“My youth was a war” “Momo no Sekku” is in heaven with my schoolmates at 19:44 on March 2

"Momo no Sekku" on March 3rd.

Every year, there are people who celebrate this day with a special feeling.

Kiku Nakayama, the storyteller of the Battle of Okinawa.

He passed away in January this year at the age of 94 due to cancer.

Kiku lost many schoolmates in the Battle of Okinawa, where more than 200,000 people died.

During the Peach Festival, I have offered hina dolls and sweets in front of the tower to commemorate the spirits of my classmates.

The sorrow of losing a friend, the indebtedness of surviving, prayers for peace... Kikusan's thoughts and footprints are traced.

(Okinawa Broadcasting Station Reporter Mutsumi Nishime)

Nursing wounded soldiers on the battlefield as a teenager

78 years ago, the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.

Teenage boys and girls from 21 schools, including old junior high schools and girls' high schools, were drafted into the battlefield in order to make up for the lack of military strength of the Japanese army in Okinawa, as the American army landed with an overwhelming force.

Kiku Nakayama (maiden name, Tsunami) was 16 years old at the time and was attending the second prefectural girls' high school.

Together with 55 other schoolmates, she was assigned to a Japanese military field hospital as part of the Shiraume Student Corps.

Your mission is to take care of wounded soldiers.

After receiving only 18 days of nursing education, Kiku and the others headed to the field.

A field hospital that was hell

Remains of the field hospital trench in Yaese town in the southern part of the main island of Okinawa where Kikusan was stationed.

It is said that about 500 wounded soldiers were interned in this trench.

When I visited for coverage in 2010, Mr. Kiku talked frankly about the devastation.

Kiku Nakayama:

“The smell of wounded soldiers’ excrement, the smell of soot from lamps. Only those who needed it were carried."

There were almost no medical supplies, and Kiku continued to nurse while the cries of the wounded soldiers echoed.

"Soldiers who underwent surgery without anesthesia, the moment the scalpel was put in, they really shouted, 'Stop, don't cut me!' Some people jumped out of the wooden bunk beds and ran around, and others got stiff and stiff because tetanus bacteria entered because they couldn't disinfect. It was full of patients I couldn't even look at."

22 schoolmates involved

Inside and outside the trench, Kiku watched the wounded soldiers' final moments.

As the war situation worsens, hospital functions are lost and the girls' student corps is ordered to disband.

Kiku-san and his friends fled southwards, but 22 of their classmates died when the American army attacked the trenches of the Japanese army where they were staying.

Precious moments with a late schoolmate

The White Plum Tower was built in Itoman City, the site of the last fierce battle of the Battle of Okinawa, to mourn the female students of the Second Girls' High School.

On March 3, 2017, Kiku visited the tower with her surviving schoolmates.

"I want to enjoy the Doll's Festival with you all. I have prepared a makeup set, lipstick, a red brush, and a set of sewing needles, so please use them in heaven," said Kiku.

A red cloth was spread out in front of the pagoda, makeup tools, sweets and fruits, and hina dolls were arranged, and incense was burned and hands folded.

Ms. Kiku Nakayama

: Deep down in my heart, I never want to lose my life in a war like you. They've survived and put on make-up, but they're stuck in their teens."

A school trip student also visited on this day.

They are students of Sakura no Seibo Gakuin Junior High School in Fukushima Prefecture.

On March 3, 2014, I happened to pass by the tower on a school trip and learned about Kiku's thoughts on this day.

Mr. Kiku expressed his gratitude to the students over and over, saying, "I think my classmates who died in their teens would be happy to see everyone of their age. Thank you, thank you."

“My youth was a war”

In 2001, Kiku established the "Meeting for Talking about Youth" with former female students to record not only the Shiraume student corps, but also the experiences of other female student corps for which there are few materials. I acted as a representative.

Together with members of the association, we toured the battlefields we had traced by bus, and also carried out fieldwork, such as landing on the ground, and shared our experiences of the Battle of Okinawa with each other.

Kiku Nakayama

“Our adolescence was a period of war. Before the war came, we studied, fell in love, and enjoyed school life. Just like everyone in their teens today. It wasn't that special people got caught up in the war.The war attacked the girls who were living normal, peaceful lives just like they are now.I can't help but ask the young people to take over this. If you don't pass the baton, the Battle of Okinawa will fade away.

Memories of the female student corps that may have been buried.

Ms. Kiku completed the records compiled at the "Meeting for Talking About Youth" as a joint record collection of more than 300 pages, "All Women's Student Corps of the Battle of Okinawa."

It was created over a period of 5 years in the hope that it would serve as a means to communicate when Kiku-san and others were unable to talk about their experiences.

Kiku Nakayama:

“When I read the collection of records, it reminds me of the fact that all the people in the prefecture worked together to build a military base for the sake of the country. More than 200,000 precious lives were lost, as well as all of our precious local natural and cultural heritage. I didn't know anything. That's why I had to convey the state of war."

Inheriting the thoughts of Kiku

In January this year, Kiku passed away at the age of 94 due to cancer.

I (reporter) met Kiku-san 18 years ago in 2005, and after 12 years, I found out that he has been going to Shiraume-no-to every year for the "Peach Festival".

In an interview, Kiku said:

“I got a job, got married, and had a child. I always wished that my friends would have been there. … Also, when the bereaved family said things like 'I'm glad it was good for you,' it made it even harder."

In those words, the sorrow of a friend who died before he could sing of his youth, the indebtedness of surviving, a prayer for peace that no one should ever be treated like a schoolmate again I felt that all the thoughts that I had pushed as a condensed.

Kiku-san, who has been thinking about her late schoolmates before she thinks about her own happiness at the turning points of the seasons and life.

I hope you are enjoying the "Peach Festival" with your classmates in heaven.

Kiku-san and others will continue to convey the thoughts of those who experienced the Battle of Okinawa.

I want to renew that thought every time the "Momo no Sekku" comes.

Okinawa Broadcasting Station Reporter

Mutsumi Nishime (from Naha City)

Joined in 1992

Continues to report on Okinawa, including the Battle of Okinawa and the military base issue