Ejcjs - Hope and Peril in Equal Measure

03/12/2014
ejcjsHopeandPerilinEqualMeasure
electronicjournalofcontemporaryjapanesestudies
DiscussionPaper5in2011
Firstpublishedinejcjson30September2011
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NegotiatingTraumaticWarMemorieswithinthe
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Conhea
Nossa
Metodologia
Formamos Pessoas
de Sucesso e
Cidados ntegros e
de Respeito.
by
GregoryHadley
ProfessorofEnglishandAmericanCulturalStudies
NiigataUniversityofInternationalandInformationStudies
emailtheauthor
AbouttheAuthor
Abstract
Thispaperconsidersthebackstageissuesinvolvedwithconstructing
anoralhistoryonwarmemorieswithintherestivedynamicsofpast
traumaandtheideologicalagendasofbothinformantsandthewider
publicrepresentedthroughthepopularmedia.Theauthorrevealshis
owninternalstrugglesandpersonaljourneyasheworkswithpeople
inthenextstageofhisnarrativetoencounteramomentofpeace,
healingandreconciliation.
Keywords
http://www.japanesestudies.org.uk/discussionpapers/2011/Hadley.html
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WarMemoriesOralHistoryPeaceStudiesQualitative
MethodologicalChallenges
Introduction
DuringthefinaldaysoftheSecondWorldWar,onthenightof19/20July
1945,aB29crewunderthecommandofCaptainGordon'Porky'Jordanwas
shotdownonaroutineminingmissiontotheharbourofNiigataCityinJapan.
Mostofthecrewmenbailedoutoverruralcommunitiesontheoutskirtsof
town,andsoughttoavoiddetectionbyrovingbandsofairraidwardens,prison
campguards,soldiersfromantiaircraftbattalions,localdefencegroups,and
civiliansarmedwithanarrayoffarmimplements.Bythefollowingmorning,
fourcrewmenwereconfirmeddead.Thesurvivingsevenwerecapturedand
senttoTokyo.Theretheywereimprisoned,torturedandeventuallyrepatriated.
Thesurvivorsofthatmission,aswellasmanyofthevillagersandformer
militarypersonnelwhohadahandintheircapture,allsufferedfromthetrauma
oftheevent,andstruggledwithpainfulmemoriesoverthecourseoftheirlives.
ThedetailsofthisincidentarechronicledinthebookFieldofSpears1,anoral
historyoftheeventthatdrawsheavilyfromtheeyewitnessaccountsofthe
JordanCrewandlocalvillagerswhowatchedtheirdowningoverNiigata.
Crossreferencedtodeclassifiedmilitarydocuments,wartimeletters,diaries,
andphotostakenbyJapaneseduringthetimeofthecrew'scapture,Fieldof
Spearsexploresthedisturbingtransformationsthatordinarypeoplemay
undergoduringtimesofwar.Itoffersvarioustheoriesconcerningthemystery
ofhowseveralofthecrewmenmayhaveperishedonthatgrimJulyeveningin
1945,andunderscoresthemannerinwhichpeopledealwithwarmemories
oncetheybecomeasourceofalmostunbearablepersonalsuffering.
ThispaperwilldetailsomeofthebackgrounddynamicsthatI,astheauthorof
thebook,facedduringresearch.Situatedwithintherelativelyrecentdiscoveries
concerningthenatureofmemory,IdiscusshowIsoughtclarityinthemurky
watersofinformants'warrecollectionsandreconciledinstancesofinconsistent
evidence,fromboththewrittenrecordandtimeswhenIsuspectedtestifiers
weresanitizingtheirstories.Ialsohighlightadditionalandunforeseen
challengesthattookplaceinthemonthsfollowingthebook'spublicationand
showhowtheproblemsfacingoralhistoryresearchersdonotendwiththe
fieldworkprocess,butmaybegininearnestafterthepublicationoftheirresults,
especiallywithrespecttohowinformantsmayreacttothemannerinwhich
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theirstorieshavebeenretold.Icloseonahopefulnotebyshowinghow
positiveexperiencesinthepresentcansoothetraumaticmemoriesofthepast,
andpavethewayforfuturereconciliation.
Figure1:JordanCrewsurvivorsbeingtransportedtoNiigatafortheirfirst
roundofinterrogations(CourtesyofGeorgeMcGraw/ValeryBurati)
ThePlasticityofMemory:DealingwithInconsistentEvidence
Peoplearenotlivingvideocameras,noraretheirmemorieskeptasrecordsin
anorganicfilingcabinet.Currentscientificresearchsuggeststhatmemoriesare
encodedbyproteinsinthebrain.Thesearebrokendownandresynthesisedeach
timeamemoryisaccessed.Peopleliterally'remember'eachtimetheybring
memoriestoconsciousthought.Inaddition,eachandeverytime,theprocessof
rememberingisarenewedexperienceconnectedtothepastandrelivedwithin
theemotional,socialorpoliticalcontextofthepresent.Memoriesareso
influencedbythepresentthattheyareslightlyalteredandrecontextualisedeach
timetheyareresynthesised.Constantinteractionwithotherswhohavehad
similarexperiencescanalsocreatefalsememories,especiallywhenstrong
emotionsemanatingfromtheamygdalaareinvolved.2
ThisandrelatedresearchmayhelptoexplainsomechallengesthatI
encounteredinthefield,whichIdescribedtocolleaguesastheplasticityofwar
memories.AsIbeganinvestigatingbeneaththesurfaceoftheinformant
accounts,Isoonlearnedthateventhoughallhadsomethingvaluabletoshare,
somealsohadthingsthattheywishedtohide.Howtheysoughttorelatetheir
experiencesoftendependedupontheplacewheretheychosetotellthestory
andwhowaspresent,sincemanyinformantsspokewhileaccompaniedby
friends,communitymembers,orfamily,allofwhomactedasaquietsupport
community.InlateropportunitieswhenIspokewithsomeinformantsprivately,
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accountswouldoftencontaincrucialdetailsthathadbeenomittedorwhich
wereframedquitedifferentlyfromearlier,morepublic,interviewsand
meetings.
