Fuyo Corps, who adhered to the belief of "dissent against the special attack" Message to convey to now May 26, 19:39

"You can't stand bravely from the bottom of your heart with Kara Nembutsu, which has only one spiritual power. If you die the same, I would like you to take a probable means."

The end of the Pacific War.

At the strategy meeting where the policy of the special attack on all aircraft was shown, there was an officer who disputed from the last seat.

Major Tadashi Minobe, the captain of the aviation corps called "Fuyo Squadron".

He was 29 at the time.

What kind of unit was the Fuyo unit?

And what kind of person was Minobe who led the unit?

(Kagoshima Broadcasting Station reporter Nao Nishizaki)

A secret unit that was not known locally

The reason I started the interview was when I saw the news that the exhibition room of "Fuyo Squadron" was completed in the Iwakawa district of Soo City, Kagoshima Prefecture.

It is said that it was a unit that challenged the special attack at the end of the Pacific War when it was difficult to disobey the orders of the army.

I was surprised to know its existence for the first time, and immediately called the "Fuyokai", which is engaged in activities to tell the history of the Fuyo unit.

Takako Maeda (76), a member of the Fuyokai, warmly welcomed me, who was in my second year as a journalist at the time, like my grandson.

At the very beginning of the opening, he said, "I'm glad to know about Fuyo Corps. I want you to spread it more." He began to enthusiastically talk about the history of Fuyo Corps and its activities so far.

She was originally from Soo City, Maeda-san, but she says she didn't know about Fuyo Corps until she was 33 years old.

I learned about the existence of the Fuyo unit for the first time when a memorial monument engraved with "Fuyo no Tou" was built in the Iwakawa district, where I had worked as a junior high school teacher.

The place where the memorial was built was the runway.

Takako Maeda

"I've lived for 30 years and didn't know its existence at all. I hadn't heard a single word. Many people don't know it even though it's local. I wondered why. rice field"

There is a reason why it was not known locally.

The base of Fuyo Corps was originally Fujieda City, Shizuoka Prefecture.

Located in the Iwakawa area was a secret airfield created to secretly participate in the Battle of Okinawa.

The troops drain gasoline from the aircraft, hide it in the woods, and then camouflage it to keep cows and make them look like ranches.

Not only did they sortie in the darkness, but they also conducted training flights at dusk and at night.

At that time, the U.S. military had exposed military bases throughout Japan in aerial photographs, but the secret airfield in the Iwakawa area was not hit by air raids.

What is Fuyo Corps? -Notes left by the captain-

A valuable resource for Mr. Maeda, who began to investigate the Fuyo unit, was the memorandum left by Major Tadashi Minobe, the captain.

Minobe, 29 years old at the time, was leading about 1000 members.

At the end of February 1945, even if inexperienced pilots were sent to the special attack one after another for the executives who were lined up at the Navy meeting at the Kisarazu base where the special attack operation for the Battle of Okinawa was decided, there was no chance of winning, and the members were rigorously trained. He insists that it is more effective to make a night attack.

He wrote that he had disputed from the last seat.

"There is no young crew member who is afraid of death. You cannot stand bravely with the Kara Nembutsu, which has only one spiritual strength. If you die the same, please build a probable means. Tai "

(Minobe Tadashi" Taisho kid's Pacific War ")

Why was Minobe's claim accepted in the harsh conditions of the end of the war?

One of the reasons was that I had a lot of training.

Every day of day-night reversal, waking up at 6 pm and falling asleep at 10 am to adapt to night flights.

In addition, flight training, which was supposed to be conducted for 400 hours in one year before the start of the war, was required to be conducted in a short period of 6 months for newcomers and 3 months for those who switched from other models.

According to Minobe's memorandum, the training was three times as rigorous as the special attack unit.

Military executives inspect such rigorous training.

In addition, it was admitted that the information of the US military was obtained by reconnaissance, and an unusual change was made to exclude the unit from the formation of the special attack.

Training, results, and claims based on tactical rationality changed the fate of Fuyo's forces.

Mr. Maeda was impressed by reading his memorandum.

Seven years ago, he formed the "Fuyokai" with his local colleagues and started the investigation in earnest.

He recalls that he seemed to be driven by the "Minobe Spirit".

Takako Maeda

"At that time, the above orders were absolute. I think it took a lot of courage to oppose the special attack. It's wonderful as a person, a superior, and a leader. I wanted to convey the spirit of Minobe. . I'm already in my 70s, so I can't move around so forever. So I think it's now, and I think it's a game every day. "

Survey of bereaved families and experienced people who had a difficult time

Maeda began trying to contact former members and bereaved families.

