Memorial Day

　　December 8th came around. This is the day when Japan launched what you call a surprise attack against the U.S. Navy in Pearl Harbor in 1941. It's actually, however, the day when Japan was trapped to be forced to start the war by the U.S. If you want to know about the details, I recommend you read "Freedom Betrayed": Herbert Hoover's Secret History of the Second World War and Its Aftermath. Anyway, the war between Japan and the U.S. had already started in Mainland China at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The then U.S. President, FDR, had sent up-to-date fighter planes and excellent American pilots to assist the Chinese People's Party though it was obviously a breach of international laws. The troops which he had sent were called the "Flying Tigers".
　　Leaving the evil of FDR aside, the air attack is prominent in Pearl Harbor, but there were several young soldiers who performed suicide attacks in the ocean against vessels trying to get away from the harbor. They were praised after death and their monument was built at their training site, Mitsukue in Ehime, which is an hour away from my office. Today, their memorial service was held in front of their monument. I attended it in the freezing wind. The meeting was really solemn.

１２月８日　慰霊の日

今年も１２月８日がやって来た。これは日本が真珠湾へ奇襲攻撃を掛けたとされる日である。実際はルーズベルトの仕掛けた罠にはまってしまった日である。日本とアメリカの間の戦争は既に始まっていた。アメリカは自国の飛行機とパイロットをシナへ送り、日本と戦争をしていたのである。その部隊の名前はフライングタイガーと呼ばれる。

その話は置く。話を真珠湾攻撃へ戻す。真珠湾攻撃の際に航空攻撃ばかりが目立つが実は、真珠湾から逃げ出してきた艦船を攻撃するために湾口で待っていた部隊がある。彼らは自らの命と引き替えに攻撃を仕掛け、そして散った。彼らはその後軍神として祀られた。彼らが攻撃の練習をした場所で今日、彼らの慰霊祭があり出席した。寒風吹きすさぶ中、神職の祝詞（のりと）が唱えられ、出席者が玉串を供えた。