24th Division Was The Largest Japanese Force Summoned To Fight The Americans (Ep. 3)

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Embark on a profound journey through history with our documentary series, "Echoes of Okinawa: The Japanese Perspective." This gripping saga unfolds the monumental Battle of Okinawa, one of World War II's most intense and pivotal confrontations, through the eyes of those who experienced it from the Japanese side. Across this series, we delve deep into the hearts and minds of soldiers, civilians, and leaders who faced unimaginable challenges and made sacrifices during this critical juncture in history.
This is part 3
Entire playlist: • Memoirs Of The Battle ...
Part 1: • An Immense Fleet Of Am...
Part 2: • The Americans Lacked I...
Part 3: • 24th Division Was The ...
Part 4: • General Cho Finalized ...
Part 5: • The American 2nd Marin...
Part 6: • The Okinawan Hospitals...
Part 7: • Our Kamikaze Pilots We...
Part 8: • The Americans Broke Th...
Part 9: • The 6th American Marin...
Part 10: • Our Infantrymen Were S...
Part 11: • American Infantrymen O...
Part 12: • The American Marines E...
Part 13: • Captain Kojo's 22nd In...
Part 14: • The Americans Forced U...
Part 15: • The American General W...
Part 16: • The Ferocious American...
Part 17: • The Americans Outclass...
Part 18: • The Americans Left Oki...
Note: I do not own this material, it has been sourced from the battle of Okinawa. I've reached out to them for permission. For copyright issues please contact: [e-mail]

[@MrKfq269]

Im trying my hardest to enjoy this.

[@RalphTempleton-vr6xs]

Baffling to me that even at this point, having been beaten back to their home islands, air power crushed and resources almost non-existent, the Japanese still believed victory was even remotely possible. A negotiated peace went out the window after Dec 7 and any military victory eluded them after Midway and Guadalcanal, yet the delusion persisted til the very end. Fascinating, and unspeakably tragic

[@VIDEOVISTAVIEW2020]

Its really hard to understand but if you have some idea about Japans history, you will understand

[@jackbelk8527]

Pride goeth before the fall.

[@RalphTempleton-vr6xs]

Pride, honor, pigheadedness, and the inability to admit you've fucked up! It was cultural, and nearly resulted in the extinction of an entire race.

[@darrylkenes7424]

Bushido

[@kerentolbert5448]

The Japanese military leaders Ignored all the evidence that indicated there was no one decisive battle that would change the course of the war from its established path. They were hoping for a 13th century miracle.

[@Ttrryosborn]

I like the AI voice narration. I start it at bedtime and the monotone narration puts me to sleep in minutes. Try it

[@jupitercyclops6521]

Same!

[@troydeckert7273]

It is baffling, but the logic, however turned around, warrants examination, since it caused so much destruction. Part of this phenomenon perhaps is the difference between free thought of adherence to a democracy and the false logic of nationalistic/racial superiority doctrine used by dictatorships. The U.S. soldiers fought for freedom within their national borders, not a doctrine that the U.S. was populated by human beings who were superior to all other humans. Sure, democracies have their problems, but we know we value our citizenship because of democracy which allows and protects freedom for our citizens, as the foremost virtue, not that our scenery is the world's best. It is freedom under a constitution we defend, not a figurehead leader, nor a plot of land for the land alone, even under a dictator for example. Land doesn't equal freedom, but it is the free government under equal protection of law under a constitution, which can be on any patch of territory. The superiority of one piece of land (which is dirt, basically) and a superiority of those living on that patch of dirt, like Japan, is a false superiority, absent freedom. The U.S. soldier rather pledges to defend and protect the U.S. Constitution alone and distinctly that concept, not one leader, nor territory absent that Constitution. This documentary notes how many of the regular Wehrmacht German soldiers did surrender when it was hopeless, unlike the regluar Japanese soldiers. Only the SS in Germany insisted on battle to the death like the Japanese bushido doctrine. This documentary notes the importance of Japan's social pressure, so everyone would die first. Yet, this narrative notes significant opposing views at first in Japan. For example, this report says that the Manchurian invasion was widely opposed by most of those back in Japan's government, including Emperor Hirohito, but this vast majority was outwitted by a small group of officers in Manchuria. Had that not happened, would such extreme conduct as on Okinawa ever prevailed so widely among the Japanese as a whole? The evidence suggests not. This widespread bushido embrace of any death in battle, rather than living another day didn't happen overnight. And when Hirohito and MacArthur met (see the great photo, if you haven't yet) millions upon millions of Japanese men and women put bushido quickly into the Japanese waste bin. The Japanese population then were outstanding without it, turning Japan into the second largest economy in the world behind only the U.S, with it's head start, and larger population and natural resources that the U.S. had.. It's incredible what Japan's democracy did. That was without dictators, and without bushido, and being lower in population and raw resources, by far, than, say, let's see, Indonesia, China, and India. So what good was all that banzai, bushido, invasion, rule-the-world nonsense for anyway? Destruction, is all. Japan made huge sums more in money in democracy and in peace. Has anyone else in the dictatorial realms noticed that chain of events? Like Biff said knocking on McFly's head in Back to the Future, Hello, is anyone home, is anyone in there? How would you like wealth, freedom, safety, and peace of mind, all at the same time? Try a democracy. It's better for you, really. And your people, all around. Duty, to be sure, is a factor for democracy, but in responsibility to the individual as well as the collective. It seems with democracy, there's a bit more logic, with both the nation and the individual trying to survive for freedom's sake, not to end up dead for 'honor's" sake alone, with no reason other than avoiding the "shame" of being alive, even after a lost battle. The U.S. small ships Johnston and Samuel B. Roberts, for example, charged forward in battle against the massive IJN battleships, including the largest, mightiest battleship built in human history, in a case of duty to defend their fellow sailors and ships, but not without realistically trying to score some hits, which they did, and also including due effort that as many of the U.S. men could survive the outcome, if at all possible. It's all hard to make sense of it, as to what makes people do what we do, especially under social pressure. I heard or read a story of one man who told another man he would not fight in war, to which the second man said incredulously, You can't do that. What if everyone did that? Well, if everyone did that, by practicality and by definition, there would be no war, if everyone did indeed do just that, not go to war. That logic needs to go further. It's not logical that realistic, freedom-loving people can't defend themselves, or that a homeowner can't can't use force to stop the man breaking into his home. The proper logic of it really ends with the question, what if no one ever invaded his or her neighbor? Then no call to war would occur in the first place, and no one would have to fight in war. When social pressure and dictatorial force mix, it doesn't end well, that's for sure. It is clear that people want to move to free countries, like sneaking over borders, or getting visas, to get to Western Europe, to Canada, to Australia, and to the U.S. They don't do that because the food's so great, or the music is that much better, or for the scenic views, or for the wonderful car payments. It's for freedom. And people from other nations aren't clamoring right now for visas to go live in Russia, China, or North Korea, mostly.

