Figure 1.-- A Marine corp photographer caught this scene in the morning during the battle for Okinawa. Marine Corporal Earl Brunitt (left) and Private Genare Nuzzi share a fighting hole and a couple of ponchos on Okinawa with a little orphan they had taken under their wing. The photograph was taken during April 1945. Photographer Sgt. W.A. McBride or Sgt. Howard S. England (Marine Corps). NARA FILE #: 1127-N-118933.

Civilian casualties were higer on Okinawa than on any other populated Pacific Island Both the American and Japanese military played a role in the carnage. Assessing relative culpability is at this stage impossible, but intentions are possible to ascertain. The Americans had no desire to kill the civilins and made provision to assist the survivors. The Japanese military authorities on the other hand basically believed that Okimawan civiliand should join them in death as they fought for the emperor. The civilians killed by the Americans was largely a result of enormous fire power that the the United states brought to bear on the Japanese military forces combined with the combat situation. The United States had a huge advantage in men, material, artillery, armor, air power, and naval artillery. The basic problem for the Americans was in finding targets. Most of the Japanese military positions were as on Iwo underground. The Japanese also used civikian structures in their fefensive positions. The underground positions were hard to find. And the United States commonly found it difficult to diferentiate between the military and civilians. And because of the underground hard to find Japanese military emplacements, advancing American units not uncommonly found thnselves underfire from all sides, even the rear. In such circumstances, the American reacton was to blast everything in sight. As a result, one estimare suggests that 90 percent of the buildings on the island were destroyed. There was no desire to kill civilians. And civilians when found were moved to rear areas. Here the Japanese were different. They had much less artillery and had prepositioned and sighted what they had. Thus they knew prescisely what they were shooting at and had already calculated ranges. This fewer Okinawan civilians were unintended victims of the fighting. The problem for the Okinawan civilins was trapped Japanese soldiers commonly urged or even forced civilians to commit suicide with them. Civilians were often ordered to commit mass suicide, although Japanese sources, especilly the Ministry of Education, seek to deny this. [Masaaki] Okinawan sources want the truth told. In the final phase of the battle, what was left of the Japanese 32nd Army abandoned the Shuri Line south to Mabuni where they planned to make a final stand. Some civilians terrified of the advancing Americans because of the stories told them by the Japanese military, followed the Japanese solders south or committed suiside. There were several instances of mass suiside as was reported on Saipan. The Okinawan Peace Museum was built at one such site. The tiny Manbuni corner of the island became a chaotic mass of Japanese soldiers, American soldiers, and civilians caught in a deadly crossfire. Not only were the two armies fighting, but there was also intense air and sea bombardment. The civilians that fled with the Japanese not only had the deadly fire to contend with, but were let without food, water, or shelter. Horific tales emerged. One journalist writes, "Clutching a hand grenade issued by the Japanese Imperial Army and driven by tales of what U.S. soldiers would do with a pretty young woman, Sumie Oshiro recalled, she fled into the forests of Okinawa during the World War II battle known here as the 'typhoon of steel'. [Brooke] Life or death for the Okinawan civilians meant whether they chose to sheek shelter with the Japanese soldiers or hide in caves where the Americans eventually found them. After the War, surviving Okinawans attempted to undertand the disater they experienced, especially why so many of their people committed suiside. Those who chose life rather than suiside blamed the masssuisides on the how they were indoctrinated in the Japanese schools. They report that they were taught to become 'more Japanese than the Japanese' and had the duty to prove it. [Saito]

Heavy Casualties

Civilian casualties were higer on Okinawa than on any other populated Pacific Island Both the American and Japanese military played a role in the carnage.

Intentions

Assessing relative culpability is at this stage impossible, but intentions are possible to ascertain.

The Americans

Americans had no desire to kill the civilins and made provision to assist the survivors. This is well documented. IKt occured on Sipan where there was also Japanee civilians. And it occured in Okinawa with a much larger Japanese population. The civilians killed by the Americans was largely a result of enormous fire power that the the United States brought to bear on the Japanese military forces combined with the combat situation. The United States had a huge advantage in men, material, artillery, armor, air power, and naval artillery. The basic problem for the Americans was in finding targets. Most of the Japanese military positions were as on Iwo underground. . The Japanese also used civikian structures in their fefensive positions. The underground positions were hard to find. And the United States commonly found it difficult to diferentiate between the military and civilians. And because of the underground hard to find Japanese military emplacements, advancing American units not uncommonly found thnselves underfire from all sides, even the rear. In such circumstances, the American reacton was to blast everything in sight. As a result, one estimare suggests that 90 percent of the buildings on the island were destroyed. There was no desire to kill civilians. And civilians when found were moved to rear areas.

