So Sad To Fall In Battle

by: Kumiko Kakehashi

Published by: Ballantine Books

Reviewed by Debra Kiefat

Subtitled: An Account of War Based on General Tadamichi Kuribayashi's Letters from Iwo Jima

So Sad To Fall In Battle is a historical portrayal of one of the most respected adversaries who fought in the Pacific War on Iwo Jimo against the United States--General Tadamichi Kuribayashi.

Lieutenant General Holland M. Smith (Howlin' Mad Smith) considered Gen. Kuribayashi's ground organization far more superior to the one he had seen in France in WWI and observers said it excelled German ground organization in WWII.

General Smith went on to say that most Japanese commanders were just names and disappeared in anonymity. However Gen. Kuribayashi's personality was written deep in the underground defenses he devised for Iwo Jimo. The American military and other POWs regarded prisoners from the Iwo Jima conflict with a mixture of fear and respect for how fiercely they fought.

Yet none knew these valiant fighters had been abandoned by the Imperial General Headquarters to face the enemy alone. As the American invasion grew nearer to Japan, Iwo Jima was suddenly labeled worthless and all naval and air support was cut off. When Headquarters changed their overall strategy, they sacrificed General Kuribayashi and his soldiers.

General Tadamichi Kuribayashi's letters from Iwo Jima reveal a man who foresaw his imminent death yet encouraged his wife and children to be strong, positive and live life through all of its joys and tragedies. He went on to tell his wife Yoshii, to not worry about keeping up appearances or what other people may say about her. It was more important that she believe in herself and life her life to the fullest.

Throughout the 41 letters he sent to his family, General Kuribayashi revealed that this assignment to defend Iwo Jima was an honor because it was considered to be the most crucial territory to protect for Japan. They also revealed his agony of what would happen to them in his absence. Every letter started out with an assurance of his safety and concluded with the phrase "there's no need to worry about me." However Ms. Kumiko Kaheshshi noticed that he continued to worry about the cold draft that came up from under the kitchen, which he forgot
to fix before he left.

Ms. Kaheshshi reveals the gulf between the men who risked their lives on the front and the top brass who were responsible for the overall direction of this battle and their reluctance to apply the word "soldier" to both groups. Yet General Kuribayashi refused safety and chose instead to do his duty to defend Iwo Jima and fight shoulder to shoulder with his men in this formidable conflict against the United States of America.

When General Kuribayashi's children invited Ms. Kumiko Kaheshshi to read his letters for her book, they allowed the world to see a faithful father and husband and a man loyal to his country behind the one-dimensional personification of Japan's military and casualties of this brutal battle.

FYI: Movie Director Clint Eastwood used this book to develop the 2007 movie, "Letters From Iwo Jima."

Armchair Interviews says: Along with the words of his son and daughter, which offer unique insight into the private man, Kuribayashi's own letters cited extensively in this book paint a stirring portrait of the circumstances that shaped him.