I finished my speech. And I was greeted with repeated, thunderous applause. Billy Graham stood from his seat to receive me as I was descending the stage. He gripped my hand and, holding my shoulder, had me sit on a seat on the platform. But the applause did not stop and, as it continued, got even louder. It was like a call for an encore. Billy signaled me with his eyes to stand again on the stage. I stood on the stage as I had no choice. Again, there was applause, but as I had nothing more to say, I waved my right hand and smiled. Then, some people in a corner started to sing a hymn. This spread like a wildfire across the entire audience. When this happened, Cliff Barrow stood up with his trombone and signaled to the choir. Then, the 600 choir members joined in and sang with the audience. Before long, Billy Graham stood on the stage, standing at the back of the chorus.
The next day, November 28th, was a Friday. At 8:00 in the morning, Sachs and I pulled out the Luscombe and took off from the airfield at Albuquerque. We refueled at Trinidad along the way and headed for Omaha.
As we had passed over the mountainous area, Sachs left the controls to me and, covering himself with a blanket, took a nap. Looking below, I could see the vast expanse of the Kansas plain, the granary of the United States. As far as the eye could see, there were limitless vistas of plowed fields. The fields were divided distinctively along north-south and east-west lines, like a tofu cut into blocks. Flying over such a place, you do not need a compass. North or east was self-evident; you only had to look down at the ground. We landed at Omaha Airfield at 3:00 in the afternoon.
There was an assembly that night in a big church called the Gospel Tabernacle. After the service was finished, as usual, I was greeting the audience as they were leaving. A middle-aged man walking on crutches, accompanied by his wife and four children, stopped to talk to me. He pointed to his artificial right leg with his chin. “I lost my right leg that day at Hickam Airfield.”
I was taken aback, thinking, “Here it comes.” My heart ached whenever I saw the pitiful physical condition of those injured at Pearl Harbor that day. However, he said, “But Captain, neither I nor my wife nor children have come here to tell you our complaints. Welcome, Captain. Why don’t you stay with us tonight at my home?” Then, he introduced his wife and children to me.
He was a postmaster in Omaha. I stayed that night at his home where I received his and his family’s warm compassion and gentle hospitality. What a pleasant night it was! I thoroughly experienced the goodness of a Christian home where faith in God and Jesus Christ was deeply rooted in daily life.
The next day, Saturday, we flew from Omaha to Minneapolis. That night, we conducted an assembly for Youth for Christ at the spacious Minneapolis Public Hall, but the hall was filled to its capacity, with nearly 3,000 people in the audience.
The presenter was Reverend George Wilson of the Minneapolis First Baptist Church and leader of the Youth for Christ. While we were on the stage, he gave me a Bible with a red cover. It was what they called a Billy Graham Bible, printed by the Billy Graham Evangelical Association. I knew Youth for Christ was fond of humor. Showing the red Bible that I had just received to the audience, I asked, “Why is this Bible red?”
The audiences became quiet for a moment. Then I continued, “I believe, the Bible should be read.” The entire audience responded with applause.
54
A Child Whose Father
Died on the USS Arizona
It was December 13th, Saturday. We were invited again by the Youth for Christ, but the assembly was to be held at Bremerton Naval Port, across from Seattle and quite far from Spokane, Washington. Sachs and the rest of us departed Spokane early in the morning for Seattle. In Seattle, we received mail deposited for us at the central post office. There was an unaddressed letter for me. It was transferred from the Billy Graham Evangelical Association to me, but there was neither the sender’s name nor address. Here is what the letter said:
The other day, December 7th, Sunday, was the 11th Pearl Harbor Day. I saw you on Billy Graham’s TV program, and spat on your face in the TV. You, old rat, go home quick! This is no country for a guy like you to come to. You say you have become a Christian. Why didn’t you become one before you bombarded Pearl Harbor?
From a mother who lost a child that day
A mother who lost her beloved son still hated me, calling me an “old rat.” She has every reason to hate me. It is human nature.
But, I prayed to the Lord. “My Lord, please give your forgiveness and consolation where hatred exists, and give birth to your love. Please eliminate resentment and the hatred of hostility by your cross. Please pity your servants, and favor bereaved families of Pearl Harbor with your grace. Please offer your salvation to them, making two things as one. Amen.”
