Educators swear at memorial service never to send their students to war

Educators swear at memorial service never to send their students to war

On June 7, at the Okinawa Prefecture Education Center at Kumoji, Naha, many participants paid floral tribute and offered silent prayer to the war victims.


June 8, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo

On June 7, the 61st memorial service for 7609 pupils, students, teachers and school staff members who were killed in the Battle of Okinawa, was held at the Okinawa Prefecture Education Center at Kumoji, Naha. Fifty-four people, including educators and bereaved family members took part in the ceremony and offered silent prayer to the war victims. They renewed their pledges of no-war. Ordinary citizens and participants from 14 education-related groups paid floral tribute and joined their hands in prayer. When popular songs “Satokibi Batake (In a Large Field of Sugarcane)” and “Gettou (Shell ginger)” were played to mourn the dead, some bereaved family members were crying and clutching their handkerchiefs.

Takashi Yamamoto, the president of the Okinawa Prefecture Education Center, said in his memorial speech, “We have had this memorial service to mourn the death of educators and students whose futures were cut off by the war halfway through their studies. We also regard the memorial service as an important event to swear that we would never send our students to a battle field again.” He stressed, “We have to learn the lessons of history from the Battle of Okinawa in which many residents were victimized.”

(English translation by T&CT)

Go to Japanese


　


Previous Article:
Next Article:

[Similar Articles]