INTRODUCTION
This memorial marks the exact spot where Japanese Kamikaze pilots took off on their first mission in World War II. This is the western end of the Mabalacat airfield in the Philippines and is the first Kamikaze airfield of World War II.
It was here that the first Kamikaze unit of the war was organised on 20 October 1944. It was named the Shinpu Special Attack Corps and was divided into four units.
At 7:25am on 25 October, just 5 days after the Kamikaze Corps was organised, the Shikishima Unit consisting of 5 bomb-laden zero fighters led by Lt Yukio Seki took off on the first official Kamikaze attack sortie that engaged the enemy.
At 10:45am, 3 hours and 20 minutes after take-off, the unit encountered enemy targets in the Gulf of Leyte. Lt Seki was the first to attack. He deliberately dive-bombed and crashed his plane into the American aircraft carrier USS Saint Lo. causing a massive explosion which blew it up. The St. Lo sank 20 minutes later. War historians consider Lt Yukio Seki, the world’s first official human bomb.
Lt Seki’s men also hit and severely damaged several other American aircraft carriers and naval vessels. This early success against the US navy popularised Kamikaze tactics among the majority of Japanese pilots.
At dawn on 8 January 1945, the last Japanese flight from this airfield took off when two evacuation planes loaded with classified Kamikaze documents and personnel retreated and made a low flying escape north to Taiwan.
All other Japanese pilots and ground crew who were left behind fought to the last man for the defence of the entire Clark Airfield against attacking US Army Forces. But on 26 January 1945, this airfield finally fell into American hands.
By the end of World War II, the Kamikaze attacks had sunk and heavily damaged 322 US Navy vessels, killed over 7,000 American and Allied sailors and wounded thousands of others. Out of 13,022 Kamikaze pilots, 4,600 died in action. The Japanese Kamikaze force of World War II was the largest military suicide organisation in all the annals of war history.
Join me, Gary Kent, here at the Kamikaze Memorial in the Philippines, where the first young Japanese kamikaze pilots took off on their desperate missions of destruction, death and glory. And as we follow their journey, which ultimately ended in defeat, perhaps we’ll discover what’s really worth living for and what gives true meaning to our lives.
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CLARK AIR BASE
This is the Clark Airfield, about 100km or 60miles from Manila in the Philippines. During WWII, it was the principal United States military base in the Philippines. It was established prior to the war and was soon the largest and most strategic American military air base in the Pacific, for the Southeast Asia region.
During the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, Clark Airfield soon became one of the primary targets. On December 8, 1941, just hours after the attack on Pearl Harbour, Japanese bombers launched a devastating surprise attack on the base here.
Most of the American aircraft at Clark Air Base were destroyed on the ground, dealing a catastrophic blow to Allied defence in the region.
JAPANESE ADVANCE
And then, despite heroic resistance, during the subsequent Battle of Bataan, American and Filipino forces were ultimately forced to surrender this critical site, and Clark Airfield fell under Japanese occupation.
Then this airfield became one of the key operational centres for the Imperial Japanese forces as they swept over Southeast Asia, and it appeared that the Japanese military were unstoppable.
They inflicted the most shocking defeat on British Empire forces with the capture of Singapore on 15 February 1942. They swept across the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) including Sumatra, Java, Ambon and Timor.
They advanced into Burma, took the Philippines and inflicted the largest surrender of forces in US history, and then reached Australian-controlled territory by capturing Rabaul and northern New Guinea.
They even attacked Australia itself, starting with the devastating air raid on Darwin on 19 February 1942. The Japanese advance seemed invincible.
ALLIED COUNTER OFFENSIVE
However, slowly but surely the Allied counter-offensive gained momentum. Allied naval victories in the Coral Sea and Midway Island seriously slowed the Japanese advance and ended their plans for expansion in the Pacific.
Victories by Australians on the Kokoda Track and Milne Bay in New Guinea, and by the Americans at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands put the Japanese on the defensive. And by 1944, the tide of the Pacific war had turned.
The Japanese military was now in retreat. They were facing the advance of the Allies through the Pacific and were desperate to find a way to halt the Allied forces as they headed towards the Japanese homeland.
The war was looking increasingly bleak for the Japanese. They had lost several decisive naval and land battles, many of their best pilots had been killed, and skilled replacements couldn’t be trained fast enough. Their aircraft were becoming outdated, and they had lost command of the air and sea.
