Saitama Special Attack Corps Monument
Ōmiya City, Saitama Prefecture
The Special Attack Corps Monument at Saitama Prefecture Gokoku Jinja is the
13th one erected nationwide with support from the Tokkōtai Commemoration Peace
Memorial Association. The bronze figure of the front half of a kamikaze
pilot honors young men who died in battle while carrying out special (suicide) attacks
during the latter stage of the Pacific War.
A gokoku jinja is a Shinto shrine
dedicated to persons from the prefecture who died in wars to protect the country
of Japan. The Saitama Prefecture Gokoku Jinja has several monuments to remember those persons who
died during wars. Replicas of the standing kamikaze pilot have been erected at other gokoku jinja
such as those
in Tochigi,
Fukuoka, Fukui, and
Ehime.
The monument has a plaque on its right side with the following explanation:
Saitama Prefecture Special Attack Hero Monument
In the last part of that extremely fierce Greater East Asia War, many young
men from Saitama Prefecture became Special Attack Corps members and died
courageously in battle in order to protect their families, hometowns, and
country with ardent patriotism. Engraved in the hearts of citizens of this
prefecture is the noble spirit of the Special Attack Corps members, who with no
expectation of returning went forward with their young lives and sacrificed
themselves for their country. We hope that this may become the
sustenance for spirits of young people who will lead the next generation.
With cooperation from the Tokkōtai Commemoration Peace Memorial Association,
we erect and respectfully dedicate here the Saitama Prefecture Special Attack
Hero Statue, through contributions from a wide range of devoted citizens of
Saitama Prefecture including bereaved families, war comrades, and esteemed
individuals and organizations, in order to convey forever to future generations
the valiant figure of this hero who died nobly.
October 2013
Saitama Prefecture Special Attack Hero Statue Erection Committee
The back of the plaque lists names of the 102 men from Saitama Prefecture who
died in special attacks during World War II.
The ground to the left of the kamikaze pilot statue has a sign that
special attack
flowers (tokkōbana) were
transplanted here from Chiran, site of the Army's largest special attack air
base in southern Kagoshima.
The following last letters and other writings were written by Special Attack Corps members from
Saitama Prefecture who died in special attacks:
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