A journey from anger to reconciliation

A journey from anger to reconciliation In the final days of World War II, more than 30 American prisoners of war in southwestern Japan were executed without trial by the now-defunct Imperial Japanese military. Eighty-one years later, a granddaughter of one of the victims traveled to Japan to pay tribute and seek reconciliation.

One night in June, Heather Buchanan arrived at Narita Airport. For the America-born-and-raised woman, it was her first trip abroad. She traveled to Japan to pay tribute to the grandfather she never met, who died there.

Her grandfather, Charles Appleby, served as a navigator aboard a B-29 bomber during World War II.

In July 1945, his aircraft was shot down during a bombing mission over Fukuoka Prefecture in western Japan. He survived the crash but was captured along with fellow crew members and taken prisoner. They were later executed without trial by the now-defunct Imperial Japanese military. Appleby was just 21 years old. The executions are believed to have been carried out partly in retaliation for U.S. air raids on Fukuoka.

Back home, Charles left behind a wife and a two-year-old daughter, Heather's mother. Although Heather never met her grandfather, growing up hearing stories about him made her feel close to him. "From what I understand, he was playful, funny, very kind, and loving," she says.

Heather was a teenager when she learned how her grandfather had died. "I don't know how somebody could do that," she says. "I felt like they were evil."

Around 2020, some four decades after learning how her grandfather died, Heather began investigating what had happened in Japan. She started researching her grandfather's life, reading letters he had sent home. Through her research, she met a Japanese historian and discovered the journal of a former soldier involved in the executions.

He vividly described the inner struggle he felt when a superior officer ordered him to carry out the execution. "I stood behind an airman who had been forced to sit in front of a pit. My body was still trembling… In my heart, I prayed to Amida Buddha, and brought down the sword." When she read those words, Heather realized that the "enemy" had also been caught up in the tragedy of war. "It was eye-opening," she says. "It was part of the different side of things that you don't see."

The former soldier who wrote the journal was Satano Osamu. After the war, fearing he himself might be executed, he fled. He spent about three and a half years hiding in a city in central Japan, roughly 800 kilometers from Fukuoka, before being arrested and convicted by a court.

After serving his sentence, he built a new life. He worked as a company employee, married, and had two children. His son Wataru did not know about his father's wartime past until he turned 20 years old. Then he was shown a collection of journals documenting his father's experiences during the war.

"I had always thought of him as an ordinary office worker," says Wataru. "He wasn't a man of many words, but he was a kind father who would bring home a small gift for us every day after work. Hearing that he had executed an American serviceman and experienced such a traumatic past came as an enormous shock." Wataru understood the situation his father had faced. But he also felt deep remorse for the POWs and their families.

"Those who suffered never forget. Even though I had no direct involvement, I feel I should always carry a feeling of apology," he says.

In June this year, Heather and Wataru came face to face for the first time. They met at a memorial service for the executed American POWs, including Heather's grandfather, at a temple in Fukuoka City.Before the ceremony, the two appeared nervous as they greeted each other. But when Wataru handed Heather a gift, she thanked him in Japanese. Both Heather and Wataru delivered speeches at the event.

Wataru said: "I would like to express my apology on behalf of my father, who executed an American airman under orders from his superiors about 80 years ago."

Heather told the gathering: "Today I stand here not with anger, but with hope. I believe memorial ceremonies like this are important because they remind us that peace is not something we should take for granted. It gives us a chance to remember the past while choosing kindness and understanding in the present. We cannot change history, but we can learn from it." After the memorial service, the temple's chief priest invited participants to take part in a tea ceremony. Descendants of the Japanese and US soldiers shared tea, smiles, and conversation.

Wataru says he was grateful that Heather was so understanding.

After the memorial service, Heather's final stop of the day was a beach in Fukuoka City.

It is believed to be the resting place of the executed Americans.Along with other bereaved relatives, Heather placed flowers in the sea. She says she then reflected on her grandfather's life. "I'm so happy we were able to come out here and give the flowers to his soul," she says. Her journey ended in the same place as her grandfather's, but she took home a belief that painful events of the past don't have to determine the future."As the new generations come, we have new ideas and new friendships."