IcouldfeelthesedynamicsasItriedtoreconstructthetestimonyaboutwhat
actuallyhappenedonthatnightinJuly1945,especiallywhenitcametothe
inconsistenttestimonysurroundingtheplaceandmannerinwhichthefour
crewmenoftheB29perished.Immediatelyfollowingthewar,thesurvivingB
29crewmenweredebriefedbyUSmilitaryinvestigators.Inthenotesofthose
debriefings,thecrewreportedthatJapanesemilitarypoliceinterrogatorsand
guardswerequiteforthrightaboutthefactthatthreeofthefourwerekilledon
theground,andthatthefourthcrewmanhadgonedownwiththeplane.Captain
JordanwastoldduringhisinterrogationinNiigata(throughanEnglish
speakinginterpreter)thattwoofhiscrewhadresistedcaptureand,asthe
militarypoliceinterrogatorsputit,'couldn'tbetakenalive.'Anotherhad'died
gloriously'bygoingdownwiththeplane.3ThisconfirmedforJordanthat
interrogatorshadbeenspeakingofthecopilot,whohadalwaysstatedtohim
andothersinthecrewthat,iftheywereshotdown,hewouldneverbailout.
LaterwhenimprisonedinTokyo,anotherguardwhoclaimedtohavebeenon
rotationinNiigataapproachedthecrewandspokeofhowheandagroupof
soldierswereshotatbyamemberoftheircrew,andthenhowtheychasedhim
downandkilledhiminretaliation.Theguardshowedapairoflieutenant'sbars
thathekeptasasouvenir.4Thecrewsurmisedthisguardspokeofthe
bombardier,whovowedthathewouldneverlethimselfbetakenaliveifshot
downoverJapan.Othercrewmen,beforetheywerecaptured,allattestedto
hearingthesoundofgunfireandscreamsinthedarkness.However,thecrew
memberswereallhidinginricepaddiesandculvertsunderthenarrowroads
crisscrossingthepaddies,sononeofthemvisuallywitnessedthedeathofany
oftheircomrades.
Whilethetestimonyofthecrewwasbasedonhearsay,theearliesttestimonyof
thevillagerswasequallyinconsistent.Inthefirstreport,thevillageheadman
statedthatallfourcrewmenwerefounddeadintheaftcabinoftheB29after
thefireshaddieddown.5Hethenreportedlaterthattwomenwereinthefront
cabinandtwowereintherear,addingthatabodywasfoundhungoverthegun
spindleintheaftcabinoftheplane.6Butotherwitnessesreporttwocrewmen
beingthrownclearoftheplane,whilesomespeakoftwobeingatthecrashsite,
oneintheplaneandanotherbeingbroughtbacklater.7Theheadman'swidow,
however,duringarecordedinterviewwithlocalJapanesehistoriansmanyyears
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later,statedthattwoofthecrewmenwerekilledafterusingtheirweaponsto
holdofftheircaptors.8
Tounderstandfromwheresuchdiscrepanciesmightemerge,onemustalso
accountfortheroleoffear.Duringthefinaldaysofthewar,therewaslittle
fearamongvillagersaboutrelatingwhatmayhavehappenedtothecrewmen
whohadperished,especiallysinceAmericanflyerswereonImperialJapan's
militaryversionofdeathrowfortheirroleinthefirebombingsofTokyoand
othermajorcities.Jordan'screwhadbeenaleadbomberattheforefrontofthe
Alliedaircampaign,whichhadnotonlyparticipatedintheattackonTokyo,
theyhadbeenonmanyofthemissionsthathadreducedsignificantareasof
sixtyfourmajorJapanesecitiestoashes.Wartimepropagandaandgrieffrom
thelossoffamilymembersturnedtofierceangeramongmanyvillagers,
especiallyastheremainsofJordan'sbomberburnedinanopenfieldwith
ammunitionexplodingandsendingordinanceoffinthedirectionofhomesand
farmhouses.Couchedwithinthispanic,angerandfear,aracetookplace
betweentheJapanesemilitaryandciviliansasforwhowouldfindthecrewmen
first.
Conversely,fearofwhatlocalresidentswouldinterpretasretaliationfrom
occupationforcescertainlywouldcolorpostwartestimony,especiallyifthey
feltthatsomethingneededtobewithheldinregardtothemistreatmentofthe
downedflyers.FromthedaysoftheOccupation,therefore,villagersmaintained
thatallfourcrewmendiedinthecrash.Eventoday,speakingaboutthefateof
thelostcrewmenissomethingofataboosubjectinthearea,butthosewhowill
speakaboutitofteninsistthatallcrewmenperishedintheplanecrash,even
thoughsomeoftheearliestevidencesuggestsotherwise.