Japan was losing experienced pilots faster than it could train quality replacements, and the nation’s industrial capacity was rapidly diminishing relative to that of the Allies. These factors, along with Japan’s unwillingness to surrender, led the leaders to search for a new military tactic that could inflict maximum damage on enemy ships while demonstrating extreme patriotism and sacrifice.
KAMIKAZE
They chose the tactic that became known as kamikaze. Now the original meaning of the word ‘kamikaze’ in Japanese is actually ‘divine wind’, which seems totally inappropriate for a military strategy. But the meaning comes from a 13th century legend.
In the year 1281, Kublai Khan and his Mongol Army attempted to invade the islands of Japan by sea. Victory was at hand for the Mongols when suddenly and unexpectedly, a great typhoon swept through off the coast of Japan and the devastating wind destroyed the Mongol forces and fleet enroute to Japan.
The people of Japan considered this to be a great turn of fortune for them. They believed that this great storm was sent to them as protection from the heavens and was credited with saving the Japanese Empire. It was called the Kamikaze, or Divine Wind.
Now, in 1944, 563 years later, the Japanese were again losing in a struggle for their empire. The home islands were threatened. This time however, they were threatened by the American and Allied forces in the Pacific. Once again, Japan needed ‘divine intervention’ to save them.
Only this time it came in the form of young men who were willing to sacrifice their lives to save their country. These pilots took on the name ‘Kamikaze’ and applied it to their airborne missions.
So, the idea was formulated to send young Japanese pilots to deliberately fly their aircraft directly into Allied or enemy warships with the intent to kill and destroy.
THE FIRST TARGETS
The first kamikaze attacks left from here, the Mabalacat Airfield, in October 1944. Their destination: nearby Leyte Gulf. Their targets: the Allied Naval ships involved in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. This battle was the largest naval battle of WWII with over 200,000 people involved.
Historians say that the first organized kamikaze attack was led by Lt. Yukio Seki of the 201st Air Group. He commanded the first group of five tokkotai, special bomb-laden Zero fighter planes against the American fleet in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
Before the main battle began, the Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Australia became the first ship attacked by the Japanese Kamikaze on 21 October 1944 in Leyte Gulf. The ship was damaged, and its Captain, Emile Dechaineux, and 29 Sailors were killed.
Now while these kamikaze attacks did cause significant damage to some Allied naval ships, with approximately 7,000 Americans and Allied sailors killed, there was also a high toll among the young Japanese pilots.
It is estimated that around 4,600 kamikaze pilots died during these missions.
DEATH OVER DISHONOUR
One of these young Kamikaze pilots in 1944 was Hisao Horiyama. He was just 21 years old and caught in the midst of this desperate war with the Allies.
When Hisao graduated from army training school the Showa emperor Hirohito visited their unit on a white horse. It was like a symbol of divine authority. Hisao thought then that this was a sign that the emperor was personally requesting their services in the military.
As a devoted subject of the emperor and follower of the Shinto religion, Hisao knew that he had no choice but to fight and if needed, to die for his country. And then Hisao received the command to change from his artillery unit to join the Special Airborne Attack Corps.
Many of these young Japanese airmen were only teenagers or in their early twenties. Most were recruited and ruthlessly trained for these deadly missions. Because deeply entrenched in the Japanese military culture was the ancient Samurai tradition of accepting death instead of defeat, capture or shame.
They would rather die than be defeated, or surrender. In dying, they, like the Samurai, would bring honour to themselves, to their family, and to their country.
Hisao Horiyama and his fellow pilots were indoctrinated with this military culture that emphasized honour, duty, and self-sacrifice for the emperor and the nation. They were told that dying for their country was the highest form of honour. An honour beyond measure, a glorious sacrifice that was desirable.
The young pilots had their individual identity stripped away, replacing their personal dreams with a singular purpose: to die with honour. Each pilot was taught that they were not victims, but rather they were the chosen ones to become legends.
POINT OF NO RETURN
Hisao’s training squadron studied maps, learned ship silhouettes, and practiced their final approach. Each pilot knew the statistics – most would not return. But return was never the point.
Before each mission, the young men would participate in ceremonies that felt both military and spiritual. They had their heads shaven, as a sign of purity before an imminent death. They were given a samurai sword, a traditional Japanese weapon that symbolized the pilot’s heroism and honor in death. A white samurai head band was tied around their head.
They wrote farewell letters to their families, consumed their last meals of sake and rice, and prepared themselves for a journey from which there was meant to be no return.
