VOSHN 282

<body><a href="../index.html">HOME</a><br><table summary="264"><tr><td class="etesti">264</td><td class="edate">August 13<sup>th</sup> to 14<sup>th</sup>, 1945.</td><td class="eage">36 years old at that time</td></tr><tr><td class="ei_midasi" colspan=3>Memory of cremation of my students' corpses</td></tr></table><table summary="haikei"><tr><td class="bg" background="../../photo/img304.jpg"><div class="large"><p>We found out the corpses of my girl students and had them officially recorded.  Then we cremated by a corpse disposal oven.  We then brought an unglazed jar to the cremating place.  Then a person of the corpse disposal crew scooped bones into the jar.  We held the hot jar and brought the burns to a shrine room.</p><br><p>When we handed the bones of the girls to their parents, they said bitter words to us.  Their parents did so.  However, since we understood their pains, we did not excuse anything.  But said we only, "We were deeply sorry."  They, as parents, could not help saying so.</p><br><p>I cannot forget.  I cannot forget the bitterness when we were rebuked by the parents.</p><br><p>The silent prayer siren is wailing....</p><p>It recurs to me</p><p>in my closed eyes</p><p>the memories of the girl's hair</p><p>from which the fire burned upward</p><br><p>The memories recur to me</p><p>that I burned the corpses</p><p>of my students, piling</p><p>one on top of another</p><p>on the burned ground</p></div></td></tr></table></body>