Last Letter of Second Lieutenant Daiki Gomi
On April 28, 1945, Second Lieutenant Daiki Gomi took off from Miyako Airfield [1] in
Okinawa Prefecture and died in a special (suicide) attack
at the age of 24 at Kerama Bay, located west of the main island of Okinawa. He was a member of the Makoto 116th Hikōtai
(Flying Squadron) and piloted an Army Type 97 Fighter (Allied code name of Nate). After his death in a special attack, he received a promotion to Captain. He
was from
Yamanashi Prefecture and was a member of the 8th Class of the Army's Officer
Cadet (Kanbu Kōhosei) training program.
He wrote the following final letter:
Dear Parents and everyone else,
Preliminaries omitted.
I am spending every day without peace under domination by enemy Grumman
fighters. It already has been more than ten days since we left Taiwan, and I
am waiting quietly for the day that the order comes.
The American student mobilization was one and a half years earlier than
Japan's, and several tens of thousands of troops have been mobilized. They
are fighting bravely for America, the country they love, against the
Japanese military.
Japan's student soldiers are superb sons of Japan who have intelligence,
understanding, and bravery.
Please forgive me for unhappiness caused by my preceding you in death.
With regards to the enclosed photo, I requested it to be handled by
someone who will fly through the enemies overhead to go from here to Kyūshū.
I disposed of my remaining things by handing them over to other persons
here in Taiwan. Below is the address of the man who I made the request about
the photo.
Sergeant Major Yamazaki
Washi [2] Butai 9150, Yamazaki Unit
Bansei Town, Kawabe-gun, Kagoshima Prefecture
I pray silently from Miyako Island for glory of our homeland Japan and
for increasing health and prosperity for everyone.
April 9, 1945
Taiki Gomi
He also hurriedly wrote the following note just before his sortie and left it
with a comrade:
I believe in the glory of my homeland and in those persons who follow
after me in its indestructible history. As the long-cherished desire of a
son of Japan, I expect a sure hit and instant sinking with my death.
Letter translated by Bill Gordon
April 2025
The letter comes from Tagata (1996, 179-181). The biographical information on this page comes from Chiran Tokkō Irei Kenshō
Kai (2005, 184) and Osuo (2005, 212).
Notes
1. Miyako Airfield is located on Miyakojima (also
called Miyako Island), a Japanese island about halfway between Taiwan and
Okinawa.
2. Washi means "eagles" in Japanese.
Sources Cited
Chiran Tokkō Irei Kenshō Kai (Chiran Special Attack
Memorial Society), ed. 2005. Konpaku no kiroku: Kyū rikugun tokubetsu
kōgekitai chiran kichi (Record of departed spirits: Former Army Special
Attack Corps Chiran Base). Revised edition, originally published in 2004. Chiran Town, Kagoshima
Prefecture: Chiran Tokkō Irei Kenshō Kai.
Osuo, Kazuhiko. 2005. Tokubetsu kōgekitai no kiroku (rikugun hen)
(Record of special attack corps (Army)). Tōkyō: Kōjinsha.
Tagata, Takeo. 1996. Nihon e no isho (Final letters
to Japan). Tōkyō: Nisshin Hōdō.
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