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U.S. Fleet bomb
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Credit:
Okinawa Prefectural Government
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On October 10th, 1944, the U.S. Military made the first air raid on Naha
city. In only one day, 90% of Naha city was destroyed. During the air raid,
the first to run into the air-raid shelters were the Japanese Military,
and they drove out the Okinawan residents who crewed in later. The mainland's
people thought of Okinawa as occupied land, which was the idea the battle
of Okinawa's tragedy that took place the next year was based on..
After 10.10 air-raid, the head of the Okinawa Defense Military clearly stated,
"We are going to carry out on military operations, but Okinawan people
are obstacles. If they can't fight, remove to the mountain. But we can't
take care of them, so they'll have to support themselves."
Compulsory evacuation started, to places not yet cultivated, which meant
no food. They couldn't support themselves, and starved to death or died
of malaria.
The Japanese Military, who removed the useless Okinawan people, made policy
that "Every tree, every glass must be used as weapon" and took
the usable Okinawan people as military. Men of 17 up to 45 years old men
forced to be soldiers. And later on junior high students belonged to the
Japanese Military.
Following the policy, "soldiers and residents should die together",
the battle for Okinawa broke out. Okinawan people, it did not mean living
together but dying together, at to say more, was compulsory death.
This was the tragedy after the air-raid. |