Japan's Mitsubishi Apologizes to US Prisoners of War

[rangerrebew]

Japan's Mitsubishi Apologizes to US Prisoners of War


Sunday, July 19, 2015 09:24 PM

 

Japan's Mitsubishi Materials made a landmark apology Sunday to US prisoners of war forced to work in its mines during World War II, seven decades after the conflict.

The Japanese government only officially apologized to former American POWs five years ago, and Mitsubishi's initiative appeared to be the first of its kind by a Japanese corporation.

Senior Mitsubishi executive Hikaru Kimura presented a "most remorseful apology" to 94-year-old James Murphy of California, one of just a few surviving US prisoners forced to work in Japan.

Murphy accepted the "sincere, humble" apology.

"For 70 years since the war ended, the prisoners of war who worked for these Japanese companies have asked for something very simple, they asked for an apology," he said.

"We hope to extend Mitsubishi's gracious coming forward at this time to all the other mines and factories who employed American POWs against their will."

Kimura and other company representatives met earlier with Murphy and families of other former POWs "to express our most remorseful apology for their being subjected to hard labor during World War II, when they worked in mines operated by Mitsubishi," he said.

Speaking through a translator, Kimura noted that close to 900 POWs were assigned to hard labor at four mines in Japan.

Thousands of other US prisoners were pushed into slave labor at Japanese firms during the war.

"Working conditions were extremely harsh and the POWs were subjected to severe hardship," he recognized, vowing to never let such a thing to happen again.

"As the company that succeeded Mitsubishi Mining, we cannot help feeling a deep sense of ethical responsibility for this past tragedy."

The apology was made during a ceremony at the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. The center is dedicated to the rights of Holocaust survivors.

http://www.newsmax.com/World/Newsfront/US-Japan-history-WWII/2015/07/19/id/657916/

[mountaineer]

One of those receiving an apology is a fellow member of our church. It was a very nice thing for Mitsubishi to do.

Mitsubishi apologizes to WWII prisoners, promises $50,000 to museum
July 22, 2015 12:00 AM
By Gabe Rosenberg / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

WELLSBURG, W.Va. — Pvt. Earl E. Loughner of the 803rd Engineer Aviation Battalion survived the Bataan Death March and three years as a prisoner of war, forced into labor on docks of Kobe, Japan. He never quite recovered from the malnutrition he suffered in those prison camps, dying in 1956 from a heart attack when his daughter was 7 years old.

On Tuesday, Peggie Loughner Fisher traveled from Grove City, Pa., to the American Defenders of Bataan & Corregidor Museum, Education, and Research Center here to witness Mitsubishi Materials Corp. officially apologize for their use of POWs as slave labor during World War II.

“I just wonder how my dad would feel right now,” Mrs. Fisher said. “I’d like to think he’d have a forgiving heart.”

Mrs. Fisher held a framed picture of her young father, clad in his engineer’s uniform, as Hikaru Kimura, senior executive officer of Mitsubishi Materials Co., announced that the company offered its apology for forcing POWs to perform forced labor in their mines, and that the company would donate $50,000 to the museum to support an expansion of its preservation and education efforts.

“Seventy years ago, during a tragic war, situations and events occurred that should never happen again,” Mr. Kimura said through a translator. “The records and materials archived here will inscribe in our hearts the memory of U.S. POWs.”

Mr. Kimura made his address to a Wellsburg native, former Pvt. Eddie Jackfert, 93, a survivor of the so-called Japanese hell ships that transported prisoners and an ex-POW who helped found the museum in 2002.

“Japan and its constituents have come a long way, both economically and politically, since that distasteful era which has shadowed that nation for over 70 years,” Mr. Jackfert said in his response to the announcement. “It was time to bring that era to an appropriate ending.”

The Mitsubishi delegation arrived in town from Los Angeles, where on Sunday they apologized publicly directly to James Murphy, 94, at the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance. Mr. Murphy worked in the mines owned by Mitsubishi Mining Co. as a POW from 1944-1945, one of 900 Americans conscripted by the company in four locations.

Mitsubishi’s apology is the first in history from a private Japanese company. The Japanese government previously made public apologies for its treatment of Allied POWs in 2009 and 2010. Thousands of U.S. soldiers were taken prisoner by Japan during WWII, many of whom died from poor conditions or from forced labor in steel camps, mines and other industries.

“For POWs, it is a long time coming,” said museum curator Jim Brockman. “This is a historic day for the museum.”

After arriving at the museum, located in the Brooke County Public Library and overlooking the Ohio River, just after 9 a.m., Mitsubishi’s delegates toured the collection, the largest archive of documents related to the early defense of the Philippines. Mr. Brockman brought them through the museum, describing its array of medals, uniforms and photographs from the war, many donated by veterans.

“I really felt anew how miserable and sad they were,” Mr. Kimura said.

Mitsubishi’s delegation also heard from Mr. Jackfert about his experience as a forced laborer in the Showa Denko Kawasaki factory and the docks of Mitsui & Co. His story, along with those of a number of other veterans, is archived in a digital station of oral histories within the museum.

The museum, which operates on a $400,000 annual budget, is in the midst of a $3 million project to expand its collection space and construct a theater. The project is slated to be completed by 2017.

The tour stopped at one large collection of photographs and artifacts from Pvt. Joseph A. Vater. A Pittsburgh native, ex-POW and former ADBC national commander, Mr. Vater died in 2014 at the age of 97 — a reminder to those working for reconciliation that they are racing against time.

“We’ve been saying that for the last 10 years: We are losing our precious POW friends every month,” said Kinue Tokudome, the founder and director of the nonprofit U.S.-Japan Dialogue on POWs, who worked to bring Mitsubishi’s delegation to the United States.

Ms. Tokudome, who has been involved with the museum since its start, was contacted a few months ago by Mitsubishi, expressing interest in working together to make amends. Both Ms. Tokudome and Mr. Jackfert said they want other Japanese companies — especially Mitsui, part of one of the largest corporate groups in the world — to take Mitsubishi’s lead and apologize for their own abuses during the war.

The success of this event, Ms. Tokudome said, sets a positive example for the future.

“I hope they finally realize this is not only the right thing to do, but a pleasant experience,” Ms. Tokudome said.