Last Letters of Corporal Teruo Usami to His Mother
On July 1, 1945, Corporal Teruo Usami took off from Miyakonojō East Airfield
as a member of the 180th Shinbu Special Attack Squadron and died in a special
(suicide) attack off Okinawa at the age of 18. He piloted an Army Hayate
Type 4 Fighter (Allied code name of Frank). After his death in a special attack,
he received a promotion to Second Lieutenant. He was from Fukushima Prefecture
and was a member of the 14th Class of the Army Youth Pilot (Rikugun Shōhi)
training program.
The following final letter to Usami's mother with a poem at the end mentions
his fellow 180th Shinbu Squadron member Corporal Sukeo Nitta:
To my kind and much-loved Mother,
I feel like day by day the heat has been increasing. The hills and fields
gradually have become a deeper green. Until coming to Yamaguchi, I had
neglected writing for a long time. I as usual have been in good health, and
how have you been? I together with Older Brother Sukeo are exceptionally
well as the day to go to battle draws close, and we have been exerting all of
our power in our last rigorous training.
From the radio and newspaper, I strongly feel that finally the time that
had to come has come. The order for us to go to battle was issued. Next, at
any time we must go when ordered "go" based on the Imperial command.
We are not thinking about that at all. Instead, I cannot stop wishing
that the coming of that day will be soon.
At this point I have no regrets, but I wanted to show more filial piety.
And now at this stage, this also cannot be done in any way. As I wrote also
before, I want to repay you with my battle results.
Talking with Nitta's mother was the same as talking with you in
Shimodate, except she was a person with a round face very similar to Nitta.
Fortunately, Nitta flew his plane and seemed to pay attention to every
single word that I explained to him. I wanted to let you see my plane too.
My plane's fuselage is the oldest, but it is in very good condition
perhaps because of maintenance. Since it is in such a condition whenever the
call is received, please rest assured. Nitta's plane also has a good
fuselage and engine. Together we will strive to do our best until the end.
The condition of the planes is good, and I have no regrets. I will charge in
together with a photograph of Father and you. Your senninbari
(thousand-stitch belt) and good-luck charm will keep me safely on the way
there.
Today I will end here. This is the last letter of my entire life.
The planned day of the sortie is the 13th, which is most hated by the
enemy. I expect hisshō hitchin (certain victory, sure sinking).
Take good care of yourself, and do not overwork yourself.
From Teruo
June 11, 1945, 19:13
Young cherry blossom at Mount Yoshino
Warrior blooms and falls
A young eagle with admirable spirit
This is way of Yamato warrior
Inside Sentai Inn, Muta-chō, Miyakonojō City, Miyazaki Prefecture
He wrote the following last letter to his mother. The letter's end has three
poems in tanka form (31-syllable poem with a syllable pattern of
5-7-5-7-7) at the end.
Dear Mother,
Finally, this is the end.
Since a young age I have caused only troubles for you, but a sense of
satisfaction runs through me to be a man who now has received such a sortie
order.
The time finally has come to serve as a fighter pilot. I certainly will
do my best to achieve honor for the family as I also have written before.
Kind Mother, the best in Japan, if I could tell fortunes today with
playing cards, yours would be the best. You will be able to spend your
happiest days in the future. Father also will have long days. It seems he
will be able to return home and live together with you. My fortune says that
I certainly will live to be more than 35 years old, but I will go as a
foundation of peace for the Empire thanks to the Emperor. I do not want to
carry out a sinking with the photographs of you and Father, so now I am
enclosing them here to return to you.
With the pleasant photograph of you who tenderly watched me each day in
my activities and flying, today when I think of my departure, I truly feel
lonely. Even with the photographs and departure, I will be strong to
defend Japan with an unflinching spirit. Seeming short, it was a long 19
years [1]. Forgetting all the good and bad, I only strive to find a ship and
surely sink it.
The announcement will probably be at the time of the Bon Festival [2].
This year's Bon Festival will be my first one. When I gaze at the mountains,
I am reminded of the scenery in Fukushima.
Best mother in Japan, please always be healthy. I am not writing anything
in particular to Father, since I am thinking that he cannot be contacted in
Mongolia. I will go in high spirits.
Farewell forever.
Even though my wings are broken and control stick smashed to pieces
I will not stop pursuing an enemy aircraft carrier
A cherry blossom falling in a splendid dive at Okinawa
Aircraft carrier with me to the other world
Blizzard of cherry blossoms leaving to fall in special attack
Not expecting to return alive from first battle
Letters translated by Bill Gordon
1st - May 2019, 2nd -
February 2018
The two letters come from Terai (1977, 120-3). The biographical information
in the first paragraph comes from Chiran Tokkō Irei Kenshō
Kai (2005, 151, 161) and Osuo (2005, 206).
Corporal Teruo Usami and Corporal Sukeo Nitta were the only two members of
the 180th Shinbu Special Attack Squadron to make a sortie and die in a special
attack on July 1, 1945. Corporal Sukeo Nitta wrote
a last letter to his parents and older sister that mentions Teruo Usami in
it.
Sukeo Nitta (left) and
Teruo Usami (right)
Notes
1. The traditional Japanese method of counting
age, as in much of East Asia, regards a child as age one at birth and adds an
additional year on each New Year's day thereafter. This may explain why the
letter indicates his age as 19 whereas the background information in Chiran Tokkō Irei Kenshō Kai (2005,
151) indicates his age as 18.
2. The Bon Festival is an annual Buddhist event
celebrated in mid-August to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. During the Bon
Festival, it is believed that the spirits return to visit their living
relatives.
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.
Terai, Shun'ichi, ed. 1977. Kōkū Kichi Miyakonojō Hayate
Tokkō Shinbutai (Miyakonojō Air Base Hayate Special Attack Shinbu Unit).
Tōkyō: Genshobō.
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