So the next time you have the opportunity to travel to Hawaii and you visit Pearl Harbor and the USS ARIZONA Memorial, remember whose fault it was. NO, not Tojo and Yamamoto.......it was all the United States and its misguided leadership under FDR. Shocking as that statement and the title of this blog may seem, it serves to illustrate a point that is often overlooked. History is many different things to many different people, however there are some things that history is not, namely black and white, good versus evil. Instead it is a variation of a million shades of gray.
The impetus of this post was my recent trip to the Yasukuni Shrine and museum. It was my second trip, and like the first, it proved to be an enlightening view on how the Japanese understand the history of WWII. For those who don't know, Yasukuni Jinga is a major Shinto shrine located in central Tokyo. Unlike other Shinto Shrines, it is dedicated to the spirits of all the Soldiers, Sailors, and Airman who died in the service of Japan and the Emperor. It is essentially the Japanese equivalent of Arlington National Cemetery. Most shrines are considered the home of a particular spirit or "Kami", and as such, the men and women enshrined at Yakakuni are considered to be a "Kami'". A "Kami" can be roughly translated as either divine, a divine spirit, or divine entity, however this is a bit of a misnomer as it really has no clear cut comparison from a Christian, Muslim, or Jewish framework. The shrine is also considered to be a political flashpoint for nations such as China and the Korea's since Japan has enshrined all of the men/women who have died in the service of the nation...to include those convicted and executed as war criminals after WWII.
Controversy aside, the accompanying museum highlights the military history of Japan from feudal times through to the end of WWII. Each section has at least one or two signs in English which describe the major theme of the display, while artifacts are commented on in Japanese. Luckily, I know just enough about their history to know what Im looking at and what is being conveyed. Most of the displays are fairly balanced in terms of the Western view of the same time period, that is until you get to the 1930s. China is where things get a little, shall we say, glossy. For instance, when you read any western work on the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, you are sure to find at least a chapter describing the atrocities committed during the taking of Nanking, more commonly known as the "rape of Nanking". However, at Yasukuni, Nanking is not much more than a footnote. They took it after a brief struggle...nothing more. Again, the need to save face rears its head, and those events which would make one look bad should be skimmed over if not outright omitted. I would go on about this section, however that would constitute writing a book, so on to Pearl Harbor.
This section begins with a timeline (with each event in english) describing the diplomatic, economic, and world events that took place between January-December 1941. What this timeline makes clear is that Japan was trying its best to restore the rule of Asia back to Asians and that their expansion was simply an attempt to bring stability to the vacuum of authority left when a colonial power departed. The timeline says as much with regards to the invasion of French-Indo China (Vietnam). They were just spreading freedom....which sounds somewhat familiar, but I digress. Anyway, the US wasn't going to stand for this and began slapping embargoes on Japan, which threatened their capacity to continue the liberation of Asia. What was worse, it threatened the very economic life of the Empire. No matter how much they pleaded with that mad man FDR, he wasn't going to relent unless Japan did as he dictated. Thus Japan was left with no choice....with its economic survival threatened by the US, their commitment to ousting colonial rule in Asia, and the unwillingness of Britain and the US to see the situation from their point of view, what could Japan do? They would have to take the resources of the Dutch East Indies, but to do so would risk war with the US and Britain. While most Japanese agreed that their superior spirit would win the day, there were a few who knew that such a conflict would be an enormous gamble.
The solution to this conundrum? Strike first and strike hard. Crush the US Pacific Fleet at its base in Pearl Harbor and the US Army in the Philippines would be isolated. Once the Philippines were taken, there would be nothing to stop the Empire from steamrolling south into the Dutch East Indies, the Malaysian peninsula, Singapore and so on. The colonial powers of the Dutch and British would be ousted, freedom restored to those areas, a vast new pool of resources would be available to the Empire, and the crippled US would be unable to do anything about it. Once their gains were consolidated and a defensive parameter established, then Japan would be able to negotiate a peace with the US from a position of strength and the tables would be turned. Now FDR would have to listen because his economic bag of tricks would be empty and his Pacific fleet and army smashed. Of course, none of this need have happened had FDR not interfered with Japan in the first place. Had he listened to reason, there would be no attack on Pearl Harbor.
