50th Okinawa Peace Memorial held in Saipan
Attendees mourning the war dead who lost their lives at the former South Pacific Mandate, taken on August 27 in Saipan.
August 28, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo
Fumiaki Jahana
It has been 75 years since residents of the former South Pacific Mandate were involved in a land battle during the Pacific War in 1944.
On August 27 at the Okinawa Peace Tower in Saipan, the “50th Okinawa Peace Memorial” was held.
The memorial reposes the souls of those originally from Okinawa lost in the battle.
About 250 people, who were returnees and their families, along with local participants, attended the memorial.
There were performances dedicated to the war dead and martial arts demonstrations.
Attendees vowed not to repeat the same tragedy ever again by mourning for the more than 12,000 people originally from Okinawa who suffered during the war at the former South Pacific Mandate.
Surviving family members of the war dead offered fruits, awamori, and chinsuko by placing them in front of the tower.
Many also offered plastic bottles with water in them for the victims who suffered from starvation and thirst.
The Micronesia Repatriation Association President Kensei Kamiunten said, “There’s no such thing as a holy war.
It only leads to many residents becoming victims. I want the world to become a place that won’t ever go to war again.
Though my feelings about that continue to grow stronger, my age is getting the better of me.
This will be my last attendance. I’m sorry. Please continue to protect peace by making sure it doesn’t fall into disorder.”
Governor Denny Tamaki became the second Okinawa governor to attend the memorial.
The first Okinawa governor to attend the memorial was Jyunji Nishime in 1981.
He greeted everyone and said, “Precious lives of blood relatives and friends, along with many valuable things that had been built were lost.
When I think of the souls of the war dead, I’m unable to suppress my sorrow. We learned the foolishness of war, along with the importance of peace. I would want to pass on this lesson to the next generation.”
(English translation by T&CT and Chelsea Ashimine)
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