50 people from all over Japan, including Hokkaido, Tokyo and Aichi, were contacted.

There were also the remains and relics, including parts of the bomber "comet" used by the troops and a letter to the family before taking off for the bombing.

There is also a passage in the letter that concerns the personality of a distant family, saying, "If you live, I will wait for you to hear from you later."

At the end of the war, I felt hope for the future, and I felt that the spirit of Minobe, who was trying to confront the difficult war situation positively, had permeated the members.

However, the investigation was not easy.

After the war, the special attack became so popular that it became difficult for some people to say that they belonged to the Fuyo unit that "did not make a special attack".

Mr. Maeda received a message from a bereaved family who did not know the existence of the unit, saying, "I am really sorry that my family did not know that it was a Fuyo unit."

Takako Maeda

"Even if you call the surviving bereaved family, you will get the answer,'I don't know such a person.' That's how I explain. ”I don't know the Fuyo unit at all when I'm in that generation.”

It was even more difficult to hear the story of the experiencer.

The Fuyo unit was originally based in Shizuoka prefecture, so there were no former members in Kagoshima prefecture.

Mr. Maeda hoped that the investigation would spread, so he created a DVD summarizing his efforts and sent it to the bereaved family who was contacted.

As a result of such steady activities, former members will participate in the memorial service held in Soo City last year for the first time in several years.

Tadashi Minobe, the commander spoken by a former member

Kazuo Shibuya (95) who was a telegraphist and Taku Yamamoto (93) who was a mechanic.

He stretched his spine to the point of being in his 90s, and his memory remained vivid.

Mr. Shibuya recalled that there was an event in which Minobe felt the trust in his subordinates.

Explaining that the battlefield is getting worse and fuel is running low.

This is an unusual behavior for a commander at the time.

And I also saw Minobe thinking about the safety of his subordinates.

Mr. Kazuo Shibuya

"Mr. Minobe will be very disappointed if even one crew member does not come back. Be sure to wear military uniform at the end of the runway and sit on a chair because you are in a fighting posture. , I'm waiting for all the planes to come back. That expression is sloppy ... I'm usually quiet, but when it comes to it, he was a person who made strong remarks. He was a commander with the same ability and a very humane person. "

On the other hand, Mr. Yamamoto, a 16-year-old mechanic, was so busy doing his duties at the time that he couldn't afford to think deeply about tactics.

After the war, I learned that Minobe had been challenging the special attack at a military meeting, but he said that this way of life of Minobe is also teaching lessons to the world today.

Mr. Taku Yamamoto

"In the era of special attacks, the commander carried out a normal attack at a secret base with his own will. There is probably only one such person in Japan. What I want to convey is that I believed. I think it's a good thing. "

New movements to pass on to future generations

Various contacts and opinions were received from Mr. Maeda, and the Fuyokai also took a new step.

The goal since the formation of the Fuyokai was the establishment of the "Peace Museum".

Through the activities so far, up to about 100 ghosts and materials have been accumulated.

Currently, it is stored together with local materials at the Soo City Buried Cultural Property Center, but I hope that by setting up a museum and making it publicly available, it will convey the history and be used for peace education for children. I am thinking.

In February, Mr. Maeda submitted a request to Mayor Tsuyoshi Goitsuka of Soo City with the members of Fuyokai.

There, "Fuyo's tactics have been carried out at night, and they have made every effort to do so. However, sadly, 105 young members have died in the Fuyo corps. Eliminate the absurd war from the world. For that reason, I would like to pass on the reality and misery of the war. "

Takako Maeda

"As the bereaved families and former members are aging, I feel a sense of crisis that I have to convey it to the generation who does not know the war. Through the Peace Museum, I learned about the Fuyo unit, the" Minobe Spirit ". I want the children to feel the lessons that Mr. Minobe tried to convey, without being overwhelmed by big opinions. "

Postscript of the interview

After the war, Minobe joined the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and eventually served as an air general.

In his manuscript, "The Pacific War of the Taisho kid," in 1999,

"Heisei kid, you guys are trying to repeat the Pacific War in a different sense!" ! ”

.

There is a word "read the air".

I had no choice but to omit myself, who had been swept away by the people around me, even though I felt uncomfortable with it.

Isn't this "air" sometimes at risk of moving the world in the wrong direction?

A warning bell left by Minobe who kept his will.

I feel once again that I have to take it seriously.

Kagoshima Broadcasting Station Reporter

Nao Nishizaki Reiwa

I want to think about the

message to convey to the present

by interviewing the war-experienced people of

the Satsumasendai branch office after working as a police officer in the

first year .