“We know we are going to die, so we are not afraid of anyone and we all have high morale.”

Cover photo: Japanese naval infantrymen scours around Kiska, Alaska, USA in pursuit of retreating U.S. sailors after assaulting on a U.S. Navy weather station (June 6, 1942)

From the diary of a Japanese soldier during the battle on Makin Island (November 20-24 1943) in the Gilbert Islands. This soldier survived the bloody American landing (763 dead compared to 395 Japanese) and wandered the island trying to remain undetected.

Starting his diary on November 24, he wrote: “The location of each squad leader is unknown. We are surrounded by tanks, but we will fight to the end. We didn’t care about the fire from their machine guns and artillery. Those tanks couldn’t get too close because of the swamp, but the men there hastily committed suicide. Today, we are still alive. We know that we will die as we are to be the second suicide unit (banzai attack) and plan to fight to a beautiful end.”

His psychology and condition on November 25 is noteworthy. He notes in his diary: “Although we are alive, we believe we will only live another 2-3 days. Each of us has put the muzzle of our gun to our throat several times, but since we will eventually die, why not see it through to the end?”

As the Americans began to encroach more on the inaccessible parts of the island, the diarist, along with other survivors, began constructing rafts and canoes to travel from island to island within the complex, avoid detection, and await reinforcements. On December 2, their makeshift sail was destroyed, and their hardships were now severe. The Japanese soldiers did not believe the reports from the native islanders regarding the favorable outcomes of battles for the U.S.

“December 2.
We are determined and plan to attack the enemy tanks if we don’t see reinforcements arrive by the anniversary of December 8 (attack on Pearl Harbor). It seems the Americans have spread a lot of false propaganda — that they have landed in the Marshall Islands and will soon invade Japan. They told (the natives) that several tens of thousands landed at Tarawa and that if Japanese soldiers come to the village, they should tell them to surrender. Don’t make me laugh; we can die at any time.”

The next day,
“December 3. We still have high morale, there is little food left, and we are determined to hold out until December 8. We want to prolong the end a little longer so that our people will learn of the courage of our commander and our leaders. Our last hope is to wait for God’s strength. The place where a soldier dies is very important.”

“December 7
Myself and two others from the unit were hiding at the entrance of an air raid shelter, and they passed by three times about 3 meters away from us.” That day, he and four others tried to swim to the nearby island. “We swam for about two hours, and because of the large waves, we were completely exhausted and thinking it was impossible, we returned. (..) The enemy tanks with infantry came about 50 meters away. I don’t know why, but the other four got up and ran into the sea. The tanks opened fire with their guns. The four were either killed or found out of range. God saved me again. I am now alone, and it is quite lonely.”

December 8
“Today is the 2nd anniversary of the Great Asian War. I was looking for traces of the others who were possibly killed but found nothing, so my morale was somewhat better since I thought they might have made it. I ate coconuts and rested on the edge. I waited until my shirt, pants, and socks dried. I circled the island (trying to find the others but unsuccessfully), and finally, I decided to commit suicide. As I was heading back to my spot, someone called me, and I saw Komatsu, Atobe, and Nozuchi. They had managed to make a raft and were ready to set off. It must have been a sign from the good God. I regained my courage.”

The companions of the diary frequently changed. Some were killed, some were lost, and new ones were found hiding. Over the next five days, they wandered from island to island, avoiding detection by the American troops. He wrote about how weak he was and that they were carrying a rusty rifle. Waiting for the weather and tide to favor them, they hoped to sail to the next nearest island, aiming for the closest position to metropolitan Japan.

His last entry is on December 13, about three weeks after the initial attack on Makin. “Terrible storm in the morning. Spent the whole day in the hut. Departure is tomorrow. First time we washed our face and hands with soap. We planned to go to Kuma (a nearby island in the Okinawa complex) at night.”

After that, the diary stops. The fate of the Japanese soldier is unknown. Most likely, he was killed trying to reach his next destination with his meager resources and condition or fell dead from an enemy bullet.