This will end badly

[Scherf]

Apparently a Japanese city (Minamikyuushuu) wants its collection of letters home from Kamikaze pilots to be given UN world heritage status:

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26256048

 

[Saxman]

I fail to see how this will end badly. This is something that SHOULD be remembered.

[Ack-Ack]

I agree, it should be included. 

ack-ack

[Dichotomy]

concur..

[craz07]

How despicable.. kamikaze pilots.. but what would you have done had you been in their shoes..  I say yes to the letters.. it is part of world war 2 heritage without a doubt..

[Gman]

It's part of history, there is no reason at all for them not to be included.  We talk about the 2 atomic weapons used in the war, the delivering aircraft, all kinds of stuff like that, so talking about a number of guys who decided to fly there planes into ships certainly shouldn't be excluded from any medium, UN or otherwise.  All aspects of warfare are terrible, but none should be off limits in any setting, even among the UN World Heritage center, at least IMO.

I would be interested myself to read their final thoughts, to see what compelled them to volunteer for such missions, or if drafted for them, how they felt about it, going to certain fate.  I was just reading a book by a very well known aviation author, Walter J Boyne, that had interesting information about the Kamikaze's - I had really had no idea about the effectiveness they had until I read this information.

[Ack-Ack]

It's part of history, there is no reason at all for them not to be included.  We talk about the 2 atomic weapons used in the war, the delivering aircraft, all kinds of stuff like that, so talking about a number of guys who decided to fly there planes into ships certainly shouldn't be excluded from any medium, UN or otherwise.  All aspects of warfare are terrible, but none should be off limits in any setting, even among the UN World Heritage center, at least IMO.

I would be interested myself to read their final thoughts, to see what compelled them to volunteer for such missions, or if drafted for them, how they felt about it, going to certain fate.  I was just reading a book by a very well known aviation author, Walter J Boyne, that had interesting information about the Kamikaze's - I had really had no idea about the effectiveness they had until I read this information.

I think by including the letters, it will dispel a lot of myths about kamikaze pilots, namely they were all fanatics that volunteered for that duty.

ack-ack

[GScholz]

There is also a level of hypocrisy surrounding the almost universal decrying of the Tokkō Tai units and their actions. Flying in combat for Japan at that late stage in the war meant almost certain death even in regular units, and some of the allies' most decorated war heroes sacrificed their lives in actions that meant certain death, like throwing themselves on hand grenades or charging enemy fortifications alone. Given Japan's war situation, their actions were understandable and pragmatic; thousands of Japanese lives were being lost on a daily basis, and a lot of them were not even in uniform. If a handful of dedicated pilots could sink or cripple an enemy carrier by sacrificing their own lives it could save thousands of Japanese lives later on.

[Oldman731]

There is also a level of hypocrisy surrounding the almost universal decrying of the Tokkō Tai units and their actions. Flying in combat for Japan at that late stage in the war meant almost certain death even in regular units, and some of the allies' most decorated war heroes sacrificed their lives in actions that meant certain death, like throwing themselves on hand grenades or charging enemy fortifications alone. Given Japan's war situation, their actions were understandable and pragmatic; thousands of Japanese lives were being lost on a daily basis, and a lot of them were not even in uniform. If a handful of dedicated pilots could sink or cripple an enemy carrier by sacrificing their own lives it could save thousands of Japanese lives later on.

Yup.  Sakai's book opened my eyes to this.  If you're assigned to attack a 1945 American carrier task force, you know that means you're going to die.  Might as well make the most of it.

- oldman

[Delirium]

I don't see any problem with the letters...

It is through the words on those letters that we can understand their mindset and possibly continue to explain the decisions of our species.

[Scherf]

I was thinking more along the lines of "The timing couldn't be worse, given the already craptacular state of relations between Japan and its neighbours."

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/editorial/2014/02/08/78/1600000000AEN20140208000600315F.html

http://www.china.org.cn/china/2014-02/14/content_31469007.htm

[Motherland]

I was thinking more along the lines of "The timing couldn't be worse, given the already craptacular state of relations between Japan and its neighbours."

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/editorial/2014/02/08/78/1600000000AEN20140208000600315F.html

http://www.china.org.cn/china/2014-02/14/content_31469007.htm

I don't think Japan has been friendly with any of its neighbors at any point within the past 500 years or so. Especially the past seventy.
That is to say, now's as good a time as any.

[zack1234]

There is also a level of hypocrisy surrounding the almost universal decrying of the Tokkō Tai units and their actions. Flying in combat for Japan at that late stage in the war meant almost certain death even in regular units, and some of the allies' most decorated war heroes sacrificed their lives in actions that meant certain death, like throwing themselves on hand grenades or charging enemy fortifications alone. Given Japan's war situation, their actions were understandable and pragmatic; thousands of Japanese lives were being lost on a daily basis, and a lot of them were not even in uniform. If a handful of dedicated pilots could sink or cripple an enemy carrier by sacrificing their own lives it could save thousands of Japanese lives later on.

Gibberish!

The Japanese culture went the same way as the German, down the toilet

Manchuria, Nanking and death camps.

Nagasaki and Hiroshima were the final outcome of Japanese aggression against it neibours

The Japanese were fanatics like the Germans, I would include the Italians but they too bone idle to be very good at being fanatical

[ReVo]

Gibberish!

The Japanese culture went the same way as the German, down the toilet

Manchuria, Nanking and death camps.

Nagasaki and Hiroshima were the final outcome of Japanese aggression against it neibours

The Japanese were fanatics like the Germans, I would include the Italians but they too bone idle to be very good at being fanatical

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_war_crimes

Never forget that no nation has squeaky clean hands.

[LCADolby]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_war_crimes

Never forget that no nation has squeaky clean hands.

The neutrality of this article is disputed.