Last Letter of Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryūzō Nomura to His Parents
At 0600 on May 4, 1945, Flight Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryūzō Nomura took off
from Ibusuki Air Base as pilot in a two-man Type 94 Reconnaissance Seaplane
(Allied code name of Alf) carrying a 500-kg bomb. He was a member of the
Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Kotohira Suishin Squadron from Takuma Naval Air
Group in Kagawa Prefecture. He died in a special (suicide) attack off Okinawa at
the age of 18. After his death in a special attack, he received a promotion to
Ensign. He was from Aichi Prefecture and was a member of the 13th Kō
Class of the Navy's Yokaren (Preparatory Flight Training Program).
He wrote the following final letter with a death poem:
Dear Parents,
At this time when the country faces its greatest crisis, which is
unprecedented in history, I will go forward for the destruction of the enemy
around Okinawa.
I apologize for not having done anything for you since being born 18
years ago and for repeatedly not showing filial piety.
However, now I offer this young body as a shield for His Majesty. This
glory of being able to do this is because of you.
Death Poem
Yamato [1] spirit burning strongly inside
men
Bodies will fall as flowers of Imperial palace
Now I have been able to be decorated in an unsurpassed honor of being
able to die with my Special Attack Corps plane as a crewman. The divine land
of Japan certainly will win.
I pray that you will fight bravely until the day of victory.
Even if you say a word it will be good, so please say that I did well.
April 28, 1945
One hour before sortie [2]
Letter and poem translated by Bill Gordon
July 2018
The letter and poem come from Yasukuni Jinja (2001, 105-6). The biographical information on this page comes from
Osuo (2005, 239) and Yasukuni Jinja
(2001, 105).
Notes
1. Yamato is an ancient name for Japan.
2. His sortie was delayed until May 4, 1945.
Sources Cited
Osuo, Kazuhiko. 2005. Tokubetsu kōgekitai no kiroku (kaigun
hen) (Record of special attack corps (Navy)). Tōkyō: Kōjinsha.
Yasukuni Jinja, ed. 2001. Eirei
no koto no ha (7) (Words of the spirits of war heroes, Volume 7).
Tōkyō: Yasukuni Jinja Shamusho.
|
