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The Story of Mr. Matsumuro

July 16 - On my recent trip to Yamaguchi Prefecture I met a truly remarkable man. His name is Mr. Matsumuro and he is a 79 year-old war veteran. Mr. Matsumuro volunteers at the U.S. Marine Corps base in Iwakuni, giving lectures to help U.S. Marines learn about the war from a Japanese perspective.

As a young man, Mr. Matsumuro joined the Japanese Imperial Navy where he was trained to carry out a kamikaze mission against the United States Navy. As Mr. Matsumuro was training for his final mission in Japan, my father was stationed in North Carolina where he began to practice beach landings with his unit in the U.S. Marine Corps. In the summer of 1945, my father's unit was transferred to San Francisco. There my father was told that he would participate in the invasion of Kyushu. Luckily the conflict ended before either Mr. Matsumuro or my Dad had to carry out their missions; both men survived the war. Tragically, however, Mr. Matsumuro lost his entire family in the bombing of Hiroshima.

I cannot imagine the suffering of Mr. Matsumuro. Before we met, I wondered what he would be like. I was surprised to meet a smiling man who was full of life and without a trace of bitterness. He told me that after the war ended he befriended a U.S. Marine from Texas, and that they became lifelong friends. Even more remarkable, Mr. Matusmuro chose to study in the United States for five years. He told me that during his stay he was impressed by the spirit of volunteerism of Americans. Since then Mr. Matsumuro has been active in community social welfare activities in Yamaguchi. Mr. Matsumuro also told me that he sent all of his children to Texas to study where they were sponsored by his American friend from the Marine Corps.

Mr. Matsumuro's story of bitter enemies who turn into friends reflects the amazing path of U.S.-Japan relations over the past century. The younger generations of Americans and Japanese who followed my Dad and Mr. Matsumuro have no direct memories of our horrible conflict, but we should not forget their ability to overcome hatred and distrust and to begin to work together. That is why I am so grateful to Mr. Matsumuro for continuing to visit Iwakuni base and tell younger generations of American Marines about his inspiring journey toward friendship with America. We need to ensure that the next generation of Americans and Japanese can also learn about each other's countries and enjoy the same close ties.

Until next time,

Jim

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