KISKA PETALS

Letters from subchaser commanders

Mrs. CHIYO SHINODA(age 97)	Kisaka petals on the letter after 66 years
The letter and Kiska Petal dated July 7th[* note 1], 1942 keeping in file by CHIYO SHINODA. That is the same with Mrs. Abele. Two columns on the left hedge of the letter is ISAMU SHINODA's postscript, "Tell KAZUO to study much. I send flowers of this place to you with my heart."

Days had passed. One day at the morning of early November 1942, when I washed my face, my mother told me 'I saw the father in the dream with white cloths. I am anxious if he might have something wrong.' I felt nothing anxious and went to elementary school(KINOMOTO national elementary school) as usual. At that afternoon's first class, school janitor came in the class and told smothing to my teacher. He ordered me to come back home right now.
At my house elder uncle KINZO came and lit the candle at the house Buddhist altar. My mother was weeping and told me father had died at the warfront. I was third grade of elementary school and not realized such sudden and importtant thing. It was my first thought that my father would not scold me about my fault that I had broke the game that he had gave me at the last time.
Such childish thought at the instat of declaration of father's death might be came from these home atmosphere. My father was a officer seaman of ocean liner and tend to be absent the home. When he came back to home, he might think the service for wife and children must be need so we used to travel together. So I didn't have much time to spend with him therefore he was a little far man for me. My father was cheer also methodical and patient. I have few time with him, at that time he was sweet also strict. So when he came back, I was always with my mother, his presence was dignity for me.
But when my uncle beckoned me and prayed to house Buddhist altar, I realized my father never came back so I had cried loudly. My sister(TATSUKO) age 5 and borther(MASAAKI) 3 was playing together at next room innocently.
Even today I believe there was some supernatural relation between the fact that my father KIA when we failed to do everyday praying habit and my mother saw him in white cloths at previous night when the death information came to my home.

My father is descendant of a landowner who once had huge land at GIFU city downtown. He was the third son of TOMOSABURO and born 1904. Graduated GIFU 1ST HIGH SCHOOL then tried to enter Navy Academy but failed because of shortage of height. Therefore he entered KOBE MERCHANT SHIP SCOOL(today KOBE Merchant University). At that time he had trained at Navy Gunner School. After graduated the school he warked at NIHON YUSEN shipping co. and voyaged all over the world. His habbit was collecting stamps. He had collected many stamps of the world. We have still kept them. At mid age 30th he got ship captain qualification. Few months prior to the war, June 1941, he was called up to the Navy. He had seen the world so he knew the war was disadvantage for Japan that had no resources.

At the beginning of his navy career he joined MAIZURU navy district then boarded on a gunship and cruised southern ocean. Then Dec. 8th the war begun. At the same time he moved to YOKOSUKA navy district, then ordered to be a building supervisor of subchaser #27. The subchaser was built by ISHIKAWAJIMA HARIMA SHIPYARD(IHI), coincidentally today my working company. With my father the suchaser was completed IHI FUKAGAWA shipyard, and did trial at TOKYO-Bay. My father became commander of subchaser #27, moved KURE navy district. He had practiced with his ship and crew at SAEKI navy base, KYUSYU. Then at the end of May, 1942 he had departed toward northern pacific from KURE navy base.

SUGINO and HARUYAMA's Subchaser #25(Sister ship of #27)

At that time I was a student of national elementary school and kept my home with my aunt SHIGEYO(yonger sister of my mother). My father decided to his possible death and eagerly wanted to see me. He asked to my mother let me came to KURE, but I could not to be absent the scool. So that was the last occasion for me to see father. The three except me(Mother and two younger children) met and said good-by at KURE on May 18, 1942. My mother received two letters dated May 24 and May 28 from somewhere domestic Japan, then father seemed left the Japan. He was age 39 in his calendar year.

Here is his May 28th letter, from Subchaser #27 commander ISAMU SHINODA c/o YOKOSUKA mail office to my mother. Military post card, censored. (As it is)

Kiska Flower (left photo by TOSHI MIKAGAWA Aug. 2007; right Aug. 2006 expedition)

He had arrived at the war front on June 8th. We had received several letters. Military activity was secret so he did write nothing about it, but wrote he was at colder place than Japan, asked about health of the family members, breeding three children, to my mother. He also wrote he was waiting for his joy to receive the letters and photos from us. His last letter was dated July 7th that had petals at the war front in it. (My mother still keeps them.) After that we had never received his letter.

ISAMU SHINODA(SC #27 commander) letter Jul. 7, 1942

"My dear CHIYO. Tomorrow it will be just one month since I came here. This one month is so long time, and I have had busy days that I had not experienced before. I had experienced everything that happened in the world, and my spirit have been tempered at under the bomb rain everyday. My CHIYO, indeed this one month is valuable for me that cannot exchange with money. This island was chilly and covered with pure white snow cap when I came here. Instead, now is surrounded by bright fresh green grass with full of flowering plant, white, yellow and red-purple. When I see them I always think about the spring of my homeland. This beautiful landscape is only one pleasure for us. But occasionally this beautiful scene instantly changes awful hell. Even though we have any kind of danger we must defend here. Luckily I am safe till today without any slight wound and healthily participating military service. That must be by God protection and I am encouraged that I must devote myself to the country. Our activity is just broadcasted on OSAKA ASAHI SHINBUN[newspaper] dated June 25th. See once. CHIYO sorry wrote about myself. I have nothing received from you so I am anxious but surely everyone are fuine. It must be hot[in Japan]. The night must be unpleasant by mosquito. I want to send the cool air from here if possible. Take care about enough food and health. Never be careless. I ask you everything while my absence. I am fine so never mind and breed our three children to be fine human. Please. It is prohibited to write detail thing so I write same thing all time. I shall tell you only I am in safe and end this letter. When you have time, let me know how are the children. And send me anything to read, even if old issue it is helpful. Tell my safe to the KAGAMISHIMA's(mother's home) and the Temple's(ZUIRYUJI temple, father's elder aunt). MOTOMACHI's(Father's home) had already received my letter so you need not tell them. I shall finish this letter hoping all of you, the four to be healthy and have fourtune. Tell KAZUO to study much. I send flowers of this place to you with my heart. July 7th [1942] To dear CHIYO From husband at war front"

Subchaser under attack

This was the last letter and we had not received any more. My mother got anxious and wrote a letter and asked to my father's best friend Mr. Shimakawa at Navy Ministry. Mr. Shimakawa already knew the death of my father but could not replied the letter because of the security. Later he told us at my father's funeral that he had tears when he read my mother's letter. At November we had received the information of my father KIA. After the information my mother and I was busy. We attended the ceremony of Navy official funeral by KURE navy district, private funeral at ZENPUKU-JI temple, GIFU prefecture official funeral at city hall. To the Navy funeral at KURE city, my mother and I, uncle KINZO and grandfather(father of my mother) attended. The funeral was sad also solemn, I felt tension. The navy base is now Japan Maritime self defence force and adjacent is IHI co.(Ex. Navy Yard). Today I sometimes visit IHI shipyard for business and remembers the old day. At the hotel we met many friend of my father and the staff of Navy Ministry. They told us the outline of my father's last.
The subchasers had made three ship formation, on #25 the commander of the squardron, active service captain was aboard. On #26 commander MATSUSHIMA, my father's classmate was aboard. and on #27 my father was the commander. They had advanced together to Kiska base, Aleutian Islands. A subchaser is a ship literally chase enemy submarine, drops depth charges and destroy the sub. After they reached the Kiska Is., patrolled around the area and sweep against US submarine. Then SC #25 and #27 was sunken by the attack of US air force, we were told. The commander MATSUSHIMA of #26 wrote to us a mourn letter with writing brush after he had returned to Japan, he told us my father had died patriotically.
Though, after the war was over, Mr. MATSUSHIMA wrote to us again and told us the detail of my father's KIA. The letter is the follows.

Material of moral education at that days.(Mrs. Shinoda's collection) Now I tell a previous scene. We were given white wood box as my father's remains at the navy funeral held at KURE . Inside the box there were only a photo of dad, so after we returned to our home we put his remained hair that he had left when he had his hair cut close for the military service. When we returned back from KURE to GIFU station, many persons concerned met us. We paraded from the station to my house. In front of my house, all students of KINOMOTO national elementary school stood in a row by turns and pray for my dad. On my dad's subchaser, five young sailors from GIFU prefecture were aboard. The navy funeral at KURE were a joint service with SUGINO's[#25] sailors. After, my grandfather had visited all families of five sailors aboard on my dad's, and collected their portrait[to mourn]. �@Our ancestral temple is ZENPUKUJI where dad's formal funeral was held. It was cold snowing day, Mr. Shimakawa, many other friends and persons concerned attended. I remember Mr. Shimakawa read three message of condolence, one of them were from the president of NIPPON YUSEN shippng co. . Joint funeral at GIFU City Hall was held on in two days so the bereaved families stayed at hotel. One of royal family, I don't remember the name, also attended. I had read the address of thanks as a representative of orphans.

Five sailors from GIFU

Ocean liner ASAMA MARU, NIHON YUSEN's
My father was a member of NIHON YUSEN KOBE branch. After married he and my mother lived in Kobe. When I was born once they had back to GIFU, then were living in kobe until my next brother MASAO was born. Even after we had moved to GIFU, whenever dad came back to Japan from his voyage we visited KOBE. If dad's stay was short, we used hotel. If long rent a house. My memory begins at that days. At that days dad's stay at land was not frequent, when his ship docked in a shipyard he called our family. He had worked thus, so he had not stayed in Japan long. Therefore I suppose he had enjoyed writing letters each other between he and waiting home. He often sent to us picture post cards and survenior from foreign country. Also he always brought back foreign gift for us. He wrote to my mother asking to take care of the childrens, to me to be good man and take care of the younger sister and brother as most elder son.
At July 1939 my next brother MASAO died in his fifth calendar year by children's dysentery while my father went on voyage abroad. Dad had at last came homeland and when he reached at GIFU station and saw me, uncle KINZO and uncle TADAO(elder brother of my mother), he suddenly begun weeping in the crowd with grasping my hand. He must had endured on the way. He said he had seen MASAO, the dead, in his dream before he received the telegram from my mother. I believe the soul of MASAO could reach to my father on far away ocean. After this experience he wrote much more detailed advice to take care of the children in his letter to home. To my writing he wrote back joyfully.

My fatehr was cheerful and honest as his character. He had many best friend, one was Mr. Shimakawa. The classmates had made promise each other that when one dies in the war the rest must help the bereaved family. In their classmates my father died first so the remained best friends and their wives wrote to us to comfort and cheer up. Especially Mr. Shimakawa wrote to me as deputy father. When I entered GIFU 1st high school, he delighted so much. After the war Mr. Shimakawa had safely came back to his work at NIHON YUSEN but oneday at Rotterdam port he got sudden death in his captain room. Today almost of these best friends had passed away.
My father had voyaged on newest ocean liner of NIHON YUSEN shipping(such as HIKAWAMARU [* note 2] now moored at YOKOHAMA). When he returned back to home he invited the neighbors to thank their habitual help to us, enjoyed SUKIYAKI party, such were alike western and modern social style. I remember, on a train he picked up a piece of cheese (that he had purchased at foreign country) from his pocket, and fed me using a toothpick. When he came back to port, he called us to his ship and served us rare western dishes. He had already prepared a plan of his new home at KOBE, drawn by his ship carpenter.

My mother obeyed to father's will ( she was in her 32nd calendar year ) , brought up three childrens during the severe mid and post war days with all her heart. One unmarried aunt helped us in mind. It was spring and I was five grade of elemntary school when the air bombing getting violent so we moved to my mother's home house. After the war we still dwelt with mother's family and had much help. I am an eldest son so naturally had the burden of responsibility, that forced me to be a little narrow sight man. My younger brother and sister has few father's memory and the sorrow of his death. They have elder brother, myself, so I think they had grown up freely as compared with me. When my father passed away I was third grade of elementary school. Later as grown up more and more I missed my father, I often met him in my dream. It lasted until my graduation from the university. I think my younger brother who was born two years before father's KIA inherits most father's character, cheerful, endurable and fastidious. My sister look like my father.

Comparing my father with me, Dad went around all over the world ocean, also experienced the patriotic war though that was by the order of military authorities, and ended his short life under the ordeal. Myself have lived more than twenty years longer than Dad. Looking back my life, at this opportunity I must talk to myself and ask how much I have done that superior to my Dad. Also I hope I will have fruitfil life in my rest life.

I agree Mr. Matsushima that the war must make human unhappy that at all. There were many other families that saw more misfortune than us. The Gulf War at middle east rised last year and today many suffers the aftereffect. I think we have a duty to hand down to our descendant that the peace of the world and peace of the human are incomparable high and must be kept. Also I think we must do moderate behavior onto the Japanese current easy trend of the age that are the result of the easy peace and the satisfaction. Otherwise we may see the dark age again.

When my father went to war front, he left such words and left the home land. "If I met unexpected fate I surely would guard all of you from the heaven." Therefore all of his children could become adult.

In my conclusion, I have no suitable word to thank to my mother who had became young widow and was helped by relatives, brought up us three children. Now she has seven grandchild and one great-grandchild. I wish she may live long and happy that is share from my father.

SHINODA family today (Dec. 23, 2008)	Family Buddhist altar
Gran'ma CHIYO, two sons and one of grandsons, with YUTAKA(reporter). A ship in the poster behind Mrs. CHIYO is HIKAWA MARU (ISAMU's ocean liner at pre war age).	Right above is the portrait on the wall, subc #27 commander ISAMU SHINODA SHINODAs is old family that have inherited more than seven generations.

Note:
1. July 7th is 'TANABATA', a Chinese origin star festival. Two star, male(HIKOBOSHI, Altair) and female(ORIHIME, Vega) on both sides of the milky way are allowed to meet once a year. If it rains at that day they cannot meet because of the current, the milky way has no bridge. They must wait another one year. Even today it is common summer festival especially for kids when we set bamboo, hang wish memos, and pray the weather will be fine for the two stars. If they met then the human wish also will be come true.
   See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanabata

2. HIKAWAMARU at YOKOHAMA photos http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Hikawamaru

3. Here is the sonar image off KISKA by Williamson & Associates, result of Aug. 2006 expedition. By the Matsushima's letter it is clear perhaps north SC may be SC #27, Shinoda's. And south may be SC #25, Sugino's. (See 'Attack Analysis Jul.15, 1942')