Every sane and compassionate human hates war. War is terrifying, horrific, and down right nasty. Sometimes, however, it is necessary. Take for example what happened with our own independence. We took our case to King George III demanding that he change the laws imposed on us. He refused. Eventually that oppression created anger. That anger caused revolts. Those revolts caused injuries to British soldiers, who retaliated by shooting into crowds, which then caused even more anger and rage. A war was then fought. We won, and we soon became our own country. Would this have happened without the war? I strongly doubt it. Take a look at WWII. Diplomacy was tried with Hitler. Britain and France tried to negotiate with Hitler. We all know how that turned out. If you don't, read my other posts.
The point of this short post is to put things into perspective and to show you how war has evolved. In this country we lose our cool when 4,700 of our own troops are KIA while defending our country. Yes, these men/women gave their lives so that I may come on here and speak my mind. They knew that by signing up for the military that there was always the chance of them getting deployed, and there was a chance that they may not come home. I pray for these men/women in uniform, as well as their families, and I thank them every day for their service. But let me put something into perspective.
Ever heard of the Battle of the Somme? July 1, 1916, during WWI, the British Army experienced the bloodiest day in their history. It was the first day of a 4 month offensive that saw 57,470 casualties. Most of these casualties were seen in the first hour. Of these casualties, 19,240 were dead. DEAD!!! In one day the British had 19,240 soldiers dead. More than 4 times as many as we had die in 7 years of us being in Iraq. That was in one day. The entire offensive cost the British Army nearly 420,000 men. In 4 months they lost nearly 420,000 men. We took almost 500,000 casualties during WWII with both theaters combined. That was in 4 years.
How about the battle of Tarawa? November 20-23, 1943, US v. Japan. 4,500 Japanese defenders fought to nearly the last man, killing 1,009 Marines and wounding another 2,101. That totals to more than 3,000 Marines in 3 days, yet many don't know about this battle. I had the absolute honor to speak with a veteran who was a medic at this battle. The stories he told will be for another post.
Here's a battle we all know. D-Day. In one day, on Omaha Beach, we lost 3,000 men. The entire operation, which included US, Britain, and Canada, saw 120,000 casualties for the Allies, and 113,059 casualties for the Germans. Without this invasion, we wouldn't have been able to secure France. The loss of life was horrible, however the overall goal was now attainable. Wasn't the end of the war, 11 months later, worth this sacrifice? Isn't it possible that without this day, the war would have dragged on, and even more life would have been lost?
Did you know that the 8th, 9th, 12th, and the 15th Air Forces, which operated with each other in the European theater of WWII, lost 30,000 men. That's KIA. 30,000. Yet people don't flinch.
I don't care about what your political affiliation is, or whether or not you support the war in Iraq. The truth is that not one war this country has fought, was ever popular. Not even the Revolutionary War, or WWII. In fact approval of WWII was at 27%. War sucks, however, I don't understand why is it that people get more upset with losing 4,000 troops, yet don't care to see it in a broad perspective. Think about how many servicemen we lose due to training exercises.
Here's something else to think about. From the Defense Manpower Data Center, they had this to say:
As of Jan 2007 we have lost over 4,000 military personnel. Of that figure 2,500 have died due to hostile action in Iraq and Afghanistan. The remaining 1,500 are due to accidents, homicides, illnesses, suicides, and a few have been undetermined. Yet, these numbers are added into the 2,500 for political reasons.
For those of you who are against wars, you aren't alone. I too am against war, however, I know when it is necessary. But there are many who are opposed to war just because and don't think about when it is necessary to defend ones country. I thank all of those who serve in our military, and all of those who have sacrificed, including their families. Because of you I have the freedom to speak my mind on here. Because of you, those who oppose wars period, have the freedom to do so. It is because of those sacrifices that those people are allowed to oppose anything. A life is a life, however look at how much more different wars are fought now as compared to 70, even 100 years ago. It could be much, much worse.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Why I Do This
Do you honestly think that a senior level World History course would allow me to teach about the Imperial Japanese Army and what they did to the Chinese? Or have me teach the students about how the "Confederate Flag" isn't a racist symbol? The answer is no. The public school system in this country is a joke, especially in the history section. Before my last post, how many of you knew about the Second Sino-Japanese War? Be honest. You may have known about the Japanese fighting the Chinese, but how far below the surface did you go? Did any of what I told you make you want to learn more? Or at least want to try to disprove me? If you answered yes to either question, then I did my job. As a school teacher, I wouldn't be allowed to spark any interest for students to want to learn more. I would be required to teach the same material that has been taught numerous times before.
