Honor Thy Father – Chapter 10

First and foremost, thank you to all who have read my past blog posts and my book, “Homey’s Adventures.” 

As promised, I am writing this book as a sequel to the happy ending of my first book. I recently started writing this book, and I have been inspired lately. I decided to share this with you. So, without delay here is Chapter 10 of my third book: 

Chapter 10 – Why Don’t They Give Up and Let Us Go Home? 

My dad’s 10^th mission was over Kobe Japan. Here are the newspaper articles from his journal: 

A sortie is one mission for one plane. At this point in the war, the allies had already flown thousands of sorties over Iwo Jima and Japan. Even to the casual observer, it was obvious that Japan had no chance of winning this war. Japan was being bombed into oblivion. 

Here is what my dad wrote about his 10^th mission: 

Knowing my dad was not a complainer, I would interpret his last comments like this: 

Picture two men fighting. One man in an US Army uniform and the other man in a Japanese Army uniform. The Japanese man is on the ground struggling to get up.  

The American is calling out to Japanese man: “You’re done, don’t get up!” 

The Japanese man struggles to his feet. He is woozy and wavering. 

The American: “Damn you! I said don’t get up. I don’t want to hit you again! I want to go home!” 

Even in the face of certain annihilation, the Japanese would continue to pick themselves up to get knocked down again and again. 

Japanese fighting men did not surrender, even in the face of insurmountable odds. Japanese men were indoctrinated from an early age to revere the emperor as a living deity, and to see war as an act that could purify the self, the nation, and ultimately the whole world. Within this framework, the supreme sacrifice of life itself was regarded as the purest of accomplishments. They were taught: 

 ‘Do not live in shame as a prisoner. Die, and leave no ignominious crime behind you.’ 

Japan’s samurai heritage and the samurai code of ethics known as ‘Bushido’ have a seductive appeal when searching for explanations for the wartime image of no surrender. The great classic of Bushido – ‘Hagakure’ written in the early 18th century – begins with the words, ‘Bushido is a way of dying’. Its basic thesis is that only a samurai prepared and willing to die at any moment can devote himself fully to his lord. 

In addition to this religious doctrine, all Japanese men and women were taught that the Americans would butcher and rape them after their surrender. In chapter 4, I mentioned the Suicide Cliff of Iwo Jima where thousands would take their own lives rather than surrender to the Americans. This demonstrated how powerful this indoctrination was. 

I know my dad was gregarious, generous and merciful. I have no doubt that vengeance for the cowardly attack on Pearl Harbor was not in his heart. He just wanted to help win the war for his country and go home to his beautiful wife and unborn child. 

End Of Chapter 10 

I recently started drafting my new book and I have a lot of research to do. I plan to share some of my work as time and resources allows. I am hoping by next Father’s Day, my new book will be completed and published.  

I encourage anyone who had a parent or grandparent who flew in the B29’s from Tinian Island in 1945 to contact me. Without these heroes protecting our freedoms, we would not be able to celebrate our country’s founding on Independence Day. 

Originally, I started this blog as an eclectic mix of what I was thinking during the week and book reviews. I will do some of that too. So, you do not want to miss what follows. Follow my blog to make sure you receive it. 

If you do not want to wait that long and you have not read my first book. I encourage you to go to my website, www.homeysadventures.com. You can read the first two chapters for free, and you can also buy it. Or you can buy it from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and many other fine retailers. Just search for it using the words: Homey’s Adventures by Jim Wish. 

If you liked this blog post, please click on the like button at the bottom of this page. If you Love my work, then please donate to my future writing: 

I liken myself to the Vienna Violinist described in chapter 5 of Homey’s Adventures Too. I play (write) for your enjoyment and mine. God bless you all.