We Survived by Rebelling Against Mass Suicide
“We Survived by Rebelling Against Mass Suicide”
Sachiko Uezu (14 上江洲幸子)
Born on June 17, 1922
Age at the time: 23
Naval bombardment started on March 23, and then, US forces landed on the 26th.
We were notified to gather at the agricultural cooperative’s air-raid shelter, so we gathered in front of that shelter. However, the shelter was full of people who had taken refuge there. Therefore, we sought refuge in a horizontally dug air-raid shelter that Uncle Miyamura had built. We stooped down and entered the shelter. My uncle and aunt were there. It was from around this time that there was someone who gave everyone brown sugar that had been kept as food, thinking that it would be impossible to survive from here on, saying: “For one last thing, eat this brown sugar, since we cannot survive any longer no matter how hard we try.” The person also said: We’re going to the other world, so you don’t have to take anything with you.” Upon hearing those words, I had a hard time trying to swallow down the brown sugar that was in my mouth.”
Our family returned to the air-raid shelter where we had first gathered. Then, we headed toward the top of the hill. What we saw from the hilltop were American ships that had moved in toward the nearby port. There were ships spread all across the horizon. That sight still remains burned into my mind even now. There were so many American ships that it seemed you could walk across from ship to ship. I felt totally numb. Seeing that, my mother said: “At this rate, we can’t survive. Let’s all drink this rat pesticide and go to sleep.” I didn’t want to do that, so I lied to her, saying something that I didn’t even believe in. I said: “No matter where we run and hide, the Japanese army will win, so we must never die.” However, seeing all those American ships filling up the horizon, I think even my mother felt totally numb.” Nevertheless, I tried to coax my mother into not trying to commit suicide. My older brother had a wife and a child, but he went missing after a while.
My mother, my elder brother's wife, her child, and I took refuge in the air-raid shelter. When I went out of the shelter and came back with water, she once again said: “Mix rat pesticide in that water and let’s all go to sleep.” I told my mother: “Mother, if you drink this much, you will writhe in agony, and the enemy will see you doing that. That’s why you must absolutely not drink this. Let’s all try to flee as far as we can.” Then, we further fled toward Bandokoro hill. When we reached the hilltop, there were many people including soldiers, Koreans, and Okinawans. From there, we all further fled in various directions. When our family fled into the forest, there were four or five soldiers carrying swords. My mother started clamoring, saying to the soldiers: “Please slash us with those swords.” In response, the soldiers said: “This woman is scary.” They then walked away. After that, our family went down the hill. Around the time we reached the Asa district, where rice paddies spread, my nephew lay limp on my sister’s back. I told my sister: “Sister, this child is dead.” While we discussed what we should do about this dead child, my sister was crying. She let down her child and started breast feeding him. Then, my sister shouted: “He’s alive. This child is alive. He’s drinking my milk.” Wishing to feed water to the child, my mother tried to find water at a place like a dry riverbed, but she could not find any water. She then picked a butterbur leaf that was nearby, folded it into a bowl shape, and fulfilled it with her own urine. She had her her grandchild drink it. I asked her: “Mother, why do you make a child drink urine?” She replied: “I heard a story from our elders in the past that a child who had little chance of surviving apparently revived when the child drank urine.” Then, this child started crying loudly.
After that, we went to a rice paddy and filled water from the rice paddy into a teapot we had with us. Even if the water wasn’t clean, it was not poisonous, so we had the child drink the water, and I drank the water, too.
We then kept walking, picking radishes and carrots that people of the Asa district had grown, and as we walked, we ate them raw with soil still clinging to them.
One day, this house also caught fire as a result of attacks by the American forces. My uncle, who had returned from the South Sea Islands and had been fleeing with us, said: “The fact that this place is also under attack means that American forces may know that people are hiding nearby. We can’t just keep hiding in the hills forever. In that case, it may be better to become captive.” In this way, my uncle’s family had made up their minds about being captured. My uncles’ oldest son had already died in the agricultural cooperative’s air-raid shelter, but my aunt and her daughter were still together.
We kept walking for a while together with my uncles’ family. We took a rest on the beach in a district called Yohena. It was near the headquarters of the friendly forces. I think they were soldiers who came from there, they started walking toward us. My uncle, who had decided to become captive, said: “If we tell them that our family members intend to become captive, we may get killed, so don’t say anything about that.” Then, the soldiers asked us: “Where are you going?” I replied: “My mother is saying that we should move to our air-raid shelter in the village and finally hide there, so we are heading toward that air-raid shelter.” Then, the soldiers said: “You must not die. We have always been scouting Ama village. The people of Ama village have been captured by the American forces, but the Americans have been giving food to the villagers, so you should do the same.” So, I asked: “Is it all right?” They replied: “Yes, it’s all right. We’ve been continuously scouting and watching what’s been happening.” Then, my mother asked a Japanese soldier: “My other daughter is with the friendly forces and working as a nurse. For one last thing, I wish to meet her. Can you please take me to the headquarters?” The Japanese soldier replied: “No, you look tired, so please wait here. I will bring her here.”
My uncle said: “Let’s raise a white flag and turn ourselves in to the American forces.” Then, my older sister, who was brought here by the Japanese soldier, asked: “You have kept fleeing until now, but you want to go and get killed? Japan will win. Why do you want to surrender to the American forces?” Then, my uncle persuaded her, saying: “There’s nothing we can do any more. Listening to the story of that solider, even if you become captured by the American forces, it seems like you can work for them there. In a war, regardless of friend or foe, you must work as a nurse or help with other things.”