Figure2:ThebodiesoftwomembersoftheJordanCrewrecoveredfollowing
thedowningoftheirB29(CourtesyofGeorgeMcGraw/ValeryBurati)
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Oneexampleofthiswasthediscoveryofasetofphotographstakenwhen
Japanesemilitarypolicearrivedatthescene.Onephotoshowedtheboundand
batteredbodiesofthetwoenlistedcrewmenoutsidetheplane,withoneofthem
tiedtoasmallsled(Figure2).Thislattercrewmanhadfrequentlytoldhis
fellowcrewmenthatiftheyhadtobailout,hewouldrathergooutinablazeof
glorythanbetakenalive.Oneofthesurvivingcrewmen,whobailedoutjust
beforethissamecrewman,firstreportedtoinvestigatorsthataftertouching
downhelistenedtohisfriendscreaminginpainashewasbeingcapturedand
beaten,thoughlaterforpersonalreasons,heretractedthispartofhistestimony,
statingthathewouldtakethesecrettothegrave.9Anotheraccount,writtenby
anowdeceasedJapanesemanwhoparticipatedinthecaptureofanother
crewman,reportedthat,throughhisrudimentaryEnglishskillshelearnedthat
thecrewmanwas22yearsold.DuringhisescorttotheVillageOffice,where
capturedcrewmenwereheldatfirst,theinformantwritesabouthowthe
crewmanwassetuponbyvillagerswieldingclubs,stonesandfarmimplements.
Thecrewman,thoughbleedingandinjured,wasdeliveredintomilitarypolice
custody.10TheonlymemberoftheJordanCrewwhowas22yearsoldatthe
timewasthecrewmanwhosebrokenbodyisintheforegroundofthepicture
(Figure2).
DiscussingwithoneofthesurvivingB29crewmenwherethebodieswere
foundshedfurtherlightonthisissue:itestablishedtheimpossibilityofone
accountofanyonebeingabletohanguponamachinegunspindle,eitherbefore
orafteracrash,sinceitisnotpossibletomakephysicalcontactwiththe
spindle,duetoitspositionwithinthefiringmechanisminthegunneryposition,
whichisinsidethehulloftheplane.PhotographsintheNiigataNippo
newspaperandeyewitnesssketchesshowedthispartoftheplanetobeonly
barelyintactatthecrashsite.
Figure3:JapanesephotoofB29crashsite(CourtesyofGeorge
McGraw/ValeryBurati)
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However,becauseoftheinsistenceofJapaneseinformantsthatallfour
crewmenhaddiedinthecrash,inFieldofSpearsIwrotethat,despite
inconsistenciesintheirnarrative,theoverallstorycouldnotbediscounted
outright,becausethelasttimeanyofthefourcrewmenwhodiedwereseen
alivewasjustbeforethecrewhadbailedoutoftheB29.Thefinalmilitary
investigativereportalsoreachesthesameconclusion,andIhighlightthisfactin
thebook.Basedupondocumentsthataccompaniedtheofficialinvestigative
report,however,Ialsohighlightedthatitmighthavebeenpossiblethatthreeof
thefourcrewmenwerekilledbyJapanesemilitarypersonnelafterbailing
out.11Intheend,withcontradictoryevidenceandanawarenessofthe
sensitivitiesinvolvedinchallengingthelongheldnarrativesofwitnesses,I
decidedtoreportvarioustheoriesastowhatmighthavetakenplaceandgave
scopetoreaderstodrawtheirownconclusions.Theconclusionsdrawnbythe
villagersaboutwhatIhadsaid,withthehelpofanerrorstrewnarticleinthe
AsahiShimbun,weretojeopardizethehopesofreconciliationthatIhadhoped
toinitiate.Iwillreturntothispointlaterinthepaper.
CounterbalancingReconstructedMemorieswiththeWritten
Record
Confusionisaninevitableconsequenceofbattle.Thefirstpublicdocumentto
comeoutinJapaneseaboutthedowningoftheB29overNiigata(aNiigata
Nipponewspaperarticleon21July1945)reportedthattwoB29shadbeen
shotdown.ThiswasincontrasttoUSmilitaryreportsrevealingthatonlyone
B29hadbeenshotdowninthemissionsoftheSixthBombardmentGroup
stationedontheSouthPacificislandofTinian.12Nevertheless,intheearly
daysoftheoccupation,USwarcrimesinvestigatorssoughttofindouthow
manyB29swereactuallylost,andJapanesehistoriansarestillaskingthesame
questions.13
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Figure4:GrainyphotofromthefrontpageoftheNiigataNippo,21July1945.
ThewhitestreakintheupperrightcornerisJordan'splaneasitburnedinthe
nightsky.TheghostlyfiguresatthebottomareNiigatacitizensinclothing
designedtoofferprotectionfromflak.
Myinterviewshelpedtopiecetogetherwhatlikelytookplace.Afteran
exhaustivesearch,ItrackeddownbothJapaneseandAmericaneyewitnesses,
andcomparedtheiraccountstodeclassifiedmilitarydocuments.Therewere
severalminingmissionstoNiigatafromApril1945uptotheendofthewar
but,accordingtoUSrecords,upuntil19/20July,noB29wasreportedtohave
beenhitbyantiaircraftfirebeforethismission.Therewasalowriskofany
otherincidentbeingconfusedwiththeJordancrewmission.AnotherB29co
pilotonthesamemissionoverNiigataonthenightof19/20Julyconfirmedthat
alloftheotherplanesactuallyreturned,buthavingsustainedsomedamage.14
ThiswasconfirmedinpartbythenavigatoroftheJordanCrewwhoreported,
toaJapanesehistorian,seeinganotherB29burning,15aswellasbya
replacementcrewmanonanotherB29whodescribedtheterrorhefeltwhen
hiscrewdealtwithanenginefireoverNiigata.16
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Figure5:PhotoofB29wreckage(NiigataNippo,21July1945)
Japaneseeyewitnessesclosertothecrashsiteandreturningcrewmenboth
reportedseeingoneB29thatbrokeupintheairbeforeitfinallycrashed.17
TheNiigataNippoarticleshowedpicturesofthewing,whichhadbrokenoff,
andaburnedoutenginewhichhadcomedowninadifferentlocation.The
engineoftheB29wasaslargeassomeaircraftofthetime.Ideducedthat
whiletwoB29shadbeenhit,onemadeitback,andtheeyewitnessesfurther
fromthecrashsitehadmisinterpretedtheseparateflaminglightgoingdownin
thenightskyasthefirstoftwoB29sinsteadofwhatitreallywasadetached
fuelrichB29engineburningbrightlyasitplummetedtotheground.
