Letters from Iwo Jima Page #2

What is this empty plate?

I have told our cook that all officers...

will have the same rations

and food as our men.

I'm sorry, but serving three dishes

is regulation.

Oh, but of course we have the right to be

served more than three dishes per meal.

You're absolutely right.

When you think about it...

it is regrettable that most of the

Combined Fleet was destroyed.

We still have some battleships left...

but we have very little striking power

from the air or sea.

Nishi, what do you mean?

So you have not heard about

the Mariana battle?

Admiral Ozawa's carrier and boat planes

were destroyed.

The Imperial headquarters...

is deceiving not just the people,

but us as well.

If you want my honest opinion, General...

the best thing to do...

would be to sink the island

to the bottom of the sea.

And yet, you still came?

Well...

I figured your men were going to need

all the tanks that I could bring.

This must be it.

Yes, the enemy must land here.

Run!

Like you were one of the Americans!

Go on! Which direction would you take?

Hey...

I think your general has gone mad.

Look at the gun he has.

He probably took it

from a dead American.

Maybe.

Break time is over.

Back to work!

Are you all right, Kashiwara?

You look pale.

I'm fine. It's just the damn water.

But... I... really... need to go.

There will be a major change

in our strategy.

We will dig caves in the Motoyama,

Higashiyama, and Suribachi-yama areas.

We will build these underground

fortifications, and fight to the end.

- What about the beach defenses, sir?

- Not needed.

But, sir, the beach trenches

are our first line of defense.

Without the beach trenches,

how do you expect us to win?

Hayashi, do you know how many cars

America produces in a year?

Five million.

The Americans' technological

advancements cannot be underestimated.

They will cross the beaches eventually.

If we waste our soldiers there,

there is no hope for victory.

It is inevitable that men will die...

but I never heard of an island operation

without beach fortifications.

General, it will be a futile waste of time

to start digging tunnels now.

We should force the enemy

near the island...

and launch a pincer drive

from the sea and air.

I agree. That makes the most sense.

Ohsugi...

doesn't the Navy know?

The Combined Fleet has been completely

destroyed off the Marianas.

The island is now isolated.

What's more, I received a new order from

the Imperial headquarters this morning.

The remaining fighter planes

are to be sent back...

to Tokyo to defend the mainland.

Outrageous! How are we to fight?

We do not have time for discussion.

We should head back.

Dear Mother...

I have been commissioned

to a new troop today.

I cannot talk about this transfer now.

Take good care of yourself.

Look at this picture.

That's some fancy castle.

You know who this castle was built for?

Someone who was already dead.

They must have had

a lot of money back then...

to build a castle like that

for a dead person.

Why are you reading that book anyway?

We're never going to war over there.

We'll be lucky if we even get

a hole in the ground when we're dead.

Don't talk about that. It's bad luck.

Is this the 312th?

That's right.

I'm Nozaki. This is Saigo.

Shimizu, you can put your bedroll there.

There's an empty space in the back.

Don't mind him.

His friend Kashiwara just died.

That used to be his spot.

But we are all going to die.

That's the plan, isn't it?

For our country, it is an honor.

Kashiwara died of honorable dysentery.

Shimizu, where are you from?

Kanagawa-ken.

Ozawa is from there, aren't you?

That's right.

Where were you trained?

Maybe we were at the same school?

No.

I trained in Tokyo.

I trained in Tokyo, too. Where?

The Koho Kimmu Yoin Yoseijo.

Hey...

why do you think they put

a Kempeitai in our unit?

I don't know.

He's not wearing the white armband.

He's not Kempeitai.

He went to the Kempeitai

military academy.

Maybe he was kicked out.

He acts like a Kempeitai.

Look at his holster.

That's not standard issue.

He's been put here to spy on us.

Why would he spy on us?

Maybe it's those letters

you've been writing.

You should be careful.

Weed soup again?

Kuribayashi is conserving

our food supplies for the battle.

We'll be dead

before the Americans even get here.

And you would think that with all my

war effort contributions...

we should be eating kasutera cakes

or sandwiches.

What?

I ran a bakery in Ohmiya with my wife.

Back when we could still get sugar...

we sold ampan and kasutera cakes.

However, his Kempeitai brethren...

used to come and take

whatever they wanted.

For the war...

For the country...

Why bread?

We ran into those types

at our clothing store as well.

When we started making sandwiches...

they took those, too.

And when we ran out of meat

and just had bread, they still came.

Eventually, they took all of our

baking equipment for the metal...

and we were out of business.

I should have been a fisherman.

It must have been hard on your wife...

without the shop

and without her husband.

Tell them to go away.

We have nothing to sell.

Congratulations! Your husband

is going to war.

Thank you very much.

I'm happy to serve the country.

Prayers for your eternal success at arms.

I beg of you! We have only each other.

This is not the time.

We have all sent our husbands

and sons to war.

We all have to do our part.

At least you'll have a little one

to carry on your name.

I can't eat with you like that.

What am I going to do after you die?

I'm not in the coffin yet.

The men never come home,

not even a soul.

They'll never let you come home.

Don't worry.

And now, with the baby.

Can you hear me?

It's Dad.

Listen.

Don't tell anyone

what I'm telling you now.

It's a secret.

Your dad...

is going to come home for you.

Hurry up!

The enemy approaches!

This is ridiculous!

Why waste time digging these tunnels?

They are all going to die anyway.

At least he conceded

to the pillboxes on the beach.

You wanted to see me, sir?

Care for a drink?

You have been looking

quite pale these days.

It's the water. It has

never agreed with me.

That's not good.

Why don't you go back

to the mainland to recoup?

I have commissioned Admiral Ichimaru

to take your place.

We are wasting time

digging these tunnels.

General, the island won't last

five days without fleet support.

We should fight to the death.

The tunnel-digging may be futile.

Maybe the stand on Iwo will be futile.

Maybe the whole war is futile.

But will you give up then?

We will defend this island

until we are dead!

Until the very last soldier is dead!

If our children can live safely

for one more day...

it would be worth the one more day

that we defend this island!

Ohsugi...

if you have an ounce

of pride left as an officer...

I beg of you...

go back to headquarters

and ask them to send support.

So the rumor is true?

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