Figure 1.-- The Marines returned brutality with brutality to the Japanese soldiers. The Japanese civilians were entirely a diffrent matter. The tendeness with which the grizzeled Marines treated the civilians, especially the children and eldely is touching--an enduring legacy of the United Stayes Marine Corps. Here Marines tend to a little boy who has probably lost his parents. That is probably his older brother with him. This may be the same little boy in famous newsreel footage of a boy trembling in fear when found by the Marines. The Japanese civilians received food and water and medical care and most importantly protection from the Japanese soldiers forcing then to commit suiside and killing those who refused. The internees were ultimately repatriated to Japan. Unlike Japanese internment camps where internees were starved and brutalized, there were actually more people repatriated from the American onternment camps than actually interned. And they were healthy and gained weight.

The American casualties proved to be surprising low, only 326 killed--astonishing given the size and preparation of the well armed Japanese garrison. It was not because the Japanese did not fight. As on Saipan and other Pacific islands, the Japanese soldiers continued to fight to the death. Some 5,500 were killed, only 252 were captured. Many of those captured were so badly wounded they could not resist or kill themselves. Some 2,300 Japanese soldiers were missing, left in their destroyed fortifications or bodies blown to pieces. Some 4,000 Japanese civilians were killed as a result of the pre-invasion bombing or fighting. Many committed suiside rather than allowing themselves to be taken by the Americans. The Japanese military incouraged civilian suiside propagating the propaganda line that they would be tortured by the Americans. Many of those who hesitated were actually murdered by the Japanese defenders [Rottman and Howard, p. 87-89.] Some 13,000 Japanese civilians who survived the invasion and Japanese Army murder operations were interned by the Americans and thus able to survive the War. The Marines returned brutality with brutality to the Japanese soldiers. The Japanese civilians were entirely a diffrent matter. The tendeness with which the grizzeled Marines treated the civilians, especially the children and eldely is touching--an enduring legacy of the United Stayes Marine Corps. They Japanese civilins received food and water and medical care. They were ultimately repatriated to Japan. Unlike Japanese internnmnt camps where internees were starved and brutalized, there were actually more people repatriated than interned. And they were healthy and actually gained weight.

Sources

Rottman, Gordon L. and Howard Gerrard. Saipan & Tinian 1944: Piercing the Japanese Empire (Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2004).

Created: 1:31 PM 11/20/2017
Last updated: 1:31 PM 11/20/2017