All this sounds like revisionist history, but this is how the Japanese thought at the time, and this is how it is portrayed by the nations premiere military history museum. Of course, our point of view is 180 out. We were trying to stop Japanese aggression and atrocities and sought to do so by non-military means. However, instead of choosing to solve things in a peaceful manner, Japan started a war by launching a "sneak attack" at Pearl. Most Americans would see the Yasukuni version of WWII as utter nonsense. Nothing more that the losing side trying to rationalize their actions, while "We" know the truth of the matter.....or do we? Ask someone from South Carolina about that war that occurred in the US between 1861-1865 and then ask someone from New York about it. I suspect that the only thing they will agree upon is the fact that a war took place on the North American Continent between 1861-1865. 150 years on, and we still cannot agree on the name of the battles that took place: was it Shiloh or Pittsburgh Landing? Sharpsburg or Antietam? Bull Run or Manassas? While we are at it, what about those 19th Century Indian Wars? Well, they needed to get out of the way of progress and stop attacking settlers along the frontier, but we will skim over that...casting such things as atrocities doesn't reflect too well on us.
So my day with Japan's war dead served to reinforce my believe that there are no definitives in history. One may find some facts, but the truth is elusive. Perhaps this point is best illustrated by Star War's Obi Wan Kenobi (oddly enough a character based on aspects of the Japanese Samurai). When confronted by Luke Skywalker with the revelation that Luke's father, Anakin Skywalker, and Darth Vader are one in the same, Kenobi explains how Anakin Skywalker turned to the dark side and became Darth Vader, thus killing the good man that he knew. His statement is most revealing and relevant to our treatment of history: "So what I have told you is true...from a certain point of view."
Friday, November 21, 2014
Friday, November 14, 2014
Saving face at Midway
The need to save face is a very interesting facet of the Japanese culture, and one that has led to a multitude of misunderstandings....and conflicts. It was the agenda of the militarists to invade China and stay the course even though the situation rapidly deteriorated. However, it was the need to save face that kept them there and would eventually result in the development of the plan to take the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies. To the casual observer, it seems incredible that Japan would rather enter into an suicidal war with the United States rather than enter into negotiations and also extract itself from the quagmire that China had become, but the need to save face dictated otherwise.
The same was true when Commander Mitsuo Fuchida presented his post-battle analysis of the Midway operation, which would eventually be incorporated into his book "Midway: The Battle that Doomed Japan". This work was used extensively by U.S. historians, movie makers, and documentarians over the next 40 years resulting in a very blurred and incorrect view of the events of June 4 1942. Read almost any book or watch any movie/documentary produced between 1950 to 2006 and you will find our dive bombers hurdling out of the sky to hit Japanese Carriers whose decks were filled with planes being fueled and armed and moments away from launching a strike upon U.S. Carriers. The resulting carnage saved the day and secured a incredible victory for the U.S. Navy.
Fuchida began his report with a simple phrase that roughly translates to "it happened this way", and the story above is what followed. However in recent years, historians reviewing the Japanese records have found that "what happened" was somewhat different. Yes, the strike forces was being rearmed and refueled, but they were all below deck in the hanger bays of the AKAGI, KAGA, and SORYU. Their flight decks were clear, save for a few Combat Air Patrol (CAP) fighters that were either preparing to launch or had just landed. This may look like a small oversight, however Fuchida made it seem as though an a massive strike force was on deck and moments away from being launched. The reality was that the carriers had been dodging attacks all morning long while simultaneously arming/rearming planes to first re-attack Midway and then strike the recently discovered U.S. Carriers. On top of all of that, they also had to keep the decks clear to recover the planes that had bombed Midway earlier that morning.
The bottom line is that at no point during the morning of 4 June did the Japanese aircrews have the opportunity to fully fuel and rearm the planes, get them to the flight deck, spot them, and warm up their engines. Therefore, there was no strike force ready on deck to attack the U.S. Carriers. This begs the question of why would Fuchida say that they were ready to strike, when in fact, they were never even close? The answer: To Save Face. Ask yourself which version makes a defeated Navy sound better? Unorganized, struggling to respond to a fluid battle situation and then getting caught in the open by American bombers resulting in the loss of 4 Carriers. Or a well honed naval strike force, surprised by the discovery of U.S. Carriers and valiantly fighting off attacks and being moments away from launching a victory assuring air assault when suddenly....the fickle Gods of war allow a small handful of American bombers to snatch it away at the last moment. My choice, as well as Fuchidas' was the latter.