ForlocalleadersatthetimeinNiigatahowever,twoB29swerebetterthan
one,andbetterforNiigatacitizens'morale,whichhadnearlycollapsedbythe
endofthewar.Thisepisodeexemplifiesthepossiblefallibilitiesinthe
documentaryrecordandhoworaltestimonymaysometimesactuallyhelpto
correctdocumentaryerrors.
MisrepresentationandMisunderstanding:TheStrugglefor
MemoryOwnership
Warmemories,asstatedearlier,oftenendureasthesourceofdeepseated
traumaforwitnesses,whichinturnaffectthemannerinwhichmemoryis
constructed.ThediscussionsofarisonlyasampleofsomeofthedilemmasI
facedinhowtouseinformanttestimony.Thereweremanyotherincidents
whereIuncoveredfatalerrorsandcompromisingbehaviour,muchofwhich
affectedthelivesofothers,especiallyfamilymemberswhohadoftenidealized
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theroleoftheirparentsduringthewar.Itisdifficulttofindabalancebetween
respectingthewishesofwitnessesandtheresearcher'sgoalsofverifiable
conclusions.Thismayaccount,toasignificantdegree,forwhysomuch
publishedtestimonyofwarexperiencesinJapanbyJapanesehistoriansand
journalistsavoidstheissuebyinsteadreportingverbatimtestimonywithlittle
ornoaccompanyingcommentary.Witnessesaresatisfiedbecausetheir
personalreasonsfortestifyingwhethertherapeuticorideologicalare
fulfilled.Testimonycollectorsdonotneedtogothroughtheriskyprocessof
verifying,assessingorexposingerrorsintheparticipants'andwitnesses'
testimony.
Oralhistorians,however,usetestimonytoaidtheconstructionofanarrative
analysisaboutthepast.Ourinterestinthepursuitofthe'truth'andverifiable
conclusionsmaynotnecessarilybewhatourwitnesseswant.Theywanttobe
heard,tobeunderstood,andtotransmittheirviewsofthepasttoawider
audience.Theymaynotwishtohavetheirmemorieschallenged,orexposedas
contradictorytootherevidence.Theyfeeltheirreconstructedmemoriesinthe
presentandrelivethemastheyremember.Toquestionthemistodenythe
passionandpaintheyareagainexperiencingatthatverymoment.
Therefore,whileFieldofSpearsreceivedanumberofpositivereviewsinboth
scholarlyhistoryjournalsandintheJapaneseandAmericanmediaforitsdepth
ofresearchandmessageofreconciliation,problemsarosewithinformantsin
thevillageswhereIconductedmyresearch,especiallyinthehamletof
YakeyamainNiigataprefecture,whichwasclosesttotheB29crashsite.Most
notably,thebookinsomequarterswasrepresentedbyaconclusionattributedto
mebutwhichIdidnotmake:'Americansoldiersweremurderedbyvillagersin
Yakeyama'.
Howcouldsuchasituationarise?PartoftheproblemliesinthefactthatField
ofSpearshasnotbeentranslatedintoJapanese,withtheexceptionofthemost
sensationalsectionsinSekaimagazine.18Ihadinitiallycontactedthe
publishersofSekaiforatranslationoftheentirebook.Theirdecision,which
mirroredthatofothersIhaveapproached,wasthataJapaneselanguageversion
ofFieldofSpearswouldbeunprofitable.Theeditorswantedthefocusofthe
articlestobeupontrauma,andinanefforttomeetthisdemand(andget
publishedinaprestigiousmagazine)Imadetheerrorofcherrypickingsections
ofthebookthatIfeltwouldrelatetotheinterestsoftheeditorialboard.That
mistakeonmypartwascompoundedbyspacelimitationsformagazinearticles,
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whichleftmeunabletogointothedetailoftheoriginalbookandthereby
outlinethecomplexnuancesofthevarioushypothesesaboutwhatmighthave
happenedonthenighttheB29wasshotdown.Consequently,lateron,news
reporters,lackingthetimeorlanguageabilitytoreadthebookinEnglish,have
oftenreadonlytheSekaiarticles,extrapolatedfromthere,andrelatedto
testifierswhattheythoughtwaswritteninFieldofSpears.Evenputtingaside
forthemomenttheissueoflanguage,havingone'sworktraducedbythemedia
isariskthatscholarsmayhavetoface.Butinmysituation,givenmyerrorsin
tryingtorelateacomplexstorybackintoJapanesewithlimitsonspaceand
focus,inthemindsofsomeJapanesereaders,Ihadfurtheredtheperceptionthat
aforeignwritercouldonlybecriticaloftheJapanese.Theydidnotknowthat,
atleastintheEnglishversion,anhonestattemptatabalancedand
compassionateaccounthadbeenwritten.
