Veterans not angry but still distant

TINIAN—American World War II veterans said they are happy to be back on Tinian to celebrate the 60th commemoration of the Atomic Mission to Japan, but admitted they are not particularly looking forward to meeting their Japanese counterparts.

“I’m very thankful that I’m back here. I’m very grateful to be here but I have no plans to do that,” said 509th Composite group pilot W. Locke Easton when asked yesterday if he has plans to meet with Japanese veterans.

Easton was supposed to be the pilot of the third atomic mission to Japan, if the country didn’t surrender unconditionally following the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.

Both groups—U.S. and Japanese veterans—are being hosted by the Tinian local government at the same time for the commemoration of the 1945 atomic mission to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Although their official activities are held in different locations, the veterans are all billeted at Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino. Both groups are also holding exhibits there and get to see each other at the hotel’s lobby.

Don Swindle, 4th Marine Division, said he did not initially think that the commemoration would be simultaneously held with the Japanese.

“I don’t know. I still don’t have good feelings about it. I was not going to come [here], really but they talked me into it,” said Swindle, noting that he could still see images of U.S. ships sunk, Pearl Harbor, and people getting killed.

“To me, ah, it’s not just the right kind of feeling. And we did see it pretty rough. I’m sorry I do feel that way but that’s the way it is,” said Swindle.

He said, though, that Japan has “changed a lot” over the years, “getting a lot like the Americans.”

Swindle traveled to Tinian with fellow 4th Marine veteran Donald Milleson.

Their group invaded and took Tinian in July 1944 from the Japanese forces, leading to the development of the island into a major military facility that the U.S. military used to carry out its conventional bombing of Japan—and later where the Enola Gay and Bocks Car B-29 Superfortress bombers took off and carried out the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Aug, 6 and Aug, 9, 1945.

Meantime, two former Japanese Imperial Navy officers said yesterday that Tinian and Saipan are most memorable to them.

They said they have no ill feelings toward the Americans, but they would not really push for a deliberate meeting.

“One major reason is our language barrier. I don’t speak English well,” said Daizaburo Ooyama, who was captured by U.S. forces in 1944 and became a prisoner of war on Saipan.

“I was looking forward to this event. I wish this happened a long time ago,” he said, through an interpreter.

He said he was 15 years old when he escaped to Agingan and was captured by U.S. forces and brought back to Saipan.

He was a POW for over a year. He went back to Japan in 1947.

Masatoshi Saito, who belonged to the Imperial Army, also said that he has “no bitter feelings” toward the Americans.

Asked if he would be glad to meet with U.S. veterans, he said, “I don’t know. If there’s any opportunity… maybe.

Saito was also a POW on Saipan following the takeover of the island by the American forces.

The Tinian Mayor’s Office held yesterday a commemoration ceremony for U.S. veterans at North Field, while the 10th Tinian Municipal Council led the memorial ceremony for the Japanese veterans at Gandhi, Ikeda King Peace Gardens in San Jose village.

No representatives from the U.S. military attended the North Field ceremony, which was attributed to “disagreements” with the local organizers on how to carry out the commemoration ceremonies.

Event organizers have admitted that they received sharp criticisms over their plan to host the two groups simultaneously.

Organizing committee chairman Phillip M. Long disclosed earlier that Guam-based Commander Naval Forces Marianas “is not supporting the event,” which he said has disappointed “all the veterans here.”

Leo Smith, who helped assemble the atomic bombs in 1945, said yesterday that he has no problem with the lack of U.S. military presence.

“I don’t see that as a big issue. I have no problem with that,” said Smith.

Meantime, Long’s group had also expressed their disappointed at the absence of Gov. Juan N. Babauta at the morning ceremony.

Based on the program, the governor was scheduled to give his remarks at the North Field event.

Although aware of the governor’s absence since a few days ago, Long still called on the governor or his representative during the program.

Press secretary Peter A. Callaghan has said that the governor would attend the evening events here.

Callaghan also said that COMNAVMAR office relayed its regrets that the newly assigned admiral could not make it to Tinian.

Long said that 70 to 72 U.S. veterans are on island.

He earlier projected to host over 100 U.S. veterans.

Earlier, Enola Gay pilot Gen. Paul W. Tibbets and his crew canceled their plan to attend Tinian’s peace ceremonies.

The team, who flew to Saipan and Tinian in 2004 for the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Saipan and Tinian, was previously reported to have agreed to grace this year’s Tinian activities.

Both the Mayor’s Office and the Municipal Office said it was never their intention to stir up bad feelings among the veterans.

They reiterated that, “these people are here to share their experiences so that people can realize what happened.”

Two Hibakusha from Hiroshima—85-year-old Keijiro Matsushima and 75-year-old Fumiaki Kajiya—and one from Nagasaki-85-year-old Kiyoshi Nishida—are also on island to participate in the commemoration.

They have gone to Saipan and Rota to share their tragic experiences with the local residents.