The US Navy Japanese/Oriental Language School Archival Project The Interpreter Archives, University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries Number 235 Remember September 11, 2001 [email protected] September 1, 2017 Our Mission Dan Kurzman interviewed exonerate Captain McVay. Hashimoto's letter received Hashimoto for his 1990 book Hashimoto told her he would press attention during the effort In the Spring of 2000, the Fatal Voyage, however, and like to help, an offer which was to clear Captain McVay's name, Archives continued the origi- wrote "Commander Hashimoto relayed by e-mail to young and, as a result, it no doubt nal efforts of Captain Roger was amazed by the Americans. Hunter Scott in Pensacola, helped in getting Congress to Pineau and William Hudson, While penned up in his Florida, who suggested that exonerate him. For some reason, and the Archives first at- dormitory during the trial, he Hashimoto write a letter to however, it was not included in tempts in 1992, to gather the was treated more like an honored Senator John Warner, chairman the Senate Armed Services papers, letters, photographs, guest than an enemy officer who of the Senate Armed Services Committee report. and records of graduates of had caused the deaths of so many Committee, and passed on Meanwhile, some very the US Navy Japanese/ American boys." (His treatment Warner's address. interesting comments by Oriental Language School, Hashimoto were revealed in an by the Navy undoubtedly The text of that letter follows: University of Colorado at stemmed from the fact that he English translation of his Boulder, 1942-1946. We was to be one of their witnesses "November 24, 1999 interview with the same assemble these papers in in the prosecution of Captain Attn: The Honorable John W. journalist who acted as the go- recognition of the contribu- McVay.) Warner between in arranging his letter to tions made by JLS/OLS The charge against Captain Chairman, Senate Armed Senator Warner. Here are some instructors and graduates to McVay was that he had hazarded Services Committee excerpts from that interview in the War effort in the Pacific his ship by failing to zigzag at Russell Office Building, which Hashimoto speaks about and the Cold War, to the the time Hashimoto's torpedoes Washington, D.C. 20510 his involvement in the court- creation of East Asian struck, and Hashimoto "I hear that your legislature is martial of Captain McVay: language programs across confounded the prosecution by considering resolutions which "I understand English a little the country, and to the stating that he would have been would clear the name of the bit even then, so I could see at development of Japanese- able to sink the Indianapolis late Charles Butler McVay III, the time I testified that the American cultural rec- whether it had been zigzagging captain of the USS Indianapolis translator did not tell fully what I onciliation programs after or not, testimony which appeared which was sunk on July 30, said. I mean it was not because World War II. to have no impact at all on the 1945, by torpedoes fired from of the capacity of the translator. I court-martial board which found the submarine which was would say the Navy side did not Mochitsura Hashimoto McVay guilty anyway, and under my command. accept some testimony that were Hashimoto was returned to "I do not understand why inconvenient to them ... I was I-58 Commander Japan. Captain McVay was court- then an officer of the beaten On December 7, 1990, with country, you know, and alone, Mochitsura Hashimoto was the martialed. I do not understand the war's bitterness faded, how could I complain strong commander of the Japanese why he was convicted on the survivors of the Indianapolis, enough?" submarine I-58 which sank the charge of hazarding his ship by including Giles McCoy, met When asked how he would USS Indianapolis. He died on failing to zigzag because I Hashimoto in Pearl Harbor on feel to have his views known October 25, 2000, at the age of would have been able to launch the 49th anniversary of that about the court-martial, here was 91, having spent the last years of a successful torpedo attack attack. his response: his life as a Shinto priest in against his ship whether it had Speaking through a translator, "I would feel great. It will be Kyoto, Japan. been zigzagging or not. Hashimoto told McCoy, "I came pleasant. No matter what the For reasons which will be "I have met many of your here to pray with you for your occasion would be. Because at explained, his death saddened brave men who survived the shipmates whose deaths I the time of the court-martial I many Indianapolis survivors. His sinking of the Indianapolis. I caused," to which McCoy, had a feeling that it was path was to cross theirs again in would like to join them in apprehensive about encountering contrived