The Japanese

It goes without saying that the japanese soldiers abd sailors were going to fight to the death. The Japanese military authorities also believed that Okimawan civiliand should join them in death as they fought for the Emperor Here the Japanese were different. They had much less artillery and had prepositioned and sughtd what they had. Thus they knew prescisely what they were shooting at and had already calculated ranges. Thus fewer Okinawan civilians were unintended victims of the Japanese artillery. The problem for the Okinawan civilins was trapped Japanese soldiers commonly urged or even forced civilians to commit suicide with them. Historians and survivors blame the Jappanese military propaganda that sought to convince civilians they faced rape and torture if captured by Americans. The children were also told these stories in school. And this was education system which taught the virtue of dying for an emperor who was a living god. "They were taught that Americans were fiends, worse than devils, and that if women were caught they would be raped and men would be killed. It was the same as ordering them to commit suicide. They were taught it was better to die." [Miyazato Civilians were often ordered to commit mass suicide, although Japanese sources, especilly the Ministry of Education, seek to deny this. [Masaaki] Okinawan sources want the truth told.

Blood and Iron Corps

Masahide Ota, a former governor of Okinawa describes how he was force to fight as a member of the Blood and Iron Corps. They were students mobilized to defend the island. He reports how the Japanese soldiers gave civilians two hand grenades -- 'one to throw at the enemy and one to use on themselves'. [Sieg]

Suicide

In the final phase of the battle, what was left of the Japanese 32nd Army abandoned the Shuri Line south to Mabuni where they planned to make a final stand. Some civilians terrified of the advancing Americans because of the stories told them by the Japanese military, followed the Japanese solders south or committed suiside. There were several instances of mass suiside as was reported on Saipan. The Okinawan Peace Museum was built at one such site. Horific tales emerged. One journalist writes, "Clutching a hand grenade issued by the Japanese Imperial Army and driven by tales of what U.S. soldiers would do with a pretty young woman, Sumie Oshiro recalled, she fled into the forests of Okinawa during the World War II battle known here as the 'typhoon of steel'. [Brooke] It was not just the girls. Other Okinawans were told to cimmit suiside because the American would torture them. Life or death for the Okinawan civilians meant whether they chose to sheek shelter with the Japanese soldiers or hide in caves where the Americans eventually found them. After the War, surviving Okinawans attempted to undertand the disater they experienced, especially why so many of their people committed suiside. Those who chose life rather than suiside blamed the mass suisides on the how they were indoctrinated in the Japanese schools. They report that they were taught to become 'more Japanese than the Japanese' and had the duty to prove it. [Saito] Sumie Oshiro was 25 when she and her friends tried to kill themselves to avoid capture by U.S. soldiers. She tells an Okinawan newspaper reoprter how, "We were told that if women were taken prisoner we would be raped and that we should not allow ourselves to be captured. Four of us tried to commit suicide with one hand grenade, but it did not go off." [Sieg] One hustorian reports is reseaching events on Zanami, a tiny islet off Okinawa. "The army ordered them to commit suicide." S suicides accounted for 180 of the 404 civilians -- about half of the islet’s population. [Miyazato] ,

Manbuni

The tiny Manbuni corner of the island became a chaotic mass of Japanese soldiers, American soldiers, and civilians caught in a deadly crossfire. Not only were the two armies fighting, but there was also intense air and sea bombardment. The civilians that fled with the Japanese not only had the deadly fire to contend with, but were let without food, water, or shelter.

Government Involvement

The Japanese Government does not deny that there were civilian Okinawan suisides . Of ourse sucb siisides would not have occurred if the Japanbese military has not told the that the American would rape and tell them. The Goernment, however claims that there was no Government involvement. [Kina] And has ordered that such charges that the soldiers encouraged or forced Okinawans to commit suiside removed from text books. They dont't want Japanese children reading about this even though it is firmly documented. This issue came up a lawsuit by a former Japanese army officer and relatives of another charging the two men were was falsely described in works by publisher Iwanami Shoten as having ordered civilian suicides in Okinawa. This rompted the publisher and Nobel Prize-winning author Kenzaburo Oe to send a letter of protest to the education ministry, criticizing the fact that only the views of the plaintiffs in the court case had been taken into account. [Sieg]

Sources

Brooke, James. "1945 suicide order still a trauma on Okinawa," International Herald Tribune (June 21, 2005).

Masaaki, Aniya. "Compulsory mass suicide, the Battle of Okinawa, and Japan's textbook controversy," The Okinawa Times and Asahi Shinbun.

Miyazato, Yoshikazu. He is collecting testimony from survivors on Zamami.

Kina, Shoukichi. Reports that in "In every case, Abe’s administration is saying there was no military involvement. They are distorting history and it is unforgiveable." Kina is an opposition lawmaker from Okinawa.

Saito, Totu. "Pressure to prove loyalty paved way for mass suicides in Battle of Okinawa, " AJW by The Asahi Shimbun. Ajw.asahi.com.

Sieg, Linda. "Historians battle over Okinawa WW2 mass suicides," Reuters In Depth (April 6, 2007).

Created: 7:10 PM 5/8/2015
Last updated: 7:10 PM 5/8/2015