SHIZUOKA CITY, Japan -- Members from Yokota Air Base, Camp Zama and Shizuoka City came together, June 19, for a memorial ceremony at Mt. Shizuhata, Aoi Ward, Shizuoka city, Japan.
During World War II, while performing a raid of Shizuoka City two B-29 Superfortresses collided. Between the raid and the crash, 2,000 people in Shizuoka City and the 23 member crew from the aircraft were killed.
After the crash, Fukumatsu Itoh, a Japanese farmer and Shizuoka City local, searched the wreckage for any signs of life and found two survivors. Although it was against the law and punishable by death to help the U.S. forces, Itoh provided aid to them anyways. Unfortunately, they both succumbed to their injuries and they passed away. Itoh then ensured they received a proper burial.
Itoh also erected two monuments at the top of Mount Shizuhata; one to honor the Japanese who died during the war, and one for the B-29 crew members.
"I have always believed that the continuation of the peace has to start with paying respect to those who were hurt during the war," said Dr. Hiroya Sugano, the ceremony’s event coordinator. "I’d like to offer my sincere prayer for the victims of our two nations and I thank you all for being here today."
Col. Andrew Campbell, 374th Airlift Wing commander, who was previously stationed at Yokota, took part in the ceremony 20 years ago and was the guest speaker for this year’s event.
"Twenty years ago, during lunch after the ceremony, I sat at a table with a group of Japanese Imperial Navy pilots," Campbell said. "I asked these gentlemen, ‘Did you ever imagine that 50 years after the war, that you’d be having lunch with an American pilot?’ I’ll never forget the answer by the gentleman sitting next to me. He paused and said, ‘No, we never imagined we’d have our grandchildren."
Being back here 20 years later, not only with Itoh-san’s granddaughter, but with the grandchildren of Dr. Sugano makes me very happy, and also makes me proud of our relationship with Japan.”
Building on the relationship between the two countries, the ceremony featured aspects of paying respects to the departed with both Japanese and American traditions.
First, the Japanese and American attendees paired up to honor both the B-29 monument and the Shizuoka monument in the Japanese Buddhist tradition, burning incense and bowing to show respect.
Then, the attendees poured bourbon and sake on the respective American and Japanese monuments as a symbol of one last drink for the departed. For the B-29 monument, the bourbon was poured from a damaged canteen Itoh pulled from one of the B-29s that crashed.
"This ceremony is very significant, in that it has cultivated and enhanced the friendship between our two nations," said Col. Yasumasa Sugitani, Japan Self-Defense Force Shizuoka Provincial Cooperation Office director. "I’m convinced that this ceremony will continue to be the testament to the bond that our two nations share. I’d also like to offer my prayer to all those that were lost in to war, and pray for the happiness of the bereaved families as well as those in attendance today."
Itoh started the event in 1971 and every year since 1972, Yokota has participated in the event alongside their Japanese counterparts. The only exception being 2020, due to COVID-19.