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Pearl Harbor a mistake: Japanese vet
The Japan Times ^ | 12-6-05 | MIYA TANAKA

Posted on 12/06/2005 9:30:44 PM PST by HarmlessLovableFuzzball

IMPERIAL LEADERS 'IMMORAL' Pearl Harbor was mistake: attack vet, 89

By MIYA TANAKA

KOGA, Ibaraki Pref. (Kyodo) To Zenji Abe, 89, a former dive-bomber pilot, Pearl Harbor was a place where he headed to risk his life to defend his country. But more than 60 years later, it has turned into a place where he can nurture ties with American friends who had once been his foes.

News photo Zenji Abe poses in front of a bomber in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in late December 1941, after returning from the Pearl Harbor attack.

He can clearly recall the day when he joined the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in the early morning hours of Dec. 7, 1941. The spry white-haired veteran spoke about his experiences in an interview at his home in Koga, Ibaraki Prefecture, where he lives with his wife.

"I put a photo of my (former) wife holding my 6-month-year-old son in my uniform's inner pocket. . . . I didn't feel fear, or such excitement as 'I'm going to beat the Americans!' Instead, I thought it's just like (an) exercise," Abe, then a 25-year-old lieutenant and squadron leader, said.

Taking off from the Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier, Akagi was part of the second wave of planes. The raid crippled the U.S. Pacific Fleet by sinking or severely damaging eight battleships, including the Arizona -- a symbolic figure of the largest U.S. naval loss in history.

"I nosedived from an altitude of about 3,000 meters and practically a 60-degree angle. It was like plunging headfirst and I released a 250-kg bomb," Abe said, adding that he was "lucky" that he survived..

(Excerpt) Read more at japantimes.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Japan; News/Current Events; US: Hawaii
KEYWORDS: pearlharbor; wwii
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To: Lazamataz

Awww... I hate you too. =)


61 posted on 12/07/2005 5:12:12 PM PST by Termite_Commander (Warning: Cynical Right-winger Ahead)
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To: HarmlessLovableFuzzball
"Pearl Harbor a mistake: Japanese vet",

Ya Think!!??

In my opinion Hiroshima and Nagasaki were Pearl Harbor repaid with compound interest

62 posted on 12/07/2005 5:18:17 PM PST by muir_redwoods (Free Sirhan Sirhan, after all, the bastard who killed Mary Jo Kopechne is walking around free)
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To: Born to Conserve

Not taking out the repair facilities was a big mistake too.


63 posted on 12/07/2005 5:19:38 PM PST by calljack (Sometimes your worst nightmare is just a start.)
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To: HarmlessLovableFuzzball

9-11 Terrible mistake, last surviving Muslim says.


64 posted on 12/07/2005 5:21:06 PM PST by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: A.A. Cunningham

Hah, I wonder if the First Chance/Last Chance cafe is still
outside the main gate.

Bento boxs of fried rice.Mmmmmmmmm
Every third drink free.
Saki Sours.
I love you long time.


65 posted on 12/07/2005 5:25:54 PM PST by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: Buffalo Head

All the Japanese had to do was stop their barbarous attack on China ;Japan had no right to other nation's resources or lands.


66 posted on 12/07/2005 5:34:12 PM PST by hoosierham (Waddaya mean Freedom isn't free ?;will you take a creditcard?)
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To: clee1
"I fear we have awoken a sleeping giant, and filled him with a terrible resolve." - Yamamoto

Too damn bad that giant now lets Lefties tie his hands and one leg behind his back.

If we fought WWII the way we are fighting the WOT, everyone to the west of the rockies would be speaking Japanese and the rest would be speaking German.

67 posted on 12/07/2005 5:37:24 PM PST by freedumb2003 (Vote Democrat--it's Easier than Getting a Job.)
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To: freedumb2003

I felt betrayed when Chrysler was sold to Daimler.


68 posted on 12/07/2005 5:42:32 PM PST by hoosierham (Waddaya mean Freedom isn't free ?;will you take a creditcard?)
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To: GeronL; HarmlessLovableFuzzball
The Japanese war colleges trained on bombings and tactics that including surprise attacks on Pearl Harbor from the 30's... it was no 'accident'.

Billy Mitchell predicted in 1926 that the Japanese would attack Pearl Harbor by air.

69 posted on 12/07/2005 5:56:40 PM PST by tarheelswamprat
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To: tarheelswamprat
Billy Mitchell predicted in 1926 that the Japanese would attack Pearl Harbor by air

There is a theory (don't know how much truth there is to it) that Churchill got wind of Japan's planned assault on Pearl Harbor but didn't warn the US about it so he could get us involved in WWII

70 posted on 12/07/2005 9:12:05 PM PST by HarmlessLovableFuzzball
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To: hoosierham
"Japan had no right to other nation's resources or lands."

That is true, but we had no legal right to stop them. We declared economic war on Japan, they subsequently attacked us, and the rest is history.

I am not defending Japan, but there are too many naive folks that believe the Peal Harbor attack was unprovoked.