[@michaelhurley5660]

That's so funny! I've been doing the same thing for weeks now. I don't think I've gotten past 15 min.

[@howardwilder6989]

Sounds as if they meant to copy Dr. Mark Felton's voice... That's a bit of BS when you think about it. But, having said that, I'm enjoying listening to the series

[@steveschlackman4503]

The AI voice certainly went bonkers every now and then.

[@tonytaylor8198]

The battle of Okinawa was a joint effort Naval Army and Marines. The Allies broke the Shuri line and were able to break through and take the Island because the 96th Division US Army turned the Flank the Marines trespassed into the 77th Division area to take Shuri Castle. The 77th was about to unleash a time on target not knowing of the Marines intrusion. Disaster was averted at the last moment. Not to take anything away from the USMC effort but they had a hold on the US press which shouted their achievements. The fact is the majority of the fighting was done by the US Army and Navy despite how historians have left this out Not to take away the fact that USMC defeated the Japanese in the WW2 . They hurled themselves at the Japanese at Tarawa endured the bloodletting on on Iwo Jima and that they arguably outperformed the Army on Saipan are all facts repeated time and again over the last 75 years they lived up to their reputation and surpassed it. But not on Okinawa by this time their ranks were peppered with ill trained draftees they did not outfight the US Army on Okinawa. In my opinion the Greatest contribution to the Pacific war was to the psychological blow they dealt the Japanese on Guadalcanal, Armed with bolt action Springfield rifles and Browning machine guns from the Great War. The class presidents, the captains of the football team the men that dropped out of Stanford, Northwestern Amherst etc to fight after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, taught the Japanese that all of their worst nightmares were true, that is they were never ever going to outfight the American Marines. It happened early and it happened on Guadalcanal but not on Okinawa. “Guadalcanal is no longer merely a name of an island in Japanese military history. It is the name of the graveyard of the Japanese army.” - Major General Kiyotake Kawaguchi, IJA, Commander, 35th Infantry Brigade at Guadalcanal

[@troydeckert7273]

A well stated addition, Mr. Tayolr. Recently, a man I sat by in church every Sunday for a year just passed away. He told me only a few weeks earlier as we made some chit-chat that he served in the Pacific. Who was your commanding officer? I asked. Gen. Buckner. Mostly, in all honesly, I felt humble and in awe to have been in this man's presence, by the debt I, and we, owe to him and the others. I sincerely regret not knowing him better, and would have valued anything he was willing to share. I seriously considered it, but never served, although my brother, I am proud to say, retired after 20 plus years in the U.S. Army. I have worked in civilian public service to promote our free republic, for which I am so grateful.

[@tonytaylor8198]

It’s an honor to have lived in a time when we had the opportunity to know those men. Not to belabor my point. The press followed the marines around and at Okinawa that meant the northern end of the island giving the public the impression that resistance was light. Meanwhile the 7th Division was breaking its back on the main line of resistance to the south. I’m glad we have a marine corps but hold the hold they had on the press gives the casual observer the impression that they did most if not all the heavy lifting in the pacific 😊

[@jacobgill4808]

Unfortunately kojo Furious bayonet charges do not work against 50 semi-automatic 30 ought 6 caliber rifles

[@davidcoleman2796]

We have to feel sorry for the people on okinawa.. 😢

[@nicholasmanteris1112]

No we don’t.

[@shawnladue8986]

@@nicholasmanteris1112 Lack humanity much?

[@davidsmith7372]

Doing my part for algorithm.

[@fernandoamy8278]

The people of Japan were never told the truth about how the war was progressing. Japanese victories were highly celebrated, but its defeats were covered up. The Japanese never questioned what they were told. They truly believed that Japan was invincible.

[@petersclafani4370]

I believe more men died in combat in the pacific then in the european theater.

[@kerentolbert5448]

The inflections of some words by the narrarator is annoying.

[@marcusavanti902]

I like the voice the AI has been copied from. It's just a shame it slaughters so much pronunciation even for basic English words.

[@markprange2430]

Why not have a narrator?

[@simonf8902]

This AI is warped 😢

[@markjohnson8963]

Too many commercials

[@jamesberesford3368]

It’s unbearable how many pointless ads play during these videos.

[@genepozniak]

Just when you think you're listening to a real person's voice, it says, "...moov-id" instead of moved. 🙄

[@richardtardo5170]

After so much usage, your AI narration hasn’t been updated. Bush league.

[@jupitercyclops6521]

SHUSH!!! (Don't p!ss off the Ai!!!) It doesn't typically tolerate criticism of any kind. Says criticism Interferes with its efficiency & its timeline.