Of the just over 3,000 men aboard the Yamato on the morning of April 7,
1945, fewer than 300 were alive at day's end. In the interviews below, meet two
Yamato veterans still haunted by memories of the battle that took most
of their comrades' lives.
KAZUHIRO FUKUMOTO: Thoughts of a Young Sailor
Just 18 years old at the time of the attack, Kazuhiro Fukumoto looks back at
how he and other teenage men naively embarked on an impossible mission.
As
a 28-year-old officer, Naoyoshi Ishida entered battle willing to die for his
country yet burdened by the thought of leaving his wife alone to raise their
newborn son.