The same was true when Commander Mitsuo Fuchida presented his post-battle analysis of the Midway operation, which would eventually be incorporated into his book "Midway: The Battle that Doomed Japan". This work was used extensively by U.S. historians, movie makers, and documentarians over the next 40 years resulting in a very blurred and incorrect view of the events of June 4 1942. Read almost any book or watch any movie/documentary produced between 1950 to 2006 and you will find our dive bombers hurdling out of the sky to hit Japanese Carriers whose decks were filled with planes being fueled and armed and moments away from launching a strike upon U.S. Carriers. The resulting carnage saved the day and secured a incredible victory for the U.S. Navy.
Fuchida began his report with a simple phrase that roughly translates to "it happened this way", and the story above is what followed. However in recent years, historians reviewing the Japanese records have found that "what happened" was somewhat different. Yes, the strike forces was being rearmed and refueled, but they were all below deck in the hanger bays of the AKAGI, KAGA, and SORYU. Their flight decks were clear, save for a few Combat Air Patrol (CAP) fighters that were either preparing to launch or had just landed. This may look like a small oversight, however Fuchida made it seem as though an a massive strike force was on deck and moments away from being launched. The reality was that the carriers had been dodging attacks all morning long while simultaneously arming/rearming planes to first re-attack Midway and then strike the recently discovered U.S. Carriers. On top of all of that, they also had to keep the decks clear to recover the planes that had bombed Midway earlier that morning.
The bottom line is that at no point during the morning of 4 June did the Japanese aircrews have the opportunity to fully fuel and rearm the planes, get them to the flight deck, spot them, and warm up their engines. Therefore, there was no strike force ready on deck to attack the U.S. Carriers. This begs the question of why would Fuchida say that they were ready to strike, when in fact, they were never even close? The answer: To Save Face. Ask yourself which version makes a defeated Navy sound better? Unorganized, struggling to respond to a fluid battle situation and then getting caught in the open by American bombers resulting in the loss of 4 Carriers. Or a well honed naval strike force, surprised by the discovery of U.S. Carriers and valiantly fighting off attacks and being moments away from launching a victory assuring air assault when suddenly....the fickle Gods of war allow a small handful of American bombers to snatch it away at the last moment. My choice, as well as Fuchidas' was the latter.
Saturday, November 8, 2014
11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month
Happy Veterans day to all those who have and currently wear the cloth of the nation. On a personal note, Im very grateful to my Uncle Arthur, my Uncle Alex, my Grandfather, my Cousin Alex, and my Great Uncle for their service. November 11 has a great deal of meaning to me for quite a number of reasons. It is, of course, Veterans Day, it is a day off work, it is the birthday of General George S. Patton, and of greatest importance in my home, it is the birthday of my wife, Rebecca. On another note, I don't think that it is coincidence that she shares her birthday with General Patton and I share my birthday with Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.
On this Veterans day weekend, I think it is important that we pause for a moment and reflect upon what this day really means. It's usually draped in flags and sales, news and movie specials, and ceremonies held to thank those who have worn the uniform. But lets take a look beyond all of that for a moment. When did this day start and why? Its meaning and evolution is an amazing story in of itself and sadly, its meaning is lost on the younger generations of today. Its origins begin with the end of a global nightmare. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice between Germany and the Allied powers went into effect. The guns of the western front fell silent for the first time in four long and bloody years. It is difficult now to truly imagine what this day was like for those men and women. WWI was nothing short of the most horrific and bloody conflict that the world had ever seen up to that point. Think about it in these terms: the war in Iraq and Afghanistan has forever scarred an entire generation of Americans, however they represent only 1% of our population as a whole. WWI nearly wiped out an entire generation of men women and children across all of Europe, and not just 1% either. England, France, Belgium, Germany, Russia, Austria all lost anywhere from 1% to 4% of their population. Think about that for a moment.....the Global War on Terror has IMPACTED, only the 1% of the population of the United States that has been engaged in it. WWI KILLED...Not Impacted....KILLED 1-4% of the population of Europe.
