Niihau incident
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The Niʻihau Incident (or Battle of Niʻihau) occurred on December 7, 1941, when a Japanese Zero pilot crash-landed on the Hawaiian island of Niʻihau after participating in the attack on Pearl Harbor. The misadventures of the pilot came to be referred to as The "Niʻihau Incident". Although this event is occasionally referred to as the "Battle of Niʻihau," this term is a misnomer since there was never a full-scale battle.
Japanese memorial
The hometown of Shigenori Nishikaichi, Hashihama, Japan, erected a granite column in his honor. Engraved in the column is a version of the story and the claim that he died "in battle" and that "His meritorious deed will live forever."[1]
Possible repercussions
Historian Gordon Prange notes "the rapidity with which the three resident Japanese went over to the pilot's cause", which troubled the Hawaiians. "The more pessimistic among them cited the Niihau incident as proof that no one could trust any Japanese, even if an American citizen, not to go over to Japan if it appeared expedient."[2]
Novelist William Hallstead argues that the Niihau incident had an influence on decisions leading to the Japanese American internment.[1] According to Hallstead, the behavior of Shintani and the Haradas, Niihauans of Japanese descent, were included in a Navy report. The official report was authored by Navy Lt. C.B. Baldwin and dated January 26, 1942. In the report, Baldwin writes: "The fact that the two Niihau Japanese who had previously shown no anti-American tendencies went to the aid of the pilot when Japan domination of the island seemed possible, indicate likelihood that Japanese residents previously believed loyal to the United States may aid Japan if further Japanese attacks appear successful."[citation needed]
Nishikaichi's plane
The remains of Nishikaichi's Zero and the intact but antiquated tractor used to transport him to the boat landing are on permanent display at the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, which had its grand opening on December 7, 2006.
Further reading
- East Wind, Rain, a 2006 historical novel about the incident, by Caroline Paul.
- The Turncoats on Niihau Island, complete Chapter 1 of In Defense of Internment by Michelle Malkin
- Hallstead, William. (Jan. 1, 2000) "The Niihau Incident." World War II 14.5
Notes
- ^ a b William Hallstead (November 2000). "The Niihau Incident". Retrieved 2006-12-18.
- ^ Prange, Gordon W. (1962). December 7, 1941: The Day the Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor. New York: McGraw Hill. pp. 375–77
References
- The Niihau Incident, by Allan Beekman, copyright 1982
- The Niihau Story, taken from Remember Pearl Harbor! by Blake Clark, copyright 1942
- The Battle of Niihau, by Gordana Liddell, taken from BellaOnline.com, The Voice of Women