AdditionalproblemswithJapanesemediasourcescanbeseeninanarticlein
theAsahiShimbunon14August2009,printedtotheleftofthemaintitle
'Takeyarinomura,shogennohakkutsu'(Unearthingtestimonyfromthe
'FieldofSpears')wasthesubtitle'Beiheisatsugai'nijimotohanpatsu(Locals
ReactAgainst'AmericanSoldiersMurdered').Theinvertedcommasaroundthe
phrasebeiheisatsugaicouldhavetwonuances:first,that'Americansoldiers
murdered'wasaquotationofmyconclusion,andsecond,thatthenewspaper
wasdistancingitselffromthatconclusion.Thebodyofthearticleclearlystated
thatthebooksaidsomeofthesurvivingairmenweremurderedbyvillagers
(sonmin),albeitthiswascontradictedafewsentenceslaterbyasentencethat
moreaccurately,thoughnotprecisely,conveyedwhatIhadsaidinthebook:
therewasa'possibility'thattheairmenhadbeenkilledbyvillagers.WhatIhad
actuallysaidintheinterviewwasthattherewasapossibilitytheairmenwere
killedbymilitarypersonnel,specificallymembersofalocalantiaircraft
battery.19Thedifferencesareextremelysignificant.UniformedJapanese
militarypersonnelkillinguniformedAmericanaircrewwhorefusedto
surrenderwouldbeentirelylegalwithinthelawsofwar.Theword'satsugai'in
theJapanesearticlecontainsthenuanceofcriminalityandsuggestsIhad
accusedvillagersofkillingthesoldiers.Ifthisweretrue,Iwouldhavebeen
accusingthevillagersandspecifically,theinformantswhosharedtheir
versionofeventswithmeofawarcrime.EvengivingtheAsahiShimbunthe
benefitofthedoubt(andthereporterwhowrotethearticleignoredallrequests
frommyselftopresentmysideofthisstory),thefactremainedthatvillagersin
YakeyamaandJapanesecolleagueswhoworkedanonymouslywithmeonthe
projectreactedangrilybycancellingsubsequentmeetingsandcuttingoff
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contact.ThemessageofreconciliationthatIhopedwouldresultfrom
publicationofthebookhad,foratimeatleast,beenreplacedwith
recriminationsandmisunderstanding.
Inactuality,asmentionedabove,issuesoflegalitywerelessofanissue,given
thatsomeoftheB29crewmenresortedtousingtheir.45automaticpistolsto
evadecapture,butclearlytherewascontroversyoverwhoseviewpointsand
interpretationswerevalid.AsonemilitaryhistorianinAustraliawhoreadField
ofSpearsobserved,regardlessofhaving'setoutallthepossibilitiesand
evidenceforwhathappenedonthatnightwhichiswhatahistorianhastodo
ifhe'sgoingtobefairthetroubleisthatthereader(orAsahijournalist)then
makesuphismindastowhichisthestrongercase,andthenremembers
thatastheauthor's'conclusion'!'20Theprecisereasonsforthe
misunderstandingsregardingmyconclusionoftherebeinga'possibility'(and
notafirmconclusion)thattheairmenwerekilledbymilitarypersonnel(not
villagers)onthegroundareperhapsinconsequential.However,thefactthatmy
accountdidnotrepeatverbatimthenarrativepasseddowninthevillageasthe
definitiveaccountofwhathappenedthatnightinitselfriskedevokingtheanger
ofwitnesses.Asapractitioneroforalhistory,beinginterviewedandseeing
howmyownwordshadendedupbeingmisusedinthewritingsofsomeone
elseallowedmetounderstandthepainofsomeinformants.Thewhole
experience,therefore,whilepainfulformealso,becameaninstructive
experience.
TranscendingTraumaandTraducement
AsaresultoftheaboveeventsIhadfoundmyselffacingasituationwheremy
localreputationhadbeentarnishedandmyrelationshipwithlocalinformants
hadbeenseriouslydamaged,ifnotlostaltogether.Thisrobbedmeofanysense
ofsatisfactionfromthepositivereviewscomingfromabroad.FeelingasifI
hadbothfailedandbeendeeplymisunderstood,intheendIdecidedtoput
FieldofSpearstorest.Iwaspsychologicallyexhausted,andperhapsitwasjust
besttomoveon.
Thestorywouldhavefinishedthere,wereitnotfortwopeople:Fuyoko
Nishisato,ajournalistattachedtotheGermanmedianetworkZDFinTokyo,
andSusanKaeGrant,daughterofRobertGrantoftheJordanCrew,aprofessor
atTexasWomen'sCollegeandaninternationallyacclaimedartist.Nishisato
hadformanyyearsbeeninvolvedwiththeJapanPOWResearchNetwork,
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whichengagesinthecreationoforalhistories,workstouncoverhidden
documentsandrefutesrevisionisteffortstoskewpublicperceptionsofJapan's
activitiesduringtheSecondWorldWar.Anotherpartofthisgroup'smission
hasbeentoinviteformerPOWsbacktoJapanwheretheycanmeettheirformer
captors,visitplacesofpasttraumaandintheprocess,andfindameasureof
healingandreconciliation.Grant,asthedaughterofaformerPOW,wasableto
seefirsthandtheeffectsofposttraumaticstressdisorderonherfatherinthe
yearsafterthewar.ReadingFieldofSpearshelpedhertobetterunderstand
whatherfatherhadgonethrough,shewasmovedbywitnessingthepositive
changesinherfather'sdemeanoroncehehadopenedupandsharedthe
traumaticdetailsconcerninghiscaptureandimprisonmentinImperialJapan.
Shehadherownissuestoworkthroughaswell,sinceresearchsuggeststhat
secondaryposttraumaticstresscanaffectthechildrenofformerPOWs.21
GrantwantedtocometoJapan,toretraceherfather'sfootsteps,andifpossible,
togothevillagewherehisplanehadgonedown.Nishisatowaswillingtohelp
inallaspectsofthelogisticsnecessaryfororganisingavisitforGrantand
otherswhowishedtotravelwithher.Allthatwasneededwasmyparticipation
insettingupatimewhenshecouldmeetwiththevillagerswholivedclosestto
theformercrashsite.
