TINIAN\u2014American World War II veterans said they are happy to be back on Tinian to celebrate the 60th commemoration of the Atomic Mission to Japan, but admitted they are not particularly looking forward to meeting their Japanese counterparts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very thankful that I\u2019m back here. I\u2019m very grateful to be here but I have no plans to do that,\u201d said 509th Composite group pilot W. Locke Easton when asked yesterday if he has plans to meet with Japanese veterans.<\/p>\n
Easton was supposed to be the pilot of the third atomic mission to Japan, if the country didn\u2019t surrender unconditionally following the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.<\/p>\n
Both groups\u2014U.S. and Japanese veterans\u2014are being hosted by the Tinian local government at the same time for the commemoration of the 1945 atomic mission to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.<\/p>\n
Although their official activities are held in different locations, the veterans are all billeted at Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino. Both groups are also holding exhibits there and get to see each other at the hotel\u2019s lobby.<\/p>\n
Don Swindle, 4th Marine Division, said he did not initially think that the commemoration would be simultaneously held with the Japanese.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know. I still don\u2019t have good feelings about it. I was not going to come [here], really but they talked me into it,\u201d said Swindle, noting that he could still see images of U.S. ships sunk, Pearl Harbor, and people getting killed.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo me, ah, it\u2019s not just the right kind of feeling. And we did see it pretty rough. I\u2019m sorry I do feel that way but that\u2019s the way it is,\u201d said Swindle.<\/p>\n
He said, though, that Japan has \u201cchanged a lot\u201d over the years, \u201cgetting a lot like the Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n
Swindle traveled to Tinian with fellow 4th Marine veteran Donald Milleson.<\/p>\n
Their group invaded and took Tinian in July 1944 from the Japanese forces, leading to the development of the island into a major military facility that the U.S. military used to carry out its conventional bombing of Japan\u2014and later where the Enola Gay and Bocks Car B-29 Superfortress bombers took off and carried out the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Aug, 6 and Aug, 9, 1945.<\/p>\n
Meantime, two former Japanese Imperial Navy officers said yesterday that Tinian and Saipan are most memorable to them.<\/p>\n
They said they have no ill feelings toward the Americans, but they would not really push for a deliberate meeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne major reason is our language barrier. I don\u2019t speak English well,\u201d said Daizaburo Ooyama, who was captured by U.S. forces in 1944 and became a prisoner of war on Saipan.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was looking forward to this event. I wish this happened a long time ago,\u201d he said, through an interpreter.<\/p>\n
He said he was 15 years old when he escaped to Agingan and was captured by U.S. forces and brought back to Saipan.<\/p>\n
He was a POW for over a year. He went back to Japan in 1947.<\/p>\n
Masatoshi Saito, who belonged to the Imperial Army, also said that he has \u201cno bitter feelings\u201d toward the Americans.<\/p>\n
Asked if he would be glad to meet with U.S. veterans, he said, \u201cI don\u2019t know. If there\u2019s any opportunity\u2026 maybe.<\/p>\n
Saito was also a POW on Saipan following the takeover of the island by the American forces.<\/p>\n
The Tinian Mayor\u2019s Office held yesterday a commemoration ceremony for U.S. veterans at North Field, while the 10th Tinian Municipal Council led the memorial ceremony for the Japanese veterans at Gandhi, Ikeda King Peace Gardens in San Jose village.<\/p>\n
No representatives from the U.S. military attended the North Field ceremony, which was attributed to \u201cdisagreements\u201d with the local organizers on how to carry out the commemoration ceremonies.<\/p>\n
Event organizers have admitted that they received sharp criticisms over their plan to host the two groups simultaneously.<\/p>\n
Organizing committee chairman Phillip M. Long disclosed earlier that Guam-based Commander Naval Forces Marianas \u201cis not supporting the event,\u201d which he said has disappointed \u201call the veterans here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo Smith, who helped assemble the atomic bombs in 1945, said yesterday that he has no problem with the lack of U.S. military presence.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t see that as a big issue. I have no problem with that,\u201d said Smith.<\/p>\n
Meantime, Long\u2019s group had also expressed their disappointed at the absence of Gov. Juan N. Babauta at the morning ceremony.<\/p>\n
Based on the program, the governor was scheduled to give his remarks at the North Field event.<\/p>\n
Although aware of the governor\u2019s absence since a few days ago, Long still called on the governor or his representative during the program.<\/p>\n
Press secretary Peter A. Callaghan has said that the governor would attend the evening events here.<\/p>\n
Callaghan also said that COMNAVMAR office relayed its regrets that the newly assigned admiral could not make it to Tinian.<\/p>\n
Long said that 70 to 72 U.S. veterans are on island.<\/p>\n
He earlier projected to host over 100 U.S. veterans.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Enola Gay pilot Gen. Paul W. Tibbets and his crew canceled their plan to attend Tinian\u2019s peace ceremonies.<\/p>\n
The team, who flew to Saipan and Tinian in 2004 for the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Saipan and Tinian, was previously reported to have agreed to grace this year\u2019s Tinian activities.<\/p>\n
Both the Mayor\u2019s Office and the Municipal Office said it was never their intention to stir up bad feelings among the veterans.<\/p>\n
They reiterated that, \u201cthese people are here to share their experiences so that people can realize what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two Hibakusha from Hiroshima\u201485-year-old Keijiro Matsushima and 75-year-old Fumiaki Kajiya\u2014and one from Nagasaki-85-year-old Kiyoshi Nishida\u2014are also on island to participate in the commemoration.<\/p>\n
They have gone to Saipan and Rota to share their tragic experiences with the local residents.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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