People’s prayers are heard. My prayer was heard as early as that night. It happened this way.
Sachs and I crossed the strait to Bremerton Naval Port by ferry. Since it was a naval port, the city was full of navy colors.
The Youth for Christ assembly was held in the petty officers mess, where the audience numbered over 300. The assembly was managed as usual, and I was seated on the stage after I finished my speech. A middle-aged woman advanced to the stage, leading her son, about 12 years old. She was holding his hand and greeted me.
“Captain, this is my son. Will you please put your hand on his head and pray for my son?”
Then, she turned to the presenter to ask if she could talk to the audience and explain the reason why she wanted me to pray for her son. The presenter nodded his consent, and the woman spoke.
“The day that this Captain bombarded Pearl Harbor was my expected delivery date, and I was checked in at a hospital in Honolulu. My husband was a Navy Lieutenant and the Chief Gunnery Officer of the USS Arizona…”
The mention of the name, USS Arizona, took my breath away. The woman continued.
“The previous day was Saturday, and my husband came to see me in the hospital. However, he returned to the ship that night, telling me that he would come back again the next morning. The next day…the 7th…Sunday…a few minutes past 8:00 in the morning, the glass in the windows in my hospital room trembled with a big shock, and that was the moment this boy was born. Later, I learned that it was the explosion from the USS Arizona, and at that moment, my husband was gone forever.”
It touched my heart deeply. Just as the boy was born, his father disappeared.
“This memory was hard for me. I have hated the Japanese air force that bombed the USS Arizona. However, my husband was also a Christian. While hearing the testimony of Captain Fuchida, who was the commander of the attack, I could not stop shivering because of this miraculous deed of God. This child does not know his father. Later, when he was old enough to understand, he learned how his father died, and he has refused to believe in the Savior Jesus Christ however much I have tried to lead him. He has become obstinate because of that fact. Captain, please put your hand on his head, and pray so that his soul will be saved.”
Everyone in the audience fell in breathless silence. I looked back at the audience, urging them to join me in prayer, and I passionately offered my prayer.
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
There was a sequel to this story. Roughly 10 years later, during my third trip to the United States, I was attending assemblies in various towns in the countryside of the state of New York. At one particular assembly on a Sunday night, about 20 students from the US Military Academy appeared. All of them looked sturdy with their square hair cuts, wearing uniforms with pepper-and-salt patterns and velvet bordering.
One of them, who appeared to be their leader, approached and talked to me.
“Captain, do you remember me?”
I was startled and looked at him over and over, but his face was not familiar.
I said, “Sorry. I do not remember you. Who are you?
Then, he answered. “It’s quite understandable as it was 10 years ago. I am the boy for whom you prayed in Bremerton
Naval Port.”
I was surprised again. I looked at him once more as he had grown up so much.
It turned out that after the Pearl Harbor incident, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt came to hear the story of this boy’s birth, and he promised that if he wanted to enroll at either the Military Academy or Naval Academy in the future, the President would sponsor his admission. The boy chose the Military Academy at West Point, his birthright based on the President’s guarantee.
Since that day when his mother asked me to pray for him, this boy grew up as a good Christian, supported by prayer. After entering the Military Academy, he organized a choir and conducted the choir himself. Hearing that there would be an assembly hosting Captain Fuchida in a nearby city, he came to help, and he led the choir.
It was a fantastic chorus with a rich, natural voice. Stories of this event spread to many towns. Newspapers treated this article as a big event, and people adored the glory of Jesus Christ.
55
Advice from President Truman
I welcomed the New Year of 1953 at the headquarters of the Sky Pilots in San Jose, California. On January 23rd, Friday, we departed from San Jose on a trip of testimony across the eastern part of America. On the 28th, Wednesday, we left Wichita and arrived in Kansas City via Topeka on the 29th. Sachs wanted to establish a strong Sky Pilots branch there as it is located in the center of the United States.
We stayed in Kansas City for three days. We spent February 1st, Sunday, at morning service at the Central Bible Church and at talks at the Japanese Mission in the afternoon. As the name implies, this Japanese Mission sent missionaries to Japan, including many single ladies.
Sachs and I stayed at the home of a postman who was a Sky Pilots’ supporter. The postman had a sister who had been sent to Japan by the Japanese Mission, and she happened to be back on home leave. She told us that ex-President Harry Truman’s sister, who was a particularly close friend among her fellow missionaries, also happened to be back in Kansas City on leave. She suggested that I should take advantage of this connection and see ex-President Truman. Sachs was very positive.