Thisinvitationtohelphadarrivedjustasthingshadquieteneddownfromthe
Asahiarticle.Ididnotrelishthethoughtoftryingtoreapproachpeoplewho
believedthatIhadsomehowbetrayedthem.Ialsobegantobeconsciousofmy
feelingsofaversiontobecominginvolved,whichuponfurtherreflection,
puzzledme.ItwasnotuntillaterthatIlearnedthatexperiencedoralhistorians
warnthat,intheprocessoflisteningtographicaccountsoftorture,deathand
rage,andthroughempathizingwiththepainandsufferingofinformants,the
traumaoftheinformantcantransfertotheresearcher.22Itbecomesashared
story,andasharedtrauma.
IthoughtthatIhadbeenobjectiveandhadsomehowavoidedthis,butIwas
mistaken:Irealizedthattheyearsofworkingwithinformants,ofdelvingdeep
intotheirstoriesandlives,andthenoflosingthetrustofsome,hadalltakena
tollonme.Anticipatingthestressofhavingtorememberwhathadbeenshared
withmebyinformantsevokedwavesofexhaustion,andIrealizedthatIwould
ratheravoidthepain.'Perhaps,'Ithought,'thisishowmyinformantsfeltwhenI
firstapproachedthemtoresearchFieldofSpears.'
Suchreflectionsthensparkedwithinmefeelingsofshame:Ihadnorighttofeel
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traumatized.Theinformantshadexperienceddeepfear,hunger,andinsome
cases,torture,butIhadnot.Theyweretheoneswhohadtrulysuffered.I
neededtoriseabovemyfeelingsandreachout,justasmyearlierinformants
haddone.Thiswastheirstory,notmine,andwhatwasrequiredwasthatIstep
uptohelpwhereIcould,andthengetoutoftheway.
RenewingHopewithinNewMemories
Andsobeganthenextstageofthisstory.Duringthetimeofpreparationandof
reestablishingcontactwithareainformants,manyofmyfearsabouthaving
verbalabuseandangerdirectedatmewererealised.Butintheend,afterI
perseveredthroughthis,therewasaquiet,guardedsenseofforgivenessamong
theprimaryinformants,andthedoorwasopenforSusanGranttobothretrace
herfather'sfootstepsandreachouttovillagersinYakeyamainwhatbecame,
forallinvolved,asurprisingmomentofpeaceandreconciliation.
Figure6:PhotosofYakeyamastorytellers(left)andSusanGrant(right)atB29
crashsiteon20July2010
Picturescanbettercapturethespiritofthatmoment.Sixtyfiveyearstotheday
lateron,on20July2010,villageleadersandbearersoflocalmemoriesmet
SusanGrantatthebarrengroundwhereherfather'splanewentdown.
Throughouttheafternoon,thevillagerstookGranttootherplacesofinterest.At
times,shewouldbrieflyreachoutandtouchtheoldstorytellers.Iobservedhow
thishadadisarming,softeningandalmosttherapeuticpower.Expressionslost
theirintensityandthetoughfarmersgraduallybecameincreasinglygentleand
grandfatherlyintheirdemeanour.
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Figure7:PhotosofSusanGrant(left)andselfproclaimedKeeperofVillage
MemoriesTadashiSaito(right)
Everyonewastenseatfirst,andthenthestorytellersbegantorelatetheir
memoriestoGrantthroughaninterpreter.Asshelistenedintentlywitha
mixtureofrespectandwonderment,everyonebegantorelax.Thingswere
workingout.Grant'slisteningwashavingapositiveeffect.
Figure8:YakeyamavillagersdisplayingwreckageofB29
Neartheendofthemeeting,manymorevillagerscameouttogreetGrant.An
interestingaspectofthishamletisthatmostcontinuetokeeppiecesoftheB29
inhiddenplaces,andproducethematspecialmoments.Tome,itwasalmostas
ifsomewantedtosaythroughthewreckageofthatlongdeadplane,'Thisis
whereitallchangedforme.NomatterhowhardIwanttoforget,Ican'tthrow
itaway.'Andyet,inthesimplicityofthemomentwithGrant,newandhealing
memorieswereaddedtotheold.Fromthegenuinesmilesandwarmth
expressedduringthatday,somethinggoodtrulyhappened.Sometimeshope
canspringforthafterall.That,Ibelieve,isalessonworthremembering.
ConcludingThoughts
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Inthisessay,Ihavereviewedsomeoftheissuesencounteredduringthewriting
ofFieldofSpears,anoralhistoryreconstructionofthedowningofaB29over
Niigata.Iconsideredchallengesrelatedtothepropositionofrecording
traumaticmemories,andrecountedhowthesubsequentmisrepresentationof
myconclusionsbythemediariskedunravellingthepainstakingworkof
buildingtrustandmutualunderstandingbetweenwitnessesandresearcher,
therebyriskingthelossofapeaceinitiative.Wereitnotforthedetermination
ofotherswhohadreadthebookandwereequallyinvestedinreconciliation,the
projectwouldhavecollapsed.Itishopedthatmyexperiencesasanoralhistory
researcherwillserveasareferenceforothersaboutnotonlytheinvaluable
natureoftestimonyasevidence,butalsosomeoftheinherentrisksinoral
historyortestimonybasedhistoriography,especiallywhendealingwith
controversialtopics.