As in my first post I mentioned how the schools don't stray away from the basic material, or at least go into deeper meaning. What they don't want is for some newbie teacher to come in and stir the pot. I would be let go from the school, (basically kicked out) for wanting to shake up the curriculum and get it to where it interests more mature minds. I'm talking about high school in this sense. There's no way I would ever want to teach about the Japanese and Chinese to 4th graders, but I do believe that high school seniors can learn about it. If we can learn about Anne Frank and the Holocaust in Europe in 8th grade, then maybe we are mature enough to learn about the other holocaust. Tell me, why is it that we were mature enough to learn about victims being put into ovens, but we weren't mature enough to know about the Japanese playing their sword game? If you can seriously tell me the difference here, I'll keep my mouth shut. Sounds like being burned alive is a lot more graphic, than being decapitated, yet the Japanese sword game sounds taboo.
The school system in this country has failed us. They failed us in the sense that instead of showing us how to take initiative in our own education, they've created drones, meaning people who only repeat back what they have heard. Is it possible that people don't take initiative in their own education because they were never shown that digging deeper, leads to better understanding? Why is it that people feel that what they know, is adequate? Why don't they want to know more? I feel that this might be a political agenda at work.
One way the Catholic Church stayed in power for so long was that they made it illegal for anyone outside of the church to be literate. Why is that important? Well, an educated person is more of a threat to a government than a non-educated person. How is that possible? Think about it. An educated person is one who is willing to research, investigate, and speak out against the establishment, and do so thoroughly and effectively. This means that when a government starts to go out of its bounds, there's somebody there to rein them in. However, when the next generation comes in, and they don't have the education necessary to pull on the reins, the government can do what they want, and nobody will oppose them.
I'm going to assume that if you are regular reader here, that you don't fall into this category. You have actively searched for another answer. A different view, or way of thinking. You don't have to agree with my views, however, if you choose to oppose them, ensure that you are knowledgeable of your own view. Too many times I find that everyone has an opinion, yet few are able to justify it.
I'm not saying that what I'm teaching you is material that'll allow you to go out in the world and successfully change everybody's opinions. However, I'm trying to spark that little thing in your brain that makes you actively go out and search for more information on whatever it is that you are interested in.
Though I am not running out of material to post, I would like to hear from my readers. Please leave a comment telling me what you would like to learn about next. I think my next post will be about Pearl Harbor, and how Roosevelt and Churchill knew about the attack beforehand, but decided to keep it secret to allow the US to enter the war, but could be one of your topics instead.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The Forgotten Holocaust
This post has no intention of taking anything away from the horrors that the Jewish population faced in Nazi Germany. Nothing could. However, what I am going to do is educate you of what has come to be known as the Forgotten Holocaust. This period of genocide started in 1937 and ended at the conclusion of the Second World War in 1945. We know about WWII. Do you know about the Second Sino-Japanese War? My guess is no. Do you know about the Tokyo Trials? Probably not. How about the Nanking Massacre? No? I had a hunch that you wouldn't. There are reasons for that. Those reasons will come at the end, so sit back and read this, and you will find out just how cruel humans can really be.
Second Sino-Japanese War:
This war started in July of 1937 when Japan, after invading China, assaulted the Marco Polo Bridge, which was a crucial access point to Beijing. Japan wasn't looking for a full scale war, but those attempts when Chiang Kai-shek mobilized the army and air force, under his command, assaulted the Japanese in Shanghai, failed. The Japanese thwarted this assault and shortly after went into Nanjing, (Nanking) towards the end of 1937. At the start of 1938 the Japanese govt. had lost control of the army in China and the generals escalated the war when they were defeated in Taierzhuang. After this the IJA (Imperial Japanese Army) had to change its strategy and attack the city of Wuhan, which was the center of operations for China. After the city's capture the government retreated to Chongqing to set up a provisional capital, and Chiang Kai-shek refused to negotiate unless the Japanese agreed to withdraw their forces to pre-1937 borders. The Japanese responded by sending in massive air raids on civilian targets in Chongqing, and almost every major city in unoccupied China. This left millions dead, wounded, and without homes. The war would end with the Japanese surrender to America on September 9, 1945. China suffered 20 million dead, and 15 million wounded. The total number of military dead and wounded is 3.7 million. This means that 16.3 million civilians were killed during this 8 year conflict. 16.3 million. That means that for every 1 Jewish person killed under Nazi control nearly 3 Chinese were killed.
