Overcoming 78 years of enmity, two "last survivors" on each side of World War II have shared messages of peace, as a veteran in this west Japan city received a letter from a former U.S. naval officer on June 10.
Kunshiro Kiyozumi, who resides in the town of Masaki, Ehime Prefecture, is the last surviving crew member from the I-58, a submarine in the former Imperial Japanese Army's fleet that sunk the United States Navy's USS Indianapolis.
The USS Indianapolis heavy cruiser was sunk by torpedoes launched from the I-58 on July 30, 1945, in the Philippine Sea right after completing its mission to deliver parts for the "Little Boy" nuclear warhead to a U.S. base on Tinian Island in the Marianas. This weapon was dropped by the U.S. on the Japanese city of Hiroshima weeks later.
On June 10, the now 94-year-old Kiyozumi received a letter from California resident Harold Bray, the last surviving crewman from USS Indianapolis. Bray, who was just 14-years-old when the war broke out, wrote, "There are no winners in a war," and, "Let us look forward to working together to build a better, safer world."
According to sources including the official organization that represents the Indianapolis' survivors and the families of those lost in the attack, of the 1,195 onboard, about 800 men went into the water, and 316 were rescued after several days at sea. Twenty-two of the survivors were still alive as of 2017, but now, Bray stands alone.
What brought about the connection between the two survivors was an exhibition on the theme of peace held by the Imabari City Library at its central library building in August 2022. The exhibit featured materials such as interview photos of Kiyozumi, who, at 17, was the I-58's youngest crewmember when it embarked on its wartime mission. Izumi Tagawa Harris, a 57-year-old faculty member at Indiana University's Indianapolis campus, found an article about the exhibit online. Harris, who has been communicating with an association that represents the survivors of the USS Indianapolis and the families of those whose lives were lost at sea in the attack, notified the association about the article.
Harris was entrusted with messages from Bray and four of the association's families before visiting Japan to prepare a peace-themed tour of Hiroshima and Nagasaki scheduled for U.S. university students next summer, with the assistance of the Japan Foundation, a public body that promotes cultural exchanges.
Harris gave Bray's letter to Kiyozumi at the library, along with photos of the now-96-year-old smiling. After reading the message, Kiyozumi smiled and said, "I'm happy to know he and I shared the same feelings," adding, "War is nothing but a waste. We must never let people kill each other."
Bray's letter is as follows:
Dear Mr. Kiyozumi,
My name is Harold Bray and I am the last survivor of the USS Indianapolis CA-35. I understand that you are the last survivor of your submarine, I-58.
I want to extend my hand in friendship to you and to tell you that I bear no ill will towards you or your fellow countrymen. We both fought for our countries and now that the war is over, this is a time for healing. There are no winners in a war. Both sides lose so much - shipmates, families, friends.
I offer my thanks to your Captain Hashimoto for speaking up for my Captain McVay and saying that his court martial was unjust. Let us look forward to working together to build a better, safer world.
Sincerely,
Harold J Bray, S2
USS Indianapolis CA-35
Article Credits:
IMABARI, Ehime
THE MAINICHI, Japan’s National Daily, June 18, 2023