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Air Force Association 1501 Lee Highway • Arlington, VA 22209-1198 Telephone: (703) 247-5800 Toll-free: (800) 727-3337 If you know your party’s extension enter it or: Japanese Fringe ment supports, a more assertive military Press 1 to enter their last name. John T. Correll’s article, “The Year role for Japan in Asia, the Japanese Press 2 for Membership. of the Kamikaze” (August, p. 56) was public clearly has other ideas, and one Press 3 for the Air Force Memorial Foundation well-written and accurate—up until the can’t argue with their logic: As celebrated Or, stay on the line for the operator last paragraph. There he goes from fact in September, Japan has remained at Fax: (703) 247-5853 to fi ction, offering a somewhat veiled peace for 70 years. What other major Internet: http://www.afa.org/ warning that the Japanese public’s more industrialized country can make a similar favorable perception of the kamikaze statement? potentially foreshadows a more militarily Col. James D. Brophy II, Email Addresses resurgent Japan. He couldn’t be further USAF (Ret.) Events...... [email protected] from the truth. Tokyo Correll asserts that the popularity of Field Services ...... fi [email protected] the recent movie “The Eternal Zero” is I wrote “The Kamikazes: Japanese Government Relations ...... [email protected] an example of this change in perception. Suicide Units” for the July-August 1994 However, he missed the nuance of the issue of Naval Aviation News. It was Industry Relations ...... [email protected] fi lm—the underlying theme of which is part of that magazine’s series of com- Insurance...... [email protected] one that appears frequently in Japanese memorative articles observing the 50th Member Benefi ts...... [email protected] cinema—that the country was deceived anniversary of World War II. I enjoyed and misled by its wartime leaders, yet the John T. Correll’s story. Many of his points Membership ...... [email protected] nation’s soldiers individually devoted their agreed with my own, particularly that the Communications (news media)...... lives to honorably defend their country. overall effect of the kamikazes was “not ...... [email protected] The fi lm does not glorify the military or strategically signifi cant in the long run.” the kamikaze pilots—in fact it shows them Of course, sinking 33 Allied and damag- CyberPatriot...... [email protected] as victims, forced to sacrifi ce their lives ing 286 ships was not to be ignored. I Air Force Memorial Foundation...... afmf@ in what was clearly a futile endeavor. doubt that if you were in those crews, airforcememorial.org Japan has some fairly high-profi le you would consider the suicide attacks personalities with very far-right views; insignifi cant. Magazine Retired Gen. Toshio Tamogami (a former My father was on his way to a de- Advertising ...... [email protected] Air Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff) and stroyer off Okinawa in May 1945. He Editorial Offi ces ...... [email protected] former Tokyo Mayor Shintaro Ishihara had left my mother in New York City, are examples. They seek a return to pregnant with me (I was born in early Letters to Editor Column...... [email protected] a militarily aggressive Japan and offer June, and she never knew exactly where revisionist views regarding the country’s he was.). He was standing at the bus Change of Address WW II atrocities. Yet their views are clearly stop at Alameda [Calif.], orders in hand, on the fringe of Japanese society and not for a ride to the piers where he would Requires four weeks’ notice. Please mail your seen as credible by the general public. catch a transport to Pearl Harbor and magazine label and fi rst and last name to the There is no more clear evidence of then out to his new assignment off Membership Department at 1501 Lee High- way, Arlington, VA 22209-1198. You may also the public’s continuing commitment to Japan. At the last moment it seems, update this information under the Members pacifi sm than their opposition to Prime a jeep came up and its driver told him Only area of our website at www.afa.org, by Minister Shinzo Abe’s current, very mod- his orders had been changed. He was, calling our Membership Department at 1-800- est proposals to modify Japan’s consti- indeed, going to Pearl, but had been 727-3337, or emailing [email protected]. tutional limits on collective self-defense. reassigned to a top-secret shore unit The most recent polling has these propos- making invasion maps—the ones to be AFA’s Mission als being opposed by a large majority of the population: 53 percent against, only Our mission is to promote a dominant United 29 percent supporting (Asahi Shimbun, Do you have a comment about a States Air Force and a strong national defense current article in the magazine? and to honor airmen and our Air Force heri- July 20, 2015). The primary reason for tage. To accomplish this, we: nonsupport, whether accurate or not, is Write to “Letters,” Air Force Mag- a widespread belief that these changes a zine, 1501 Lee Highway, Ar- Educate the public on the critical need for will increase the possibility of Japan being lington, VA 22209-1198. (Email: unmatched aerospace power and a techni- [email protected].) Letters should cally superior workforce to ensure US national involved in a military confl ict. security. On a recent Sunday in late August, be concise and timely. We cannot over 25,000 people demonstrated against acknowledge receipt of letters. Advocate for aerospace power and STEM these constitutional changes in downtown We reserve the right to condense education. letters. Letters without name and Tokyo, signifi cant given the general city/base and state are not accept- Support the Total Air Force family and promote apathy of the pubic over the past several able. Photographs can not be used aerospace education. decades to political issues. While Prime or returned.—THE EDITORS Minister Abe desires, and the US govern-

