He rarely ever spoke about it - Inside The Chichijima Incident George H.W. Bush’s Harrowing Escape From Cannibal Enemies During World War II
He rarely ever spoke about it - Inside The Chichijima Incident George H.W. Bush’s Harrowing Escape From Cannibal Enemies During World War II
Though he narrowly escaped, almost all of Bush's fellow pilots were tortured, killed, and eaten on that fateful day in September 1944 that became known as the Chichijima Incident.
At dawn on Sept. 2, 1944, a group of American pilots fighting in the Pacific theater of World War II took to the skies. Only one would survive their bombing mission to the Bonin Islands — the rest would be tortured, killed, and cannibalized in what became known as the Chichijima Incident
For years, the U.S. Navy obscured the horrifying truth of what happened at Chichijima. One lawyer involved in the episode remarked, “The Navy didn’t want people back home to know that their sons were eaten.”
As for the survivor? The sole man to escape the awful fate of the Chichijima Incident was a 20-year-old pilot. His name was George H.W. Bush.
DETAILED HISTORY OF THE CHICHIJMA INCIDENT
The Chichijima incident (also known as the Ogasawara incident) occurred in late 1944. Japanese soldiers killed eight American airmen on Chichi Jima, in the Bonin Islands, and cannibalized four of the airmen.
Nine airmen escaped from their planes after being shot down during bombing raids on Chichi Jima, a tiny island 700 miles (1,100 km) south of Tokyo, in September 1944. Eight of the airmen, Lloyd Woellhof, Grady York, James “Jimmy” Dye, Glenn Frazier Jr., Marvell “Marve” Mershon, Floyd Hall, Warren Earl Vaughn, and Warren Hindenlang were captured and eventually executed. The ninth, and only one to evade capture, was future U.S. President George H. W. Bush, also a 20-year-old pilot.
After the war, it was discovered that the captured airmen had been beaten and tortured before being executed. The airmen were beheaded on the orders of Lt Gen. Yoshio Tachibana.ç Japanese officers then ate parts of the bodies of four of the men.
Though he narrowly escaped, almost all of Bush's fellow pilots were tortured, killed, and eaten on that fateful day in September 1944 that became known as the Chichijima Incident.
At dawn on Sept. 2, 1944, a group of American pilots fighting in the Pacific theater of World War II took to the skies. Only one would survive their bombing mission to the Bonin Islands — the rest would be tortured, killed, and cannibalized in what became known as the Chichijima Incident.
For years, the U.S. Navy obscured the horrifying truth of what happened at Chichijima. One lawyer involved in the episode remarked, “The Navy didn’t want people back home to know that their sons were eaten.”
As for the survivor? The sole man to escape the awful fate of the Chichijima Incident was a 20-year-old pilot. His name was George H.W. Bush.
A World War II Bombing Mission Gone Awry
The U.S. Navy had had its eye on the island of Chichijima for quite some time. Chichijima was tiny — only about twice the size of Central Park — but strategically significant. About 500 miles from Japan, its radio tower allowed the Japanese to send long-range messages.
The Americans wanted to take it out.
In June 1944, American aircraft carriers surrounded Chichijima and started sending pilots to destroy the radio tower. But the Japanese put up a ferocious fight. Chichijima was guarded by 25,000 Japanese troops — and its anti-aircraft defense system could tear the American planes to pieces.
On Sept. 2, 1944, the Americans geared up to try again. The group of men slated to fly that morning included one of the youngest pilots in the U.S. Navy, a 20-year-old named George H.W. Bush. They took off at 7:15 a.m. — hoping, this time, to succeed in taking out Chichijima’s radio tower.
But it didn’t take long for the Japanese to fight back. The island’s anti-aircraft defense system fired into the sky. About an hour into the mission, Bush realized that his plane had been hit.
“The plane was burning,” Bush later recalled. “The cockpit was beginning to fill up with smoke. The plane was — I thought it was going to explode.”
In spite of this, Bush continued flying — he dropped two bombs on the radio tower and then pulled the plane back toward the open ocean.
Bush wanted to get as far away from Chichijima as he could before jumping. He figured — correctly — that doing so might help him evade capture. When he couldn’t wait any longer, Bush ordered his radio operator and gunner to jump.
“Hit the silk,” he commanded.
But only he escaped. One of the other men couldn’t get his parachute to inflate; the other wasn’t able to jump from the plane. Bush watched in horror as their plane crashed into the ocean. He floated down onto the waves, alone.
“For a while there I thought I was done,” Bush later said.
Inside The Horrors Of The Chichijima Incident
Like George H.W. Bush, a number of the other American pilots were forced to abandon their planes and land on the water. Unlike Bush, they were immediately captured by the Japanese.
Brought to the island of Chichijima, the airmen were tortured, beaten, and executed. In one particularly gruesome moment, a radio operator was marched to a freshly dug grave, blindfolded, and beheaded with a sword. Others were killed with sharpened bamboo spears. One was even clubbed to death.
