or 5 days in.
Great Guy and family.
I lived there too... three years, beautiful place. You may think you have seen beautiful blue ocean before... but nothing like Okinawa.
White Cross on Okinawa--Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys (1945)
Okinawa was my father’s introduction to the Japanese.
Said introduction was performed by a kamikaze pilot who flew a few feet over his head while he was manning an antiaircraft gun emplacement at the base of the #3 turret on the Maryland.
The aircraft’s impact and 500 lb bomb it carried killed 12 of his shipmates.
A few feet lower and it would have hit the side of the turret right over his head, and I really would be null and void...
I transcribed a student’s grandfather’s war diary a few years ago. He was on USS Bennington which was at Okinawa. It was April 1, 1944, both Easter and April Fools Day, just like today. The code name was “Love Day”. His diary reads just like the history books. They expected heavy resistance on the beaches and were surprised when there was none. Expected to have things under control quickly but then things got seriously bad. It is all disappearing from living memory now.
I lived in Okinawa for some years as a kid. The detritus of war was just under your feet, pretty much everywhere.
My father was in the first landing wave on Okinawa, in an amphib tank.
He lasted 45 days of combat before being injured seriously in the hand, to require evac. to Honolulu.
They saved all of his fingers. He recovered to first light duty, then awaiting return to full duty, but the war ended.
Had the war not ended, he was among troops expecting to land in Japan.
USMC 2 yrs, active duty, discharged before 20th birthday.
ping