“Where does former President Truman live now?”
“He is retired in a quiet country town about 20 miles away from here.”
“Is Mr. Truman a Christian?”
“Of course.”
It went on like this, and, finally, Sachs and I were taken by the missionaries to visit President Truman. Truman was retired but seemed busy with many visitors as a major figure in the Democratic Party. Agents from the Secret Service for the ex-President kept a careful watch.
Truman appeared. He looked very healthy. First, Sachs was introduced, and he introduced me in turn. As usual, Sachs started his lengthy introduction of Sky Pilots. I was rather worried because we were limited to a 15-minute interview. Truman was listening and nodding, but he seemed to have more interest in me. Tea was served by the missionaries, and the atmosphere was amiable.
Before long, Truman talked to me.
“You see, Captain, I was a Major in the Army. Since you were a Captain of the Navy, let us talk as soldiers today.” With that, he signaled Sachs to put aside his story of Jesus Christ for a while.
Then, he mentioned Pearl Harbor. We talked about various incidents from those days, and President Truman, laughing, said, “Captain, as far as Pearl Harbor is concerned, we were both guilty.”
Just as I was beginning to say, “We may both be guilty before God though...”, Truman interrupted, saying, “No, not only before God but before human beings, we will both be proven to be guilty as a fact of history.”
I also touched on the issue of the release of prisoners of war, telling him that I brought with me a list of written petitions. To this, he reassured me, “Captain, don’t worry. The issue of prisoners of war will be taken care of shortly.” The atmosphere was cordial.
56
President Eisenhower
We left Florida to head north and entered Washington D.C. on February 21st. The following day was Washington’s Birthday.
President Eisenhower is a Christian. According to the newspapers, on Washington’s Birthday, he visited a church in Virginia that had a connection with George Washington.
Eisenhower, America’s 34th President, had had his inauguration ceremony just one month earlier, on January 20th. I watched the ceremony on TV. The Presidential inauguration ceremony was conducted solemnly and splendidly on the Capitol’s East Portico, witnessed by almost half a million people gathered in the square. President-elect Eisenhower took the oath of office, raising his right hand with his left hand placed on the same Bible used by President Washington for his inauguration oath. I was deeply moved watching it on TV. It was certainly a gesture that demonstrated reverence for God.
I was further surprised by a newspaper report that Eisenhower was baptized in a Presbyterian church after he took the oath of office. The article said that this was simply because he had not received baptism earlier in life, but I wondered if he had not been a Christian before his baptism.
But Eisenhower himself said that, “To date, I have placed faith in God.” I heard that Eisenhower always kept his Bible, with a red leather cover, by his side. There was no doubt that he regularly read the Bible judging from the religious tone of his political speeches.
At the time of the presidential election, when his supporters advised him to reduce his use of quotations from the Bible because his campaign speeches sounded too much like religious missionary assemblies, he got angry, saying, “Don’t underestimate the American people.”
What he expected out of the American people was a revival of faith that required religious and spiritual values. The Founding Fathers of America relied on their belief in the God of Jesus Christ in order to give significance to their revolutionary undertakings. They inscribed this faith in the founding documents of their nation—“In God We Trust”—and bravely set the basic tone of their system of government. Thus, where they revered God, there was liberty.
I was convinced that Eisenhower, who shared such a faith, visibly proved his religious faith in front of the American people by daring to receive baptism.
Before coming to Washington, Sachs made a request to the President for an interview with me. As far as I was concerned, I wanted to see President Eisenhower, but there was no specific reason to see him. But Sachs’ intention was to take advantage of a meeting as a photo opportunity of me shaking hands with Eisenhower for publicity for the Sky Pilots.
We were staying in a hotel called the Fairfax Hotel, and there was a call from a White House secretary.
“Captain Fuchida, what is the reason you want to see the President?”
It was a natural question, but I was puzzled. If Sachs had been there, he would have managed an appropriate response. I did not have time to think and told him about Sachs’ true intention.
“We have no particular reason. We just want to take a photo shaking hands with the President.”
As I was afraid that he might take my answer as a ridiculous request, the secretary laughed.
“