But the real horror of the Chichijima Incident didn’t start until the men were dead. Shortly after one of the prisoners had been executed, Japanese General Yoshio Tachibana made a drunken suggestion to dig up his body and use it as meat.
Inside The Chichijima Incident, George H.W. Bush’s Harrowing Escape From Cannibal Enemies During World War II
By All That's Interesting | Edited By John Kuroski
Published June 12, 2016
Updated April 28, 2021
Though he narrowly escaped, almost all of Bush's fellow pilots were tortured, killed, and eaten on that fateful day in September 1944 that became known as the Chichijima Incident.
George Hw Bush Navy
George Bush Presidential Library and Museum
After he was shot down in World War II, George H.W. Bush narrowly avoided the Chichijima Incident.
At dawn on Sept. 2, 1944, a group of American pilots fighting in the Pacific theater of World War II took to the skies. Only one would survive their bombing mission to the Bonin Islands — the rest would be tortured, killed, and cannibalized in what became known as the Chichijima Incident.
For years, the U.S. Navy obscured the horrifying truth of what happened at Chichijima. One lawyer involved in the episode remarked, “The Navy didn’t want people back home to know that their sons were eaten.”
As for the survivor? The sole man to escape the awful fate of the Chichijima Incident was a 20-year-old pilot. His name was George H.W. Bush.
A World War II Bombing Mission Gone Awry
Island Of Chichijima Incident
U.S. Navy
An American warplane flies over the Japanese island of Chichijima during World War II.
The U.S. Navy had had its eye on the island of Chichijima for quite some time. Chichijima was tiny — only about twice the size of Central Park — but strategically significant. About 500 miles from Japan, its radio tower allowed the Japanese to send long-range messages.
The Americans wanted to take it out.
In June 1944, American aircraft carriers surrounded Chichijima and started sending pilots to destroy the radio tower. But the Japanese put up a ferocious fight. Chichijima was guarded by 25,000 Japanese troops — and its anti-aircraft defense system could tear the American planes to pieces.
On Sept. 2, 1944, the Americans geared up to try again. The group of men slated to fly that morning included one of the youngest pilots in the U.S. Navy, a 20-year-old named George H.W. Bush. They took off at 7:15 a.m. — hoping, this time, to succeed in taking out Chichijima’s radio tower.
Young George Hw Bush
U.S. Navy
George H.W. Bush was one of the youngest pilots to serve in World War II.
But it didn’t take long for the Japanese to fight back. The island’s anti-aircraft defense system fired into the sky. About an hour into the mission, Bush realized that his plane had been hit.
“The plane was burning,” Bush later recalled. “The cockpit was beginning to fill up with smoke. The plane was — I thought it was going to explode.”
In spite of this, Bush continued flying — he dropped two bombs on the radio tower and then pulled the plane back toward the open ocean.
Bush wanted to get as far away from Chichijima as he could before jumping. He figured — correctly — that doing so might help him evade capture. When he couldn’t wait any longer, Bush ordered his radio operator and gunner to jump.
“Hit the silk,” he commanded.
But only he escaped. One of the other men couldn’t get his parachute to inflate; the other wasn’t able to jump from the plane. Bush watched in horror as their plane crashed into the ocean. He floated down onto the waves, alone.
“For a while there I thought I was done,” Bush later said.
Instead, he escaped the fate of eight other pilots that day — the horrific Chichijima incident.
Inside The Horrors Of The Chichijima Incident
Perpetrator Of The Chichijima Incident
Wikimedia Commons
General Yoshio Tachibana, seated at center, originally suggested cannibalizing the remains of the American soldiers.
Like George H.W. Bush, a number of the other American pilots were forced to abandon their planes and land on the water. Unlike Bush, they were immediately captured by the Japanese.
Brought to the island of Chichijima, the airmen were tortured, beaten, and executed. In one particularly gruesome moment, a radio operator was marched to a freshly dug grave, blindfolded, and beheaded with a sword. Others were killed with sharpened bamboo spears. One was even clubbed to death.
But the real horror of the Chichijima Incident didn’t start until the men were dead. Shortly after one of the prisoners had been executed, Japanese General Yoshio Tachibana made a drunken suggestion to dig up his body and use it as meat.
Tachibana insisted that everyone show they had “enough fighting spirit to eat human flesh.”
As a result, surgeons removed the liver and thigh muscles of the soldiers — which cooks then presented to the Japanese officers with soy sauce and vegetables, alongside hot sake.
Admiral Kinizo Mori later testified that a chef “had [the liver] pierced with bamboo sticks and cooked with soy sauce and vegetables.”
The dish was apparently a delicacy, and according to Mori was believed to be “good for the stomach.”
Major Sueo Matoba, who was among the senior officers who cannibalized the American soldiers, later defended his actions.
“These incidents occurred when Japan was meeting defeat after defeat,” he insisted. “The personnel became excited, agitated, and seething with uncontrollable rage … We were hungry. I hardly know what happened after that. We really were not cannibals.”
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