The Nanking Massacre (Rape of Nanking):
On December 13, 1937, Japanese forces captured the city of Nanking and during the six-week period that followed, hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians and disarmed soldiers were murdered. In addition to that, around 20,000 women, including infants, were brutally raped by soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). Japan has stated that the figures have been exaggerated, but they do admit to the acts of killing a large number of noncombatants. It's kinda hard to believe the story from the ones accused. Japanese officers had a contest amongst themselves of who could be the first to kill 100 people (civilians) using only a sword. Two 2nd Lieutenants recorded 106 for one and 105 for the other. Japanese soldiers would throw babies into the air and try to catch them on their bayonets, allowing gravity to slide the infant fully onto the blade. Little boys would be bayoneted to death. Some survived. An 8 year old boy survived being stabbed 5 times according to an American surgeon who was there in 1938 when he wrote home to his family.
The most sickening, and shocking, reports, that came from this time, were the rapes. As mentioned before about 20,000 women were raped, which included infants and the elderly. Most of these rapes were systematized in a process where soldiers would go door-to-door searching for young girls. When found, the soldiers would take the women captive where they would be gang raped. Usually immediately following the rape, the women were killed. However, these were often carried out through explicit mutilation.
***I can't stress enough that if you are easily sickened, do not read any further.***
The way the women were killed was usually by stabbing. They were not stabbed in the neck, heart, or stomach. They were stabbed with objects into their private area. Objects used were bayonets, long sticks of bamboo, canes, and anything else they could find. For children and infants, they were cut open to allow the Japanese soldiers to rape them. Pregnant women weren't exempt. There are numerous accounts of soldiers lining up women and raping them systematically. If they came across a pregnant woman, they would rape them, kill the woman by stabbing her in the stomach, cut her open, pull out the fetus, stab the fetus, and throw it away. This would happen, in front of everyone, including her family members. If the brother, father, or husband tried to resist, they were killed.
I apologize for the graphic detail, but there are numerous times where graphic details are used when describing the Holocaust in Europe as well.
After 6 weeks of this, it was over. Shortly after the surrender of Japan, the primary officers in charge of the IJA troops at Nanking were put on trial.
Tokyo Trials:
These were the war crimes tribunals that put these officers on trial. Unfortunately, only 2 defendants were connected to the Nanking Massacre.
General Matsui, who was charged with being one of the senior officers who "deliberately and recklessly disregarded their legal duty [by virtue of their respective offices] to take adequate steps to secure the observance [of the Laws and Customs of War] and prevent breaches thereof, and thereby violated the laws of war."
Hirota Koki, was the Foreign Minister when Japan conquered Nanking, and was convicted of waging a war of aggression and a war in violation of international laws.
The two men were senetenced to death by hanging and those sentences were carried out. 18 other men received lesser sentences, but they weren't convicted of being the ones who orchestrated the massacre.
On August 15, 1995, the 50th anniversary of the surrender of Japan, the Japanese prime minister gave a formal apology for his country's actions in China, during the war. The atrocities committed during the Second Sino-Japanese War are so bad that Japan doesn't even teach those events to their own children. They feel that it is better to just forget them and move on. You are probably asking yourself, "Why haven't I heard this before?" It's quite simple. The politicians in this country, wanted this to remain quiet. Think about how this country reacted when they found out what Germany was doing. We had a hard time accepting the fact that we needed to stay in that country following the war. What happened immediately following the surrender of Japan? We went to war with Communism, and more accurately, Russia. Japan served as our base of operations, and as our way of having air bases close to Russia. This would allow quick air missions into Russia if war was ever officially declared. Would the American public allow us to rebuild Japan, and build our air bases, if they knew what the Japanese had done? I doubt it.
What's your opinion of the Japanese now? Do you see them differently? Do you think that they should be viewed in the same way as Nazi Germany? If not, what's the difference?
