Former U.S. pilot who lost crew members to Hiroshima A-bombing wants the world not to forget
Jan. 5, 2015
by Keiichiro Yamamoto and Yumi Kanazaki, Staff Writers
MOAB, UTAH―Thomas Cartwright, 90, a former U.S. Air Force pilot whose plane was shot down off Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, toward the end of World War II, was interviewed at his home in the U.S. state of Utah. Captured and held captive in downtown Hiroshima, Mr. Cartwright was transferred to Tokyo, thus escaping the atomic bombing. But six crew members on his plane, who remained in Hiroshima, fell victim to the bombing carried out by their nation. Recalling the time, Mr. Cartwright said that the American victims of the U.S. attack are being forgotten and he feels the people of Japan and the United States should be more familiar with this aspect of the atomic bombing.
Even so many years later, do you still recall that time?
Yes, I remember very clearly the whole episode after our plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire. The faces of my crew... They even appear to me in my dreams.
What were the circumstances then?
On July 28, 1945, I was flying a B-24 bomber called The Lonesome Lady from Yomitan Airfield in Okinawa and we attacked the battleship Haruna with three other planes. But our plane was hit by anti-aircraft guns. A fire broke out in the engine, and I couldn’t control the plane. I made the decision to order all nine members of the crew to bail out.
The feeling I had at the time was, “I’m the pilot and the commander of the plane and I’ve got to do my best.” After confirming that everyone else had bailed out, I was the last one to jump. The plane crashed in the village of Ikachi [now the city of Yanai] in Yamaguchi Prefecture. I came down with my parachute at a spot one kilometer from the site of the crash. I was then taken to a nearby police station and, while blindfolded, was brought to Hiroshima. It was there that I was reunited with other members of my crew.
But August 6 changed everyone’s fate, didn’t it?
I’m not sure why, but I was sent to Tokyo prior to the atomic bombing for further interrogation. I survived by chance, but the six members of my crew who remained in Hiroshima became victims of the atomic bomb. The wound to my heart never really heals. That’s why I didn’t speak about my experiences of the war for many years.
I began to reflect on my past, though, after I retired from a university in Texas in 1994, where I had been a professor in the field of agriculture. Asked by my family, I started to think about my crew mates and putting down my experience. About ten years ago, I published a memoir in the United States and Japan.
You visited Hiroshima, Kure, and Yanai in 1999 to trace your footsteps from the war. What are your strongest memories of that visit?
I was given a warm reception by many people including Shigeaki Mori, a local historian in Hiroshima who has done so much to investigate the POWs who died in the atomic bombing and mourn for them. I was happy I could take part in a peaceful exchange with former enemies and deepen our mutual understanding. I was grateful for the experience.
I was impressed by the fact that people are speaking out to abolish nuclear weapons so there will be no more victims. The atomic bombing resulted in such terrible damage. It’s an important issue, and based on my own experience, I’d like to convey my thoughts. It’s unfortunate, though, that I’m getting too old to be active.
Do you think that the United States knew there were American POWs in the city?
The U.S. military had studied the sites of POW camps in Japan and concluded that there were no American prisoners in the city of Hiroshima. But I’m not sure it would have made any difference in the attack if they had known.
Do young people in the United States know about the atomic bombings?
After the war, the U.S. government didn’t give detailed information to the family members of the POWs. The people I meet aren’t aware of the fact that Americans were killed by the atomic bomb. But I don’t want people to forget about them. I hope that the younger generation in the United States and Japan will learn about this history and hand it down to the future.
(Originally published on December 18, 2014)
MOAB, UTAH―Thomas Cartwright, 90, a former U.S. Air Force pilot whose plane was shot down off Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, toward the end of World War II, was interviewed at his home in the U.S. state of Utah. Captured and held captive in downtown Hiroshima, Mr. Cartwright was transferred to Tokyo, thus escaping the atomic bombing. But six crew members on his plane, who remained in Hiroshima, fell victim to the bombing carried out by their nation. Recalling the time, Mr. Cartwright said that the American victims of the U.S. attack are being forgotten and he feels the people of Japan and the United States should be more familiar with this aspect of the atomic bombing.
Even so many years later, do you still recall that time?
Yes, I remember very clearly the whole episode after our plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire. The faces of my crew... They even appear to me in my dreams.
Prior to the atomic bombing, transferred to Tokyo
What were the circumstances then?
On July 28, 1945, I was flying a B-24 bomber called The Lonesome Lady from Yomitan Airfield in Okinawa and we attacked the battleship Haruna with three other planes. But our plane was hit by anti-aircraft guns. A fire broke out in the engine, and I couldn’t control the plane. I made the decision to order all nine members of the crew to bail out.
The feeling I had at the time was, “I’m the pilot and the commander of the plane and I’ve got to do my best.” After confirming that everyone else had bailed out, I was the last one to jump. The plane crashed in the village of Ikachi [now the city of Yanai] in Yamaguchi Prefecture. I came down with my parachute at a spot one kilometer from the site of the crash. I was then taken to a nearby police station and, while blindfolded, was brought to Hiroshima. It was there that I was reunited with other members of my crew.
But August 6 changed everyone’s fate, didn’t it?
I’m not sure why, but I was sent to Tokyo prior to the atomic bombing for further interrogation. I survived by chance, but the six members of my crew who remained in Hiroshima became victims of the atomic bomb. The wound to my heart never really heals. That’s why I didn’t speak about my experiences of the war for many years.
I began to reflect on my past, though, after I retired from a university in Texas in 1994, where I had been a professor in the field of agriculture. Asked by my family, I started to think about my crew mates and putting down my experience. About ten years ago, I published a memoir in the United States and Japan.
Warm reception in Hiroshima
You visited Hiroshima, Kure, and Yanai in 1999 to trace your footsteps from the war. What are your strongest memories of that visit?
I was given a warm reception by many people including Shigeaki Mori, a local historian in Hiroshima who has done so much to investigate the POWs who died in the atomic bombing and mourn for them. I was happy I could take part in a peaceful exchange with former enemies and deepen our mutual understanding. I was grateful for the experience.
I was impressed by the fact that people are speaking out to abolish nuclear weapons so there will be no more victims. The atomic bombing resulted in such terrible damage. It’s an important issue, and based on my own experience, I’d like to convey my thoughts. It’s unfortunate, though, that I’m getting too old to be active.
Do you think that the United States knew there were American POWs in the city?
The U.S. military had studied the sites of POW camps in Japan and concluded that there were no American prisoners in the city of Hiroshima. But I’m not sure it would have made any difference in the attack if they had known.
Do young people in the United States know about the atomic bombings?
After the war, the U.S. government didn’t give detailed information to the family members of the POWs. The people I meet aren’t aware of the fact that Americans were killed by the atomic bomb. But I don’t want people to forget about them. I hope that the younger generation in the United States and Japan will learn about this history and hand it down to the future.
(Originally published on December 18, 2014)