from the beginning" years to come. urging that your national the man who had caused him so and When the decision was made legislature clear their captain's much pain and sorrow but "I wonder the outcome of that in November of 1945 to court- name. touched by Hashimoto's court-martial was set from the martial Captain McVay, a "Our peoples have forgiven comment, replied, "I forgive beginning." decision was also made to bring each other for that terrible war you." When told of the efforts of Hashimoto to the trial as a and its consequences. Perhaps Nine years later Hashimoto young Hunter Scott to clear witness, and a military plane was it is time your peoples forgave responded to this forgiveness by Captain McVay's name, dispatched to Japan with an Captain McVay for the volunteering support to the Hashimoto replied as follows: armed escort to bring him to humiliation of his unjust survivors in their efforts to clear "This is the first time I am Washington. conviction. Captain McVay's name. informed about Hunter Scott. Public animosity toward the In 1999, when a Japanese Mochitsura Hashimoto Well, that's fine ... I hope he will Japanese was still very high, and journalist was interviewing the Former captain of I-58 succeed (in his effort) because using Hashimoto, so recently an elderly Shinto priest about his Japanese Navy at WWII it's a good thing to do." enemy, as a witness against a life and about the sinking of the Umenomiya Taisha The little Shinto priest and a decorated American officer Indianapolis, she informed him 30 Fukeno Kawa Machi, former wartime foe had joined created a storm of controversy that an effort was being made in Umezu the Indianapolis survivors in both in the media and in the halls Ukyo-ku, Kyoto 615-0921, the United States Congress to their quest for justice. of Congress. Japan" USS Indianapolis Organization research analyst for the Central characters are popular; and that of course will not http://www.ussindianapolis.org/hashi Intelligence Group in unfortunately, I am both do.”[2] moto.htm Washington, D.C. In 1953, he unqualified and unable to “The best that can be said of completed a Ph.D in Chinese and comment upon it any greater the authors’ treatment of ancient [Ed. Note: Thomas Ainsworth, JLS 1944, saw service aboard the Japanese at Columbia University detail. In my wallet I have for Chinese and Japanese texts is Indianapolis (Issue #131). Paul with a dissertation on the some years now had to carry a 3 that it is brave and fearless. Kramer , JLS 1944, (in Issue #150) Shuowen jiezi. While pursuing x 5 card on which I long ago Armed with little more than a talked with Commander Hashimoto his doctoral work at Columbia, wrote a short list of things that I dictionary and a vivid in order to find “the perfect choice” he undertook studies at the have promised myself (and my imagination, they do not shrink for a souvenir for CPT McVay from University of California at doctor) not to undertake doing from offering novel I-58 in January 1946. George Berkeley working mainly under under any circumstances or upon interpretations for texts that have Mendenhall, JLS 1944, (in Issue the direction of Peter A. any provocation whatsoever already been studied at least a #203) discovered a launching platform for the kai-ten torpedo, Boodberg, who had urged him to (setting fire to my own hair, thousand years, with the which was later confirmed to be the write his dissertation on the filling my own teeth, stopping consequent accumulation of a torpedo used against the Shuowen jiezi. During this time overnight at the Imperial Hotel, tremendous body of exegetical Indianapolis, against which zig- Miller also did field work in that sort of thing). Attempting to materials and secondary zagging would not have worked. I spoken Tibetan in northern India learn new systems for arranging literature, all of which they are thought I would include this piece as and Kyoto. Chinese characters in prepared to ignore, just as they a final chapter to that story.] _______________ Miller was Professor of dictionaries ranks surprisingly are willing to overlook the Linguistics at the International high on this, my list of absolute existence of perfectly correct Roy Andrew Miller Christian University in Tokyo no-no’s, short as it is. To do modern translations, that if Professor of Japanese in from 1955 to 1963. From 1964 otherwise would be to reveal consulted, would immediately to 1970 he taught at Yale myself as sadly deficient in show where they have gone the Department of Asian University where he served as gratitude to that brave teams of wrong.”[3] Languages & Literature chairman of the Department of neuro-surgeons, acupuncturists, “One does not normally look from 1970 to 1989 & Far East and South Asian and moxabustioneers, who some to Kodansha publications for Languages and Literatures.