A lesson in history, Hacksaw Ridge and the Naval Underground

I had a very powerful experience just before last Christmas, when I spent a few days in Guilin, China. Our school was shut down for a few days on 'red alert' for smog, and I was all too eager to get out of town.  I unexpectedly lost my mother just a few months before, and my third Christmas far from home was looming.  I desperately needed a change in scenery, as the grip of grief and depression was taking it's toll on me. In Guilin, as I have had in all of my travels, I had some incredibly powerful experiences.  If you would like a glimpse of what I am trying to express, you may follow this link (as I just did a few moments ago), to relive that day. Click here: Please God, just one more.

After a rainy day in Guilin, which seemed to fit my mood, I decided to treat myself to the movies. It is pretty rare to see American movies in China, as only about 40 of them are 'allowed in' under the Chinese government's approval. One of the films I saw that evening was Hacksaw Ridge.  I describe my experience in watching the film, and how it impacted me afterward in the link above.  All of this brings me to the present.

When Ellen announced that she would be moving to Okinawa, the ONLY thing I really wanted to see or do (beyond wrapping my arms around my baby girl once more) was to go visit the real Hacksaw Ridge, which is at the northern end of Naha, on Okinawa Island.  I was so moved that Herb and Ellie waited until my visit to go see it for themselves, because experiencing Hacksaw Ridge with my fighter pilot son-in-law added a whole other dimension, in ways I really have no words to describe.

Herb drove that day in his car, which I had never been in.  As
much as I enjoyed taking in the scenery of Okinawa Island
from the back seat, I marveled at all of the patches he has
earned in his relatively short career with the USAF- from
the Academy, to UPT school, to the present.  I find it quite
impressive, but being the unassuming man he is, he chooses
to simply stick them to the interior roof of his car. 

What I did not know, and was surprised to learn, is that
Hacksaw Ridge is on the site of Urasoe Castle. Urasoe Castle
was built in the late 13th century and was in operation until
1609 when it was demolished in the invasion of Ryukyu.
Parts of it was relocated to Shurijo Castle which I saw yesterday.

It sits 140 meters above sea level, with the
modern city of Urasoe down below.  Though
Hacksaw Ridge was actually filmed in
Australia, you can still imagine what it must
have been like when every living thing on
the island was mostly decimated by the war.

Now the landscape is lush green once again, with a whole new world down below.

Though it is difficult to ascertain from this
photo, the ridge is very steep, and is now
covered in trees, vines, and foliage.

It was sobering walking the grounds.

This is one of many ramparts which connected to a tunnel system
from one side of the ridge to the other, beneath the former castle.
In Japanese, it is known as a kurashin-ujo, a dark man made
passageway that took one to the 'other side'.

As we explored the grounds,

...we frequently came upon these signs.  Believe
me, I watched where I placed my feet the entire time...

...particularly when we came upon a 'cave'.

Though there was a screen at the entrance,
Herb and I found another way in. It wasn't
a cave after all, but a tunnel that, in fact,
lead to the other side.  It was great exploring
the tunnel until an independent guide was
standing at the opening with his clients,
and he could hear us down below.  In very
stern 'Japlish', we got the message to
quickly get out. We knew we were breaking
the rules, but sometimes that is just how I roll.

Such a bucket list thing for me to be at the site of living history. I was awestruck.

 

As we made our descent from the ridge,
we came across several memorials,

...another concealed tunnel entrance, 

and a cemetery full of mausoleums. Very sobering.

It was kind of good to see a kitty to lighten the mood.

From Hacksaw Ridge, we drove to the Former
Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters.
This was a place I knew nothing about, and
I was very taken aback to learn of Rear Admiral
Minoru Ota, and how he and his men desperately
fought to the end before taking his own life,
along with thousands of others, on June 13, 1945.
How had I never heard of this???

As you begin the descent in to the tunnels, the
entrance is covered in ribbons of paper cranes
made by the locals. Each crane represents grief,
and a prayer said for permanent world peace
for those individuals that lost their lives in the war.

The 450 meters of tunnels were dug with
pick axes and shovels, and hardened by posts
and concrete. It remains much the same today
where we were able to view sleeping quarters,
the generator rooms, signal room, staff rooms,
and the Commanding Officer's room.

And so goes the tragic story of the Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters...

The US 6th Marines landed on Okinawa on June 4, 1945, which started the whole battle.  In a matter of days, the battle of Okinawa resulted in the following:

Total deaths were 200,656 people, which included 65,908 Japanese soldiers and civilian employees, 56,861 Okinawan civilians fighting in battles, 37,139 non-fighting Okinawan civilians, and 12,520 Americans, among others.

2,716,691 shells were fired by the Americans. Given the island's total population, that was 4.72 shells fired per person.

2,116,691 shells were fired by the US 10th Army Division alone.

It's hard to imagine that kind of fire power and bullets literally raining down on a tiny island. Okinawa is about seventy miles long and seven miles wide.

The story continues that just seven days later, on June 11th, the Japanese were completely out manned and out gunned.  The hand-writing was on the wall.  

No, I seriously mean the handwriting was on the wall.
This is the Commanding Officer's room in the Navy
 underground. The handwriting on the wall belongs
to Admiral Ota, who composed a lengthy telegram to
the vice minister of the Navy.  Knowing his message
could not be personally delivered, he composed his
thoughts on the wall, about the war, the people of 
Okinawa, and what was sure to be an eventual defeat.

This is his translated farewell telegram, which also told
 the people to sacrifice themselves for the battle. 

On the night of June 13, 1945, the Americans conducted a severe attack, and the end was imminent. Admiral Ota and his six commanding officers all shot themselves, committing seppuku, an 'honorable suicide'.

And rather than being overtaken by the Americans,
a powerful grenade was released in the tunnel
which killed and entombed more than 2000 sailors.
The corridor walls were riddled with these holes.
The underground was unsealed in 1950, and the
mass loss of life was discovered. The remains of
those who died were collected, and a part of the 300
meters was restored and opened to the public in 1970.

Wow.

As I ascended from the underground, and exited into the Okinawan sunshine, I was almost dizzy. My brain had a hard time absorbing this piece of history, and I think I was holding my breath much of the time as I was down there.  I turned to Ellen and told her, that in the four times I have visited the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, each time I always wondered what that experience was like for the Japanese tourists who were there snapping photos each time I was there.  I remember being 17 years old, on a high school band trip, the first time I saw Pearl Harbor.  In my youth, I remember feeling disgusted and angered by the Japanese tourists who were smiling and taking photos on the Arizona Memorial. 

I was not smiling in the underground, but I obviously took photos.

I felt dirty. 

I felt sad.

I can fully appreciate and understand the controversy about the weekly peaceful protests that occur outside the eight military bases on Okinawa to this day.  When I arrived to Okinawa over a week ago, and I observed the protesters for the first time outside a gate at Kadena, it was unsettling.

This whole day was unsettling...

but it was an important kind of unsettling.

I am thankful I got to experience it.

G'nite y'all