IftheresearchforFieldofSpearshasdemonstratedanything,itisthat
testimony,evenifflawedandinconsistent,maybeofgreatvalue,eitherin
sheddinglightonthecomplexprocessesbywhichindividualsrememberand
reconstructthepastorinhighlightingflawsinthedocumentaryrecord.As
demonstratedbytheexamplegivenearlierabouttheNiigataNipponewspaper
articlesayingtwoB29swereshotdown,theuseoftestimonywithcareful
crossreferencingtoallotheravailableevidencemayrevealerrorsin
documentarysources.
However,publicationsbasedontestimonyriskaffectingthememoriesand
emotionsofwitnesses,perhapseventotheextentofcausingcomplete
breakdownintheresearcherwitnessrelationship.Whiletheseriskscanbe
minimizedbysolidcommunicationduringthearticlewritingprocess,oncethe
researchispublishedthereremainsthepossibilityofathirdpartyenteringthe
researcherwitnessrelationship.Theprioritiesofthirdpartiesarenot
necessarilyinaccordancewitheitherresearcherorwitness.Inthecaseofthe
newspaperreportageregardingFieldofSpears,forexample,itisnothardtosee
whytheangle'Americanresearcherclaimsvillagerskilleddownedflyers,
villagersrespondangrily'madeacatchierheadlinethan'Americanresearcher
suggestsvarioushypothesesaboutwhathappened,villagersrejectoneofthose
hypotheses.'
Behindtheseproblemsalsoliesthe'historyissue',whichatthestatelevel
merelyobscuresthemyriadofindividualcasesinJapanandacrossAsiawhere
historyremainsraw,unresolvedandcontested.Mydreamforareconciliation
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processbasedonthisspecificoralhistoryprojectcametoarudeawakeningasI
facedtherealworldofmyinformants'privatetrauma,unresolvedhatred,
repressedregretandlongstandingideologicalissues.Thinkingaboutthe
problemscausedbymydealingswiththeJapanesemedia,andhowthishad
compoundedthepainofsomeinformantsremainedanaggingsourceofregret
untilSusanGrantdecidedtocometoJapantomeetvillagersinaspiritofpeace
andacceptance.Evenoutofthescarsoftraumaticwarmemories,sometimes
thereemergesthesurprisingpossibilityofhope.Myexperiencesillustratethat
howevermuchJapananditsformerenemiescanforgenewrelationshipsatthe
levelofthestate,intheend,itwillbeuptoindividualstotranscendtheir
personalexperiencesandmemoriesofwar,andaddtothemnewmemoriesof
peace.Despitetherisksinvolved,asbothanacademicandoralhistorian,Ifeel
thisissomethingwellworthstrivingfor,bothnowandinthefuture.
BacktoTop
EndnotesandReferences
[1]GregoryHadley(2007)FieldofSpears:TheLastMissionoftheJordan
Crew(Sheffield,UK:PaulowniaPress).
[2]OfparticularinterestinthisareaareworksbyJosephLeDoux(1998)The
EmotionalBrain:TheMysteriousUnderpinningsofEmotionalLife(NewYork:
Touchstone),NobelPrizeWinnerEricKandel's(2006)researchInSearchof
Memory:TheEmergenceofaNewScienceofMind(NewYork:W.W.Norton
&Company)andstudiesbyKarimNader(2003)atMcGillUniversityin
MemoryTracesUnbound(TrendsinNeuroscienceVol.26No.2,pp.6572).
[3]EdmundSteffler(Capt.),'MissingAirCrewReport#14786'(CollegePark,
Maryland:NARA,23July1945,photocopied).
[4]RobertBurkle,'Affidavit'(JudgeAdvocateGeneral(Army),RecordGroup
153,WarCrimesBranchCaseFiles,Case33130,19441949,photocopied).
[5]'InvestigationDivisionReports#226'(GHQ/SCAPRecords.RecordGroup
331:NationalArchivesandRecordsService,March1946April1948.NARA,
WashingtonDC,photocopied).
[6]JohnReitze(2ndLt.),'ReportofRecoveryTeam1(T1J27141)'(HQEighth
ArmyAPO343,MemorialBranch,QuartermasterGeneral,1946,photocopied).
[7]MiyoMeguro,interviewbyToshihideUemura,July1,1998,tape
recording,TheB29DowningIncident,FormerYokogoshiCityHistory
Department,Yokogoshi,Niigata.ValeryBurati,'FragmentsofaMission,'1972,
unpublishedmanuscript(typewritten),3,GeorgeMcGrawPrivatePapers,
Gillett,Arkansas.
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03/12/2014
[8]ChozoShimizu,KyomiShimizu,ChoeiNagai,MiyoMeguro,MasaoSaito,
RinbeiKuga,interviewbyToshihideUemura,1July1998,taperecording.
[9]EdmundSteffler(Capt.),'MissingAirCrewReport#14786'(CollegePark,
Maryland:NARA,23July1945,photocopied).RobertGrant,interviewby
author,23April232004,MDRecording.
[10]TeitaroSato,'DigressionsabouttheB29Downing',GozuHometown
Culture,7December1984,6061.TranslatedbyHiromiHadley.
[11]'InvestigationDivisionReports#226'(GHQ/SCAPRecords.RecordGroup
331:NationalArchivesandRecordsService,March1946April1948.NARA,
WashingtonDC,photocopied).
[12]RobertK.Hall,'ReportonCapt.(NowMajor)GordonP.JordanandCrew,
MissinginAction19/20July1945'(SanFrancisco,California:Sixth
BombardmentGroup,OfficeoftheGroupIntelligenceOfficer,15August,
1945,photocopied),12.
[13]ChozoShimizu,KyomiShimizu,ChoeiNagai,MiyoMeguro,Masao
Saito,RinbeiKuga,interviewbyToshihideUemura,July1,1998,tape
recording.
