Die amerikanische Zeitschrift Life brachte in ihrer Ausgabe vom 22. Mai 1944 ganzseitig diese Aufnahme mit der Unterschrift, dass sich diese amerikanische „Rüstungsarbeiterin“ aus Arizona bei ihrem Freund der US-Marine für die Übersendung des Totenschädels eines gefallenen japanischen Soldaten brieflich bedankt.
Die Tatsache, dass nach vorliegenden Berichten amerikanische Soldaten als Andenken von der Pazifikfront ihren Angehörigen Knochen und selbst Schädel gefallener japanischer Soldaten senden, bezeichnete der Sprecher der japanischen Regierung als mehr als kannibalisch. Kein Land in der ganzen Welt könne verstehen, dass nordamerikanische Soldaten menschliche Knochen zur Erinnerung nach Hause schicken und dass US-Offiziere ihren Soldaten einen derartigen Versand gestatteten. Es handle sich hier nicht nur um eine Übertretung internationaler Gesetze, sondern um eine Verletzung der höchsten Gesetze der Menschlichkeit. Mit Totenschädeln und Knochen spielten wohl einst die afrikanischen Kopfjäger. Es gebe jedoch zu ernstem Nachdenken Anlass, wenn ein Volk, das sich zum Träger der Ehre, des Rechtes und der Gerechtigkeit der Volker stempelt, zu einer solch niedrigen Stufe herabsinkt.
More than cannibalistic! Japanese skulls as US war souvenirs
In its May 22, 1944 issue, the American magazine Life ran this full-page photograph with the signature that this American “armor worker” from Arizona thanked her U.S. Navy friend by letter for sending her the skull of a fallen Japanese soldier.
The fact that, according to available reports, American soldiers send bones and even skulls of fallen Japanese soldiers to their relatives as souvenirs from the Pacific front was described by the Japanese government spokesman as more than cannibalistic. No country in the whole world could understand that North American soldiers were sending home human bones as souvenirs and that U.S. officers were allowing their soldiers to send such a shipment. This was not only a violation of international laws, but a violation of the highest laws of humanity. Skulls and bones were probably once played with by African headhunters. However, it gives cause for serious reflection when a people that stamps itself as the bearer of honor, right and justice of the people, sinks to such a low level.
Sending parts of a human found in the battle back home is in bad taste in my opinion but we have been doing things like this for centuries, Using part of the enemy(ear , finger, bone , scalp , blood ,etc ) as a trophy.
Or a piece of bone from a “saint” and then they call it a reliquary.
Kudos to the Pink Panther sleuth for understanding timelines. This is a 1944 article AND at that point in time Austria was annexed by Germany
See proof below: Simon Wiesenthal (Ukranian born) did not just use his network to go after WAH criminals but also provided lots of Shoah/holocaust education. A lot of it for free.
While this is free a donation to the Wiesenthal Center or a webshop purchase (of just visit their museum). I don’t think it will convince Jew haters who think this are all fairy tales but the SWC taught many others.
One of the better parts of The Pacific miniseries was Tom Hanks determination to explore how Americans understood the Pacific War as a race war. “Trophies” like that skull are part of it and Hanks alludes to the phenomenon in a few choice “skull trophy” shots.
I think he used a lot of the work of Eugene Sledge which is a VERY powerful memory that takes away the bravoure. Sledge was a Mortar Man and didn’t want to become an officers as he couldn’t send men to their deaths.
I read it as a schoolbook and it is fantastic. Maybe this realism was more acceptable after Saving Private Ryan/Band of Brothers?
