Tadamichi Kuribayashi

Tadamichi Kuribayashi was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, part-time writer, haiku poet, diplomat, and commanding officer of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff. He is best known for having been the commander of the Japanese garrison at the battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. Even before the battle, General Kuribayashi insisted upon sharing the hardships of his men. He also refused to permit banzai charges, which he regarded as an unnecessary waste of his men's lives. The United States Marine Corps had expected to capture Iwo Jima in five days, but Kuribayashi and his men held out for 36 days. It is believed that Kuribayashi was killed in action while leading his soldiers in a night-attack on American troops, but his body was never identified by the United States military. U.S. Marine Corps General Holland Smith said of Kuribayashi that "Of all our adversaries in the Pacific, Kuribayashi was the most redoubtable." Kuribayashi was born into a minor samurai family in Nagano prefecture. He graduated from the Army Academy's 26th class in 1914, having specialized in cavalry. He continued on to the Army's Cavalry School in 1918. In 1923, he graduated from the 35th class of the Army War College with splendid marks and received a military sabre from the Taisho Emperor. Kuribayashi married Yoshii Kuribayashi on 8 December of that year. Together they had a son and two daughters (Taro, Yoko and Takako). Kuribayashi was designated as deputy military attaché to Washington, D.C. in 1928. He spent two years in the United States, where he studied American culture, politics, economy, and military. He also visited Canada and Europe and learned English, French, and German. He returned to Japan in 1930 and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1932. He served in various staff positions and commanded several units, including the 1st Cavalry Brigade, the 2nd Guards Division, and the 109th Infantry Division. He was promoted to major general in 1937 and to lieutenant general in 1941. He participated in the Battle of Hong Kong in 1941, where he was wounded in the chest. He recovered and returned to Japan in 1942. He was appointed as the chief of the personnel department of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff in 1943. He was also a member of the Supreme War Council and an advisor to Emperor Hirohito. He was selected to command the defense of Iwo Jima in 1944, a strategically important island that was under threat of invasion by the United States. He arrived on the island in June 1944 and began to prepare for the inevitable battle. He ordered the construction of a complex network of tunnels, bunkers, and pillboxes that would provide protection and mobility for his troops. He also devised a defensive strategy that focused on inflicting maximum casualties on the enemy rather than holding the beaches. He forbade his men from conducting suicidal frontal attacks and instead instructed them to fight from concealed positions and use ambushes, snipers, mines, and mortars. He also maintained contact with his family and friends in Japan through letters and poems, some of which were later published as Picture Letters from the Commander in Chief. He expressed his love for his wife and children, his admiration for his soldiers, and his determination to fight to the end. He also revealed his doubts about the war and his criticism of the Japanese military leadership. He wrote: "I am very sorry for the nation and for the Emperor, who have been driven to this pass by the military authorities who are obsessed with the idea of a quick decision in the war." The Battle of Iwo Jima began on February 19, 1945, when the United States launched an amphibious assault on the island. Kuribayashi and his men resisted fiercely, inflicting heavy casualties on the American forces. The battle lasted for 36 days, during which Kuribayashi moved from one position to another, directing the defense and encouraging his men. He also communicated with the Japanese mainland through radio broadcasts, reporting the situation and requesting reinforcements and supplies. However, he received little support from the Japanese high command, who had already written off the island as lost. He also faced difficulties from some of his subordinates, who disobeyed his orders and launched banzai charges against the enemy. Kuribayashi refused to surrender or commit suicide, as was expected of a Japanese officer. He said: "Even as a ghost, I wish to be a vanguard of future Japanese operations." He continued to fight until the end, when he led a final attack on the night of March 25-26, 1945. He was last seen alive by one of his men, who reported that he charged into the American lines with a pistol in one hand and a sword in the other. His fate is unknown, as his body was never recovered or identified by the Americans. He was presumed dead and posthumously promoted to general. He was also awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun and the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure by the Japanese government. He is widely regarded as one of the most respected and admired Japanese commanders of World War II, both by his own countrymen and by his former enemies. He is also remembered for his letters and poems, which reveal his human side and his deep love for his family and his homeland.