So in the beginning, 11 November was a day of joy which evolved into a day of reverence and remembrance of the estimated 65,000,000 people who died in "The War to End All Wars". Back then, it was simply known as "Armistice Day". Sadly, 11 November did not settle all of the differences between the combatants, and instead planted the seeds that would later explode into WWII. That conflict would kill another estimated 85,000,000 people world wide. It also introduced a new and more ominous threat to mankind unlike any of the instruments of destruction first used in WWI. The tools of that war were reserved for combatants, but the atomic bomb hung the sword of Damocles above all of our heads.
This fact was not lost on WWII Vet Raymond Weeks of Birmingham, Alabama. He knew that this new threat would mean that generations of Americans would need to continue to answer the call of duty to protect our nation. Furthermore, the United States already had a specific day set aside to honor all of its war dead. Thus, on 11 November 1945, Mr. Weeks organized the first commemoration dedicated to the recognition and celebration of all of our veterans. The idea would continue to grow and gain support until May 1954, when President Eisenhower would sign into law, an official declaration changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day.
This Veterans Day, 11 November 2014, carries with it a very special significance as it falls on the 100th anniversary of the beginning of WWI. That war, as noted above, was so terrible that people became convinced that when it was over, man would never take up arms again. That has not been the case, and one simply need turn on the TV news to find proof. We have been at war, or conflict, or whatever semantic term one chooses for 13 years now and each day brings new threats in different parts of the globe which threatens to expand the conflict further. I heard a preacher on TV the other day who said that these new conflicts were the work of the Devil and that mankind continues to suffer from war because we fell for the trick of the Satan convincing man to think that he (Satan) doesn't exist. I don't subscribe to this particular line of thought. Rather, I think Satan played a much greater trick when he looked at all the evil that he had wrought and then convinced himself that he wasn't responsible for all of this.....rather it was the work of a separate evil being named Satan. But regardless of what that preacher or I think, the only thing that stands between us and the evil that war would visit upon us is the VETERAN.....and I'm thankful for them.
On this Veterans day weekend, I think it is important that we pause for a moment and reflect upon what this day really means. It's usually draped in flags and sales, news and movie specials, and ceremonies held to thank those who have worn the uniform. But lets take a look beyond all of that for a moment. When did this day start and why? Its meaning and evolution is an amazing story in of itself and sadly, its meaning is lost on the younger generations of today. Its origins begin with the end of a global nightmare. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice between Germany and the Allied powers went into effect. The guns of the western front fell silent for the first time in four long and bloody years. It is difficult now to truly imagine what this day was like for those men and women. WWI was nothing short of the most horrific and bloody conflict that the world had ever seen up to that point. Think about it in these terms: the war in Iraq and Afghanistan has forever scarred an entire generation of Americans, however they represent only 1% of our population as a whole. WWI nearly wiped out an entire generation of men women and children across all of Europe, and not just 1% either. England, France, Belgium, Germany, Russia, Austria all lost anywhere from 1% to 4% of their population. Think about that for a moment.....the Global War on Terror has IMPACTED, only the 1% of the population of the United States that has been engaged in it. WWI KILLED...Not Impacted....KILLED 1-4% of the population of Europe.
So in the beginning, 11 November was a day of joy which evolved into a day of reverence and remembrance of the estimated 65,000,000 people who died in "The War to End All Wars". Back then, it was simply known as "Armistice Day". Sadly, 11 November did not settle all of the differences between the combatants, and instead planted the seeds that would later explode into WWII. That conflict would kill another estimated 85,000,000 people world wide. It also introduced a new and more ominous threat to mankind unlike any of the instruments of destruction first used in WWI. The tools of that war were reserved for combatants, but the atomic bomb hung the sword of Damocles above all of our heads.
This fact was not lost on WWII Vet Raymond Weeks of Birmingham, Alabama. He knew that this new threat would mean that generations of Americans would need to continue to answer the call of duty to protect our nation. Furthermore, the United States already had a specific day set aside to honor all of its war dead. Thus, on 11 November 1945, Mr. Weeks organized the first commemoration dedicated to the recognition and celebration of all of our veterans. The idea would continue to grow and gain support until May 1954, when President Eisenhower would sign into law, an official declaration changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day.