During their earlier training, the group were given a simple slip of white paper. As Hisao looked at the paper, he read the three options: to volunteer willingly, to simply volunteer reluctantly, or to decline and say no.
But in reality Hisao did not have three options. There was truly only one choice. The path was clear. To refuse would be unthinkable. To hesitate, unforgivable.
When Hisao signed his name, committing to the mission, something inside him both died and was reborn. He was no longer Hisao Horiyama, a young man with hopes and fears. He was now a divine wind – a kamikaze – whose sole purpose was to help change the course of a war that was rapidly slipping away from Japan.
On the day of his one-way mission, Hisao climbed into the cockpit of his aircraft, laden with explosives. He felt something beyond fear. A strange sense of clarity. Of purpose. Of a destiny that had been chosen for him by the national ideology.
Hisao understood that he was part of something much larger than himself. In a nation fighting with its back against the wall, each kamikaze pilot represented a final, desperate hope. They were human weapons of last resort, embodying a culture that valued collective sacrifice over individual survival.
THE MISSIONS
Now, a typical mission for a young Japanese flyer, was after his final pre-flight check, he would take off in a A6M Zero plane modified for its one-way mission, carrying an 800kg bomb beneath its fuselage. He was accompanied by two Japanese fighters, and the deal was when they arrived over the target area, if they did not dive their plane into the ship the accompanying two fighters would shoot the plane down.
On this occasion they took off in groups of three, climbing into the fading light. They flew low over the water to avoid radar detection, the drone of their engines echoing across the waves. Time passed in tense silence as they searched for their targets.
Finally, through breaks in the clouds, they spotted the American fleet. Anti-aircraft fire immediately filled the sky with black puffs of smoke. American fighters scrambled to intercept them. The formation began to break apart as pilots chose their targets and began their final steep dives.
But despite the efforts of the kamikaze, the Battle of Leyte Gulf failed to disrupt the Allies landing on Leyte and signified the end of the Imperial Japanese Navy as an offensive force. This conflict was to be the last naval battle between battleships in history.
DEADLY CHERRY BLOSSOM
But the fight wasn’t over. It was during the Okinawa Campaign in 1945 that the Japanese utilized one of the most desperate innovations in their kamikaze strategy. The Yokosuka MXY-7 Okha or ‘cherry blossom’, was a simple design that had stubby wings and a bullet-shaped nose, and looked more like a missile than a plane
The Ohka was essentially a human-guided rocket that was attached to the underbelly of the mother aircraft that would carry the Ohka within range of the American ships.
The confined space inside the Ohka offered only basic flight controls and a simple gunsight. There was no landing gear, no escape hatch – just a pilot, rockets, and explosives.
Once released from the bomber, three solid-fuel rockets would propel the pilot and his load of high explosives toward the target at speeds over 885kmh or 550 mph, far too fast for ships’ anti-aircraft guns to track effectively.
But there were issues with the Japanese strategy and those Ohkas that did release often missed their targets entirely, because the young pilots were struggling with the unfamiliar rocket controls in their first and only flight.
Also, the American fighter jets would often attack the slow, vulnerable mother ships before they could reach the release point – their pilots never even getting the chance to launch their final attack. And so this weapon came to symbolize the increasing desperation of Japan’s military situation – trading young lives for diminishing returns in a war that was already lost.
History shows that approximately one quarter to one third of kamikaze flights did not make it to their intended target due to mechanical failure or the inexperience of the pilot. But if the pilot could provide a good reason for his return, he was not punished, just rescheduled for another kamikaze mission.
THIRD TIME LUCKY
One of these kamikaze pilots that did survive and cheated death was Takehiko Ena. When he learned he had been chosen to fly he felt the blood drain from his face. He says,
“The other pilots and I congratulated each other when the order came through that we were going to attack. It sounds strange now, as there was nothing to celebrate. And we were all very scared.”
He was to pilot a crew of three aboard a plane with an 800kg or 1,763-pound bomb strapped to its undercarriage. The aircraft would have fuel only for a one-way flight to attack the Allied ships in the Battle of Okinawa.
On 28 April 1945 he steered his aircraft along the runway at Kushira airfield but failed to get airborne. His second mission ended in failure when engine trouble forced him to make an emergency landing at a Japanese army base, still carrying the bomb intended for the enemy.
Two weeks later, on 11 May, he was steeling himself for a third attempt, accompanied by a 20-year-old co-pilot and an 18-year-old communications officer. Early into the flight, engine trouble forced Ena’s plane into the sea. The three men survived and swam to nearby Kuroshima Island, where they stayed for two-and-a-half months before being picked up by a Japanese submarine.