71 posted on 12/08/2005 11:20:09 AM PST by Buffalo Head (Illigitimi non carborundum)
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To: Buffalo Head

We didn't stop them. They were free to trade elsewhere. Attacking Pearl Harbor was not required.


72 posted on 12/08/2005 11:29:05 AM PST by AppyPappy (If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
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To: Oztrich Boy
If you are aiming to win within a year, which do you go after?

If you are aiming to win within a year you take out the most strategic asset. The carriers, then the subs. Hubris makes you target the Battleships first.
73 posted on 12/08/2005 11:38:53 AM PST by Daus
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To: Buffalo Head
"Their options were striking back or withering away."

You've got to kidding.
Your statement essentially says that their attack on Pearl Harbor was justified.

The Japanese were an aggressive, barbaric culture at the time. What they did in Nanking, Bataan and many other places is the way to measure their way of thinking at the time.
74 posted on 12/08/2005 11:46:21 AM PST by HereInTheHeartland (Never bring a knife to a gun fight, or a Democrat to do serious work...)
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To: HarmlessLovableFuzzball

I wonder how long it will take Muslims to understand that Sept 11th was a big mistake.

They took down 2 US buildings, we took over two Islamic countries.

If you think about attacking us again,you muslims got to ask yourself one question. Do I feel lucky?
Well, do ya, punks?

If there is a next time, I bet we will take Iran and Syria. Go ahead, make our day.


75 posted on 12/08/2005 11:55:36 AM PST by Rad_J
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To: Daus
If you are aiming to win within a year you take out the most strategic asset. The carriers, then the subs. Hubris makes you target the Battleships first.

In hindsight it can be seen the carriers weere more important.

But subs, they can be replaced in 6 months. In the open Pacific, they are only a threat against caro ships moving materials to Japan, shortages of which aren't going to bite within a year. Or military resupply to Japanese held islands, and that is only going to be significant if the US can mount an opposition.

If Japan can achieve naval dominance, then the US isn;t going to be able to movc.

The Japanese had been able to cheat around the treaties in cruisers and destroyers and had near eqality.

In Fleet Carriers the Japs had 6 ships with good aircraft, plus 5 smaller ships in service or completing. The US had 7 ships with crap aircraft, and none completing.

From the viewpoint of 1941 it might seem that the only advantage the US held to stop the Japanese was the battlefleet 17 in service with 4 completing, against the japanese 10 with 2 completing.

Again in hindsight the carriers were more important, but even here: by October 1942 there were only 3 operating carriers in the entire Pacific - They were all Japanese.

76 posted on 12/08/2005 12:53:30 PM PST by Oztrich Boy ( the Wedge Document ... offers a message of hope for Muslims - Mustafa Akyol)
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To: Buffalo Head

The U.S. had every right to embargo U.S. goods in protest of Japanese barbarism in China;and it was in the U.S. interest that anything that could be done to limit the attempts of any group that believed its members were destined to rule all others and claimed the right to instant obedience or summary execution of the soldiers and civilians taken captive by them.


77 posted on 12/08/2005 3:46:34 PM PST by hoosierham (Waddaya mean Freedom isn't free ?;will you take a creditcard?)
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To: HereInTheHeartland
"You've got to kidding." No, I am not. Just supplying their view to those who have not studied history.

"Your statement essentially says that their attack on Pearl Harbor was justified." In their eyes, it was completely justified, albeit risky. "

The Japanese were an aggressive, barbaric culture at the time. What they did in Nanking, Bataan and many other places is the way to measure their way of thinking at the time." Absolutely! That is why it is best to contemplate the potential consequences of starting a fight (or not starting a fight). Just don't pretend that we didn't start the fight between Japan and the USA.

78 posted on 12/08/2005 4:27:29 PM PST by Buffalo Head (Illigitimi non carborundum)
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To: hoosierham
"The U.S. had every right to embargo U.S. goods in protest of Japanese barbarism......"

As if there would be no consequences to a defacto declaration of economic war.

79 posted on 12/08/2005 4:33:02 PM PST by Buffalo Head (Illigitimi non carborundum)
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To: Buffalo Head
A conservative ought to believe in the principle that I may refuse to do business with anyone for my own reasons. Japan had the rest of the world to buy from on the same basis. Neither do the oil-producing nations have any obligation but their own self-interest to sell the oil to the U.S.

I find your use of the term "economic war" and your apparent justification of a sneak attack by a barbarous group disgusting.

Framing the situation on a more personal level,if one of your friends began beating and raping another of your friends would you stand idly ?If unable at the time to prevent the attack would you continue to do business as usual with the rapist?

For all his many faults FDR was correct in seeing that Imperial Nippon and Nazi Germany were America's enemies. It is regrettable that the American military was so complacent and relatively unprepared for any attack,in Hawaii or the Philipines.

80 posted on 12/08/2005 4:57:43 PM PST by hoosierham (Waddaya mean Freedom isn't free ?;will you take a creditcard?)
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