This Veterans Day, 11 November 2014, carries with it a very special significance as it falls on the 100th anniversary of the beginning of WWI. That war, as noted above, was so terrible that people became convinced that when it was over, man would never take up arms again. That has not been the case, and one simply need turn on the TV news to find proof. We have been at war, or conflict, or whatever semantic term one chooses for 13 years now and each day brings new threats in different parts of the globe which threatens to expand the conflict further. I heard a preacher on TV the other day who said that these new conflicts were the work of the Devil and that mankind continues to suffer from war because we fell for the trick of the Satan convincing man to think that he (Satan) doesn't exist. I don't subscribe to this particular line of thought. Rather, I think Satan played a much greater trick when he looked at all the evil that he had wrought and then convinced himself that he wasn't responsible for all of this.....rather it was the work of a separate evil being named Satan. But regardless of what that preacher or I think, the only thing that stands between us and the evil that war would visit upon us is the VETERAN.....and I'm thankful for them.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Standby for a word from the Admiral
Crew of His Imperial Japanese Majesties Ship AKAGI,
Welcome to my foray into the world of blogging. Those of you who follow me on Facebook know that Im often prone to go off on a tangent on a variety of historical, social, political, and naval matters, often peppered with a bit of off the wall stuff as well. Too often, my posts there are of such length that they are truncated, which can result in someone missing it. Of course, if what I have to say is really worth note, it should just reach out and grab you, but sometimes you must dig a little deeper to find the meat of the matter at hand.
Though FB has been a great outlet, I don't think that it really is a format for some of the things that I would like to have a dialogue about with you the reader. Too often it will devolve into a mudslinging match of likes, " I wish there was an unlike button", or arguments between commentators. My wife is of the opinion that what I have to say and the vast storehouse of useless information that I have stored in my head should be shared with others. She encouraged me to take up this new format and for that I am most grateful. Im even more grateful, and perplexed that she feels that what I have to say may be of some value to others. I thought that any troupe of chimpanzees with a bucket of crack cocaine could easily come up with the thoughts and opinions that I hold, but she says otherwise.....and being married for almost 18 years, I've learned that, more often than not, it is best to defer to her judgement.
So, I invite you onboard my favorite ship of the Japanese Imperial Navy, HIJMS AKAGI. Feel free to wonder the flight deck when not in operation. There will be free A6M Zero Fighter, B5N Kate Bomber, and D3A Val Dive Bomber rides. We will embark on occasional strikes upon a wide range of targets, and once the air wing is recovered there will be sushi and sake for all hands.
As commander of this Task Force, I will set my standing orders as need be and will convey my intentions from the bridge of this wonderful bejeweled Katana and flagship of the Combined Fleet. So sit back and enjoy....or don't.....either way.......Underway...shift colors.
Welcome to my foray into the world of blogging. Those of you who follow me on Facebook know that Im often prone to go off on a tangent on a variety of historical, social, political, and naval matters, often peppered with a bit of off the wall stuff as well. Too often, my posts there are of such length that they are truncated, which can result in someone missing it. Of course, if what I have to say is really worth note, it should just reach out and grab you, but sometimes you must dig a little deeper to find the meat of the matter at hand.
Though FB has been a great outlet, I don't think that it really is a format for some of the things that I would like to have a dialogue about with you the reader. Too often it will devolve into a mudslinging match of likes, " I wish there was an unlike button", or arguments between commentators. My wife is of the opinion that what I have to say and the vast storehouse of useless information that I have stored in my head should be shared with others. She encouraged me to take up this new format and for that I am most grateful. Im even more grateful, and perplexed that she feels that what I have to say may be of some value to others. I thought that any troupe of chimpanzees with a bucket of crack cocaine could easily come up with the thoughts and opinions that I hold, but she says otherwise.....and being married for almost 18 years, I've learned that, more often than not, it is best to defer to her judgement.
So, I invite you onboard my favorite ship of the Japanese Imperial Navy, HIJMS AKAGI. Feel free to wonder the flight deck when not in operation. There will be free A6M Zero Fighter, B5N Kate Bomber, and D3A Val Dive Bomber rides. We will embark on occasional strikes upon a wide range of targets, and once the air wing is recovered there will be sushi and sake for all hands.
As commander of this Task Force, I will set my standing orders as need be and will convey my intentions from the bridge of this wonderful bejeweled Katana and flagship of the Combined Fleet. So sit back and enjoy....or don't.....either way.......Underway...shift colors.
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