Shortly afterwards, Japan surrendered. Ena was relieved that the war was over, even though he felt guilty that he’d survived while his fellow pilots hadn’t. Ultimately the sacrifice of the young Kamikaze pilots proved futile. In the end they died in vain. They lost the war and their empire.
LIVING AND LOVING
The story and experience of the Kamikaze pilots reminds us that there are times when it’s good and appropriate, even necessary, to stop, reflect, and take a close look at our lives, and consider what we’re willing to die for. What do we love more than life? What’s worth dying for?
Now, why is it important, even vital, to do this? Well, simply because the things worth dying for reveal most powerfully the things worth living for. You see, the things we’re willing to die for are – properly understood – the very things that we should live for, the things that give life meaning and purpose. The most important things in life.
So, let’s remember that when we talk about what’s worth dying for, we’re really talking about what’s worth living for. Because the answer to each is the same. So, what’s worth dying for and living for?
Well, the Bible contains a lot of wisdom and insight about life and what’s worth living for. And it suggests that the great factor or attribute that is central to our lives and makes it all worthwhile is one thing and one thing only: LOVE. Here’s what it says,
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” (1Cor. 13:1,2)
“If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” (1Cor. 13:3,4)
“It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Cor. 13:5-8)
Yes, it’s love that makes the world go round. Only love. And throughout history men and women have been willing to die for what they truly love: family, friends, country, and beliefs.
A FIFTH LOVE
But did you know that there’s a fifth love worth dying for. And that’s you! In God’s eyes you are worth dying for.
Here’s what the Bible says in Romans 5:6-8:
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one will dare even to die – but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
We are not perfect people. We make mistakes. We are sinners. And even though we are sinners and enemies, Christ died for us. This is unimaginably good news. Because God knows what is worth dying for. And in his eyes, you are worth dying for.
To God, you are so precious, so valuable, so wonderful, so worthwhile, that He wants to spend eternity with you. And to make that possible He was prepared to die for you and pay the penalty for your sins and mistakes so that you can live forever with Him.
THE PEARL MERCHANT
In the Bible, Jesus told an inspiring story, a parable, to help us understand this. Here’s what He said:
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45,46)
Here Jesus tells us about a pearl merchant who goes searching for fine pearls. He finds a very special one, a pearl of immense value. He is so taken by this pearl that he must have it!
This one pearl is worth everything. Nothing else compares, nothing else matters. And so the pearl merchant sells everything he owns in order to get that one pearl. So, what does this story, this parable, mean?
Well, the pearl represents Jesus. He is the pearl of great price. It’s worth giving up everything in order to have Jesus. You and I are the pearl merchant. We go searching for the pearl of great price, Jesus. When we find Him, it’s worth giving up everything in order to have Jesus.
But you know, there’s another way of looking at this parable. Instead of thinking of the pearl merchant as you, think of him as God. So now the roles have been reversed. Instead of you being the pearl merchant, think of God going through the marketplace, looking for the pearl of great price.
Now the story is different. Now the pearl of great value is you. You are worth everything to God. God values you so much, that He was willing to sell everything, give up everything, in order to have you and to be with you.
And what does God ‘sell’ in order to make His purchase? The better question is ‘Who?” Who did God give in order to make His purchase? Jesus – Jesus His only Son.
In telling this beautiful story about the pearl of great value, Jesus wants you to know that there is nothing more precious to God than you. You are worth everything to God. You are the pearl of great value. You are worth dying for!
SPECIAL OFFER AND CLOSING PRAYER
If you would like to know more about God’s great love for you and how He was willing to give all for you, then I’d like to recommend the free gift we have for all our Incredible Journey viewers today.
It’s the booklet, The Pearl of Great Price. This booklet is our gift to you and is absolutely free. I guarantee there is no cost or obligation whatsoever. So please, take this wonderful opportunity to receive this gift we have for you today.
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Be sure to join us again next week when we will share another of life’s journeys together. Until then, let’s pray to the Great God of Heaven who loves us with an unconditional and everlasting love
Dear Heavenly Father. Today we have considered what is worth dying for. And more importantly we have been reminded of your great and unconditional love for us. May we always remember just how much you love us, and that you accept us just as we are. And so, Lord, we come to you today, to accept Jesus and your great love for us. Please bless us and guide us. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
