Last Letter of Second Lieutenant Hiroshi Hayashi to His Father
On April 6, 1945, Second Lieutenant Hiroshi Hayashi took off from Miyakonojō
West Airfield and died in a special (suicide) attack west of Okinawa at the age
of 20. He was the 1st Special Shinbu Squadron Leader. He piloted an Army
Hayate Type 4 Fighter (Allied code name of Frank). After his death in a
special attack, he received a promotion to Captain. He was from Ishikawa
Prefecture and graduated from the Imperial Japanese Army Air Academy in the 57th
Class.
He wrote the following final letter on a postcard addressed to his father.
It had a postmark dated April 8.
I am cheerful that the time has come.
As OO [1] Squadron Leader, I will make a
sortie together with my men and will instantly sink a ship. It certainly
will meet your expectations.
Well then, I will go. Farewell.
Letter translated by Bill Gordon
July 2018
The letter comes from Terai (1977, 3-4). The biographical information in
the first paragraph comes from Chiran Tokkō
Irei Kenshō Kai (2005, 179) and Osuo (2005, 207).
Note
1. OO indicates information that was a military
secret and could not be included in the letter.
Sources Cited
Chiran Tokkō Irei Kenshō Kai (Chiran Special Attack
Memorial Society), ed. 2005. Konpaku no kiroku: Kyū rikugun tokubetsu
kōgekitai chiran kichi (Record of departed spirits: Former Army Special
Attack Corps Chiran Base). Revised edition, originally published in 2004. Chiran Town, Kagoshima
Prefecture: Chiran Tokkō Irei Kenshō Kai.
Osuo, Kazuhiko. 2005. Tokubetsu kōgekitai no kiroku (rikugun hen)
(Record of special attack corps (Army)). Tōkyō: Kōjinsha.
Terai, Shun'ichi, ed. 1977. Kōkū Kichi Miyakonojō Hayate
Tokkō Shinbutai (Miyakonojō Air Base Hayate Special Attack Shinbu Unit).
Tōkyō: Genshobō.
Final letter written on postcard by
Second Lieutenant Hiroshi Hayashi
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