After that, we surrendered ourselves to the the American forces.
Sachiko Uezu (14 上江洲幸子)
Born on June 17, 1922
Age at the time: 23
Naval bombardment started on March 23, and then, US forces landed on the 26th.
We were notified to gather at the agricultural cooperative’s air-raid shelter, so we gathered in front of that shelter. However, the shelter was full of people who had taken refuge there. Therefore, we sought refuge in a horizontally dug air-raid shelter that Uncle Miyamura had built. We stooped down and entered the shelter. My uncle and aunt were there. It was from around this time that there was someone who gave everyone brown sugar that had been kept as food, thinking that it would be impossible to survive from here on, saying: “For one last thing, eat this brown sugar, since we cannot survive any longer no matter how hard we try.” The person also said: We’re going to the other world, so you don’t have to take anything with you.” Upon hearing those words, I had a hard time trying to swallow down the brown sugar that was in my mouth.”
Our family returned to the air-raid shelter where we had first gathered. Then, we headed toward the top of the hill. What we saw from the hilltop were American ships that had moved in toward the nearby port. There were ships spread all across the horizon. That sight still remains burned into my mind even now. There were so many American ships that it seemed you could walk across from ship to ship. I felt totally numb. Seeing that, my mother said: “At this rate, we can’t survive. Let’s all drink this rat pesticide and go to sleep.” I didn’t want to do that, so I lied to her, saying something that I didn’t even believe in. I said: “No matter where we run and hide, the Japanese army will win, so we must never die.” However, seeing all those American ships filling up the horizon, I think even my mother felt totally numb.” Nevertheless, I tried to coax my mother into not trying to commit suicide. My older brother had a wife and a child, but he went missing after a while.
My mother, my elder brother's wife, her child, and I took refuge in the air-raid shelter. When I went out of the shelter and came back with water, she once again said: “Mix rat pesticide in that water and let’s all go to sleep.” I told my mother: “Mother, if you drink this much, you will writhe in agony, and the enemy will see you doing that. That’s why you must absolutely not drink this. Let’s all try to flee as far as we can.” Then, we further fled toward Bandokoro hill. When we reached the hilltop, there were many people including soldiers, Koreans, and Okinawans. From there, we all further fled in various directions. When our family fled into the forest, there were four or five soldiers carrying swords. My mother started clamoring, saying to the soldiers: “Please slash us with those swords.” In response, the soldiers said: “This woman is scary.” They then walked away. After that, our family went down the hill. Around the time we reached the Asa district, where rice paddies spread, my nephew lay limp on my sister’s back. I told my sister: “Sister, this child is dead.” While we discussed what we should do about this dead child, my sister was crying. She let down her child and started breast feeding him. Then, my sister shouted: “He’s alive. This child is alive. He’s drinking my milk.” Wishing to feed water to the child, my mother tried to find water at a place like a dry riverbed, but she could not find any water. She then picked a butterbur leaf that was nearby, folded it into a bowl shape, and fulfilled it with her own urine. She had her her grandchild drink it. I asked her: “Mother, why do you make a child drink urine?” She replied: “I heard a story from our elders in the past that a child who had little chance of surviving apparently revived when the child drank urine.” Then, this child started crying loudly.
After that, we went to a rice paddy and filled water from the rice paddy into a teapot we had with us. Even if the water wasn’t clean, it was not poisonous, so we had the child drink the water, and I drank the water, too.
We then kept walking, picking radishes and carrots that people of the Asa district had grown, and as we walked, we ate them raw with soil still clinging to them.
One day, this house also caught fire as a result of attacks by the American forces. My uncle, who had returned from the South Sea Islands and had been fleeing with us, said: “The fact that this place is also under attack means that American forces may know that people are hiding nearby. We can’t just keep hiding in the hills forever. In that case, it may be better to become captive.” In this way, my uncle’s family had made up their minds about being captured. My uncles’ oldest son had already died in the agricultural cooperative’s air-raid shelter, but my aunt and her daughter were still together.
We kept walking for a while together with my uncles’ family. We took a rest on the beach in a district called Yohena. It was near the headquarters of the friendly forces. I think they were soldiers who came from there, they started walking toward us. My uncle, who had decided to become captive, said: “If we tell them that our family members intend to become captive, we may get killed, so don’t say anything about that.” Then, the soldiers asked us: “Where are you going?” I replied: “My mother is saying that we should move to our air-raid shelter in the village and finally hide there, so we are heading toward that air-raid shelter.” Then, the soldiers said: “You must not die. We have always been scouting Ama village. The people of Ama village have been captured by the American forces, but the Americans have been giving food to the villagers, so you should do the same.” So, I asked: “Is it all right?” They replied: “Yes, it’s all right. We’ve been continuously scouting and watching what’s been happening.” Then, my mother asked a Japanese soldier: “My other daughter is with the friendly forces and working as a nurse. For one last thing, I wish to meet her. Can you please take me to the headquarters?” The Japanese soldier replied: “No, you look tired, so please wait here. I will bring her here.”
My uncle said: “Let’s raise a white flag and turn ourselves in to the American forces.” Then, my older sister, who was brought here by the Japanese soldier, asked: “You have kept fleeing until now, but you want to go and get killed? Japan will win. Why do you want to surrender to the American forces?” Then, my uncle persuaded her, saying: “There’s nothing we can do any more. Listening to the story of that solider, even if you become captured by the American forces, it seems like you can work for them there. In a war, regardless of friend or foe, you must work as a nurse or help with other things.”
After that, we surrendered ourselves to the the American forces.