[14]HarryGeorge,interviewbyGregoryHadley,24August2003,notes.
[15]PaulTrump,Lititz,PA,toHitoshiFukuda,QuestionnairestoB29
CrewmenLostoverYokogoshi,YokogoshiTownDepartmentofHistory,
Yokogoshi,Niigata,Japan.
[16]LawrenceSmith,9thBombardmentGroup(VH)History(Princeton,NJ:
9thBombGroupAssociation,1995),338.
[17]YoshikazuNakamura,interviewbyToshihideUemura,July1,1998,tape
recording,TheB29DowningIncident,FormerYokogoshiCityHistory
Department,Yokogoshi,Niigata.RobertK.Hall,'ReportonCapt.(NowMajor)
GordonP.JordanandCrew,MissinginAction19/20July1945'(San
Francisco,California:SixthBombardmentGroup,OfficeoftheGroup
IntelligenceOfficer,15August,1945,photocopied),12.
[18]GregoryHadley,IshiiNobuhira(trans.)'TakeyarinomuraniochitaB29
(jo)'(TheB29thatfellintheVillageofSpearspt.1)April2008Sekai,269
277.GregoryHadley,IshiiNobuhira(trans.)'TakeyarinomuraniochitaB29
(ge)'(TheB29thatfellintheVillageofSpearspt.2)May2008Sekai,258
266.
[19]Theexactwordingofthesentencestatingtheairmenweremurderedin
Japaneseis:'Daga,ikinokottatojoinwosonmingasatsugaishitatosurunaiyo
wa,jimotojuuuminkaratsuyoihanpatsuwouketa.'Themoreaccurate
statementlaterinthearticlereads:'"Takenomura"wa,konouchisanninga
sonminnisatsugaisaretakanoseigaarutoshitekisuru.'Myreasonsfor
highlightingthis'possibility'stemmedfromthefollowingthatIuncovered
duringthecourseofmyresearch:
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03/12/2014
MyinterviewswiththeB29crewmenfoundthatmanyinthecrewwere
terrifiedaboutthepossibilityofbeingshotdownoverJapan,sincetheyhad
participatedinthehorriblefirebombingsofTokyoandothermajorcities.The
crewdiscussedamongthemselveswhattheywoulddoiftheyhadtobailout.
Mostsaidtheywouldsurrender,buttwoofthecrewmenstatedtheywouldfight
tothedeathratherthanbecaptured.Thecopilotstatedhewouldrathergo
downwiththeairplanethanbailout.
DocumentsinthepreliminaryinvestigationoftheB29crashbyRobertGroh,a
warcrimesinvestigator,showthattheyhadreceivedreportsthatsoldiersfrom
the1993rdRegiment(theHaruButai)hadkilledsomeoftheB29crewmen
androbbedtheirbodiesofvaluables.IcontactedGroh,theninhisearly90s,to
askwhyhedidnotfollowthislead.Grohwassomewhatevasiveonthispoint,
butstatedthathesimplydidnotwanttobelievethereportsafterseeingthe
wellkeptgravesitethatthevillagersinYakeyamahadmadeforthedead
crewmen.Healsotoldmethereweremoreimportantcasestodealwith.He
wasakeyinvestigatorinthemanhuntforKatoTetsutaro,commandantof
NiigataCamp5Bandlatertheauthorof'WatashiwaKainiNaritai.'
Basedonthesefindings,Iwrotethatitmighthavebeenpossibleforsomeof
thecrewmentohavebeenkilledinashootoutwithsoldiers.However,Iwas
carefultonotethatnoeyewitnessescameforthduringtheinvestigation.There
waslittlephysicalevidence,sincethebodiesofthecrewwerealreadybadly
decomposedwhenrecoveredbytheUSMilitary.Reportsofshootoutswith
militarypersonnelsurfacedonlyafterthebodieswereenroutebyshipbackto
theUnitedStates.GHQhaddecidedthatallwarcrimesinvestigationswereto
befinishedby1948,andthismadeanyfurtherattemptsatinvestigatingthese
questionsextremelydifficult.
[20]JamesOglethorpe,personalcommunication,15May,2010.
[21]EdnaHunter(1988)'LongTermEffectsofParentalWartimeCaptivityon
Children:ChildrenofPOWandMIAServicemen'(JournalofContemporary
PsychotherapyVol.18,No.4,pp.312328).
[22]JoStanley(1996)'IncludingtheFeelings:PersonalPoliticalTestimonyand
SelfDisclosure'(OralHistoryVol.24,No.1,pp.6067)MarkKlempner
(2000)'NavigatingLifeReviewInterviewswithSurvivorsofTrauma'(The
OralHistoryReviewVol.27,No.2,pp.6783).
BacktoTop
Abouttheauthor
GregoryHadleyisProfessorofEnglishandAmericanCulturalStudiesat
NiigataUniversityofInternationalandInformationStudies.Evenfromanearly
age,hehashadanenduringinterestindifferentcultures.Hehasworkedasa
counsellorinaCubanrefugeecentre,wherehebegantolearnabouttherestive
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03/12/2014
dynamicsexistingbetweenpeople,culturesandorganizations.Later,after
relocatingtoJapanandhavingstudiedJapaneseasathirdlanguage,heentered
academiaandprogressivelydevelopedfurtherskillsforconductingsociological
andcrossculturalresearch.ThisincludedusingtoolssuchasPersonal
ConstructRepertoryGridsandaConstructivistversionoftheGroundedTheory
Methodology.
emailtheauthor
BacktoTop
Copyright:GregoryHadley.
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Ejcjs - Hope and Peril in Equal Measure

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