![]() Every nightmare scenario was put across on the Japanese public, saying this is what’s going to happen if the Allies aren’t stopped now.”Ī plaque commemorating kamikaze pilots at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo reads: "The suicide operators, incomparable in their tragic bravery, struck terror in their foes and engulfed the entire country in tears of gratitude for their outstanding loyalty and selfless service." In his book “Blossoms in the Wind” Mordecai Sheftall wrote: “The primary motivation was they were thinking about their family because the newspapers were saying that if the Americans land, you’re all going to be slaves, the women are all going to be raped and the men will all be murdered. Thousands of Japanese youth volunteered for tokko missions by simply placing a circle around their names. ![]() Some chickened out and tried divert their planes or return home. Most were 22 or younger and many died in the closing weeks of the war. Many were forcibly conscripted.Ībout 6,000 Japanese, aged 17 to 30, participated in kamikaze suicide attacks. By the end of the campaign Japan had difficulty finding kamikaze pilots. At first, during the early missions in 1944, pilots vied among themselves for the opportunity to die for their country, but over time their enthusiasm waned. Kamikaze pilots were officially members of the "Special Attack Corps." The pilots wore a special ceremonial uniform, white scarfs and a headband that said "Kamikaze." Many kept a samurai sword and picture of the Emperor with them in the cockpit. Shinichi Ishimaru, a famous baseball player
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