NAHA - Eighty years have passed since the Battle of Okinawa, where second-generation Okinawan-Americans, serving as military interpreters, are widely remembered for urging civilians to surrender in their native language, saving countless lives. These interpreters, selected by the U.S. military for their critical role in hastening the end of the war, faced the painful reality of a conflict between their motherland and homeland.
Footage filmed 42 years ago shows second-generation Hawaiian-American Taro, who served as an interpreter for the U.S. military during the Battle of Okinawa, persuading residents to surrender and saving many lives. "I had a firm belief that I would never point a gun at them," he recalled. "I took off my helmet before entering caves and only carried a flashlight to light up my face and feet, so they could recognize me and know I was not a threat."
Following the Pearl Harbor attack in December 1941, over 120,000 Japanese-Americans were forcibly interned by presidential order. Among them, Jiro Nichiku joined the military out of necessity to escape internment and was dispatched to Okinawa, where he had spent his childhood from ages 2 to 16. "Standing on Okinawan soil brought me to tears, realizing it was where I grew up," he said.
In the darkness of the caves where frightened civilians hid, Taro called for their surrender in the Okinawan dialect to reassure them. "I spoke their language to put them at ease," he explained.
In November 1941, the U.S. Army established the Fourth Army Intelligence School to train Japanese-speaking interpreters, later deploying them across occupied territories to gain an edge in intelligence warfare. Among them, Thomas, a second-generation Okinawan from Hawaii, proposed the formation of a special unit composed of Okinawan-Americans to the commander in March 1944.
"Okinawa has distinct dialects and customs. A unit familiar with the island's geography, culture, and way of life would be highly effective in distinguishing civilians from Japanese soldiers during operations," Thomas suggested. His proposal was swiftly accepted, and ten second-generation soldiers, including Thomas, were dispatched to Okinawa as a special team.
Interrogator Ike, part of the team, reported that Japanese soldiers captured during the battle had no guidelines for behavior upon surrender and often cooperated after capture. Soldiers from mainland Japan disguised among civilians were quickly identified and sent to detention through simple questioning in the Okinawan dialect. "Their disguises fell apart immediately when we questioned them in Okinawan," Ike said. "Once exposed, they became more cooperative."
At least 322 interpreters and linguists were deployed during the Battle of Okinawa—the largest number in any Pacific Theater engagement.
Meanwhile, Japan's 32nd Army issued a warning on April 9th, soon after the U.S. landing, stating that anyone speaking of surrender would be treated as a spy. Amid battlefields where soldiers and civilians mixed, suspicion ran rampant, and incidents of civilians being killed under the pretext of espionage occurred one after another.
Ei Shin'ei, who served with Thomas and others, recounted encountering a tragedy while tracking Japanese naval forces. "One day, we saw a civilian house engulfed in flames. After the fire subsided, charred bodies lay inside," he said. The culprits were a naval communication unit led by a senior officer.
A chilling moment after the surrender ceremony left a lasting impression on Ei. "One of the naval soldiers approached me and whispered in my ear: 'I almost cut off your head,'" he recalled. "He must have thought I was a traitor."
The war deeply divided families with ties to both Japan and the United States. Ei's younger brother crossed from Hawaii to Okinawa before the war to live with their grandparents and fought as a member of the Blood and Iron Corps. Brothers ended up fighting on opposite sides of the battlefield.
"War creates such tragedies," Ei said. "We must do everything we can to prevent wars from happening."
He added, "If people around the world don't strive for peace, there is no future."
Thomas, who proposed the creation of the Okinawan-American unit, later wrote of the inner turmoil he felt during the war. "Fighting alongside the U.S. military in Okinawa was a painful experience," he wrote. "Seeing civilians hiding and fleeing in caves, I couldn't help but imagine what could have happened to me and my family if we hadn't emigrated to Hawaii."
Eighty years after the war, it remains crucial not to forget the tragic messages left behind by those who suffered between two homelands. Passing down the memory of what happened on the battlefield is a mission entrusted to those living today to ensure such tragedies are never repeated.
Source: 沖縄ニュースOTV
