The almost forgotten Japanese-American truce at Aka

I'm not usually one to post topics on Tildes, but this article hit me in the feels. It's not something I'd heard of and I'm glad the story is being shared.

A fragile truce near the end of one of the bloodiest land battles of World War Two saw US and Japanese soldiers suspend their fighting and sit down together... for a picnic. According to the Newcastle University professor who helped research it, the event deserves much greater recognition.

For decades, the event was little known beyond the memories of those who were there.

But in 2004 Japanese University lecturer Hiroshi Sakai, then a newspaper reporter, was sitting on a plane next to an elderly couple who explained they had been children on Aka during the war.

"I asked them if they had endured terrible experiences," he said, but they explained that American and Japanese soldiers had held talks which had led to a state of ceasefire.

Prof Sakai said he had been "astonished".

The Battle of Okinawa saw massive casualties on both sides, including many civilians.

In June 1945, United States Lt Col George Clark was tasked with securing Aka where a Japanese garrison was based.

He assembled a small team of American officers, along with Japanese prisoners of war who agreed to cooperate in the hope of saving lives.

They spent several days circumnavigating the island, using loudspeakers to broadcast appeals to surrender.

Eventually the garrison commander, Major Yoshihiko Noda, indicated he would be willing to talk but only in the presence of Major Yutaka Umezawa, who had been injured and captured by the Americans.

On 26 June, a group of US forces and Major Umezawa landed on the shore, with Japanese soldiers fanned out in the hills above.

The two commanders saluted, put down their weapons and began talking. As the negotiations continued, a roast pork lunch was assembled for everyone and they picnicked together on the beach.

In his official report Lt Col Clark described it as "the most amazing spectacle it has been my lot to behold".

The Japanese said they were unable to surrender, but a truce was agreed.

Before the US troops departed, Lt Col Clark asked if the Japanese "would like to join the group in a prayer to the Supreme Being of all faiths for international understanding and peace", led by the US chaplain, which they agreed to do.

The truce held until the Japanese surrender in August and there was no further loss of life on Aka.

Ms Johnson, who had kept all her father's photographs from the time, believes the story is not better known because neither side were following orders.

The US soldiers failed to secure a surrender and the Japanese soldiers negotiated with the enemy.

Prof Sakai agrees and added: "For the former Japanese military, an unauthorised negotiation constituted an extremely grave breach of military discipline."

"For many years [Lt Col Clark] believed some of the men on the Japanese side had been executed for treason following the truce," Ms Johnson said.

"That's the only time I ever saw my dad cry - when they told him that wasn't true.