Second Sino-Japanese War:
This war started in July of 1937 when Japan, after invading China, assaulted the Marco Polo Bridge, which was a crucial access point to Beijing. Japan wasn't looking for a full scale war, but those attempts when Chiang Kai-shek mobilized the army and air force, under his command, assaulted the Japanese in Shanghai, failed. The Japanese thwarted this assault and shortly after went into Nanjing, (Nanking) towards the end of 1937. At the start of 1938 the Japanese govt. had lost control of the army in China and the generals escalated the war when they were defeated in Taierzhuang. After this the IJA (Imperial Japanese Army) had to change its strategy and attack the city of Wuhan, which was the center of operations for China. After the city's capture the government retreated to Chongqing to set up a provisional capital, and Chiang Kai-shek refused to negotiate unless the Japanese agreed to withdraw their forces to pre-1937 borders. The Japanese responded by sending in massive air raids on civilian targets in Chongqing, and almost every major city in unoccupied China. This left millions dead, wounded, and without homes. The war would end with the Japanese surrender to America on September 9, 1945. China suffered 20 million dead, and 15 million wounded. The total number of military dead and wounded is 3.7 million. This means that 16.3 million civilians were killed during this 8 year conflict. 16.3 million. That means that for every 1 Jewish person killed under Nazi control nearly 3 Chinese were killed.
The Nanking Massacre (Rape of Nanking):
On December 13, 1937, Japanese forces captured the city of Nanking and during the six-week period that followed, hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians and disarmed soldiers were murdered. In addition to that, around 20,000 women, including infants, were brutally raped by soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). Japan has stated that the figures have been exaggerated, but they do admit to the acts of killing a large number of noncombatants. It's kinda hard to believe the story from the ones accused. Japanese officers had a contest amongst themselves of who could be the first to kill 100 people (civilians) using only a sword. Two 2nd Lieutenants recorded 106 for one and 105 for the other. Japanese soldiers would throw babies into the air and try to catch them on their bayonets, allowing gravity to slide the infant fully onto the blade. Little boys would be bayoneted to death. Some survived. An 8 year old boy survived being stabbed 5 times according to an American surgeon who was there in 1938 when he wrote home to his family.
The most sickening, and shocking, reports, that came from this time, were the rapes. As mentioned before about 20,000 women were raped, which included infants and the elderly. Most of these rapes were systematized in a process where soldiers would go door-to-door searching for young girls. When found, the soldiers would take the women captive where they would be gang raped. Usually immediately following the rape, the women were killed. However, these were often carried out through explicit mutilation.
***I can't stress enough that if you are easily sickened, do not read any further.***
The way the women were killed was usually by stabbing. They were not stabbed in the neck, heart, or stomach. They were stabbed with objects into their private area. Objects used were bayonets, long sticks of bamboo, canes, and anything else they could find. For children and infants, they were cut open to allow the Japanese soldiers to rape them. Pregnant women weren't exempt. There are numerous accounts of soldiers lining up women and raping them systematically. If they came across a pregnant woman, they would rape them, kill the woman by stabbing her in the stomach, cut her open, pull out the fetus, stab the fetus, and throw it away. This would happen, in front of everyone, including her family members. If the brother, father, or husband tried to resist, they were killed.
I apologize for the graphic detail, but there are numerous times where graphic details are used when describing the Holocaust in Europe as well.
After 6 weeks of this, it was over. Shortly after the surrender of Japan, the primary officers in charge of the IJA troops at Nanking were put on trial.
Tokyo Trials:
These were the war crimes tribunals that put these officers on trial. Unfortunately, only 2 defendants were connected to the Nanking Massacre.
General Matsui, who was charged with being one of the senior officers who "deliberately and recklessly disregarded their legal duty [by virtue of their respective offices] to take adequate steps to secure the observance [of the Laws and Customs of War] and prevent breaches thereof, and thereby violated the laws of war."
Hirota Koki, was the Foreign Minister when Japan conquered Nanking, and was convicted of waging a war of aggression and a war in violation of international laws.
The two men were senetenced to death by hanging and those sentences were carried out. 18 other men received lesser sentences, but they weren't convicted of being the ones who orchestrated the massacre.
On August 15, 1995, the 50th anniversary of the surrender of Japan, the Japanese prime minister gave a formal apology for his country's actions in China, during the war. The atrocities committed during the Second Sino-Japanese War are so bad that Japan doesn't even teach those events to their own children. They feel that it is better to just forget them and move on. You are probably asking yourself, "Why haven't I heard this before?" It's quite simple. The politicians in this country, wanted this to remain quiet. Think about how this country reacted when they found out what Germany was doing. We had a hard time accepting the fact that we needed to stay in that country following the war. What happened immediately following the surrender of Japan? We went to war with Communism, and more accurately, Russia. Japan served as our base of operations, and as our way of having air bases close to Russia. This would allow quick air missions into Russia if war was ever officially declared. Would the American public allow us to rebuild Japan, and build our air bases, if they knew what the Japanese had done? I doubt it.
What's your opinion of the Japanese now? Do you see them differently? Do you think that they should be viewed in the same way as Nazi Germany? If not, what's the difference?
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