6 AIR FORCE Magazine / October 2015 e b t e b o t t e t 96 (Claude) fighter against Allied ships. bo t t e re tor e er t t e t e be c r t e ct o o t er er o cco t t t ort 1 0 re o rce too ee e t e o e te 1 5 or 1 e rc o t e ct e o t e t e t t e t r e t e ot t e r eter er o o t o r o t t re c b e e rre ere t et t or be better e oo e t t e e r t e tor e r ectr o o re o rce r t er t e e o re e rc er t or r orce r re t tc e r or or t o e to A Ra in b c ot re 201 c o e e ere ere e o o bo t e o co er t o t e t rt te or t co r o b t t e e e ort ero ot to t r r e e ere t t cert e O t e to o e t e r e e ce b ro bo t c o e r ort e o e ert re e e t e o t or t b t ter o t o t t t e t e r orce e e o e ot t co e o t or t t t co ete te ere e c e t r r ct o re o te e o er ere ot er o er r o e t e to ort t e r [“Action et t e e b t t e to ee t e r in Congress,” June, p. 5]. ter e b r t o t to t e e e e r e t or o e c e e ec e to t o e c rc t o rcr t t t e e bo t o ter be to t bo t ane ane o t e r e er e e t o t e er ce t e t Further clarification of the picture of c oo e t o t t e o t occ rre to e t t e re t t t e 12 ecret e e to t er e co e c co be be e t e e e e t o 2015 0 o o e tc t o t roce e to ro ce o e o e o er tor or er e te e er ect cc r te [“Letters: No Lake t e b e tr er e co o e beco e e t e e te o r t Wobegone,” August, p. 5]. actually had plans to fly these biplanes There’s going to be an A-10 vs. F-35 fly- o o re o e t o ct in the final kamikaze raids.” o 201 to eter e t e be t about these magnificent aircraft. Yes, the If you can find a copy, Kamikaze o to o e c e e o e ct re o rcr t t eco e o r r tte b er o t o o t c cr t c cre t t o t e 12 e Japanese army air force fighter pilot co te t ee c t or t e t rcr t e ct re 1 c b /O c r o e b t e ee o o r ter er ce ee te t t b t e t o 1 ee t e e e rre er o e e rett rro ct e er o e r e e ct o t o tr e t t before he was scheduled to fly his own to ert rb t e er ce t cr t c t e 12 ro ct o terr te to c e o e boo or t e e e t rec e t o e accommodate the production of three YF- b e b t e t e 1 50 ce o t t 12s. After the YF-12s, the assembly line b t t t bee re b e ce e t o co er t e re o rce e t b c to ro ce tot o 15 12 t e tro ct o to rt c e e ort t e ro co er o c 12 ere o e e t rcr t e t e t or e cr t o tc orce o ere o t e t ree ere t o e ter O e o t e t ree his lifelong friend fly an obsolete Type obr t e c e co tr b te o tr er t e t t o ro ct o

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AIR FORCE Magazine / October 2015 rcr t ere 12 e te 21 re o o e bee o b e to ro e e te co er e o t e e e rcr t c rr e reco ce t re ot t o o t re ere o er t t e ro e o to o t e t e e t t c ort e to t r orce to c t t e e o ro r o t bo r e o b e to t e e co er t e e t eet or er to eco e t cco o te t e c o t e or o e t t o e o e or t re ce e t t control officer (LCO) who launched the t ctor er e tte t to e er et t t o t be re to ro e t ro te c 2 o e orce t r et o er te t 202 tr e o r can inflict unacceptable losses; but t o r ce et e tte t to re ce r et c o t e er b t b ot o e o e e bo r e t e t e t t o e e t c AR e an e ro e e t eo o ie n a t re t t t t e r orce t ore t e or orce to be etecte e t 2015 Air Force Magazine to ee t ro tr [“ISR Iron Triad,” oc te t r ete e tro e rt c e o ber o [p. 20] t te August, p. 38] b e or ec e to co e et e te t e t e t t t t bo ber e bee rot t to ort te t e e o t t t e rece e te c b t e ce 200 rt o tr te c r orce t oe ot rec te ro e t e r orce co eterre ce o o t e rece e te c b t e o t e to o o e r r be ot co t o b t t bee t e re tr or t e t e co er o o ot o er t t t e e e t orce t te t e te o ot r t e er o 1 5 1 5 o eo e e t or e er too t e r orce re I was a member of the 509th BW, flying e o ort t e e er too t e rece e te t e 50 t c e r o o t t t t e or r t t e or t e o b e t t t ree o t to ort o e e t ctor to t e r e o ot e re t re to e o t e ore r c e er o e e t o t e te ro ct o or o e e t o r r e cre te t e e t e o t e e to e t e t ort t ctor e t b t e tr ce r r e o t o t o e e e t t o e r e t e ort ore e e e t o b e to e o t t e t c cre e t e te e o t o e ce t o r ort ce o r o e e t t er or ce e c e c re e t to er b e ert t t t rece e te b t to etect oc te b t t tere t t t t e r e ter t e t re e tr c t r et e c e tte t orce t e eet ro e o t e re t o t e tor t to o e t ro o t r e re e e cre e e e to t be e t t t e o e o e t e e e c e o e t t or e to t e e t e eet re orte t t t e er c ere et b e t er e er e ce e e o er t e r orce t er o be t t e to o t t t c b t e tre e e e ot er t e o o b t ret r to t e t b e o er orce t er o b e rcr t t e e e t o eor e or o re t e ber o tt c rcr t o ere e re t e t o r et to e e e re ter ct t t t o t e o t rt AIRPOWER CLASSICS AIR FORCE MAGAZINE’S COLLECTION OF CLASSIC MILITARY AIRCRAFT Giant FROM AROUND THE WORLD 14.5” x 11.5” Size! Hardcover • 136 pages • Giant 14.5” x 11.5” size Superb artworks • Printed on art paper in full color Classic fi ghters, bombers, transports, recce aircraft USAF • US Navy • USMC • RAF • Luftwaffe and many more Detailed specifi cations • Histories and interesting facts Sewnbound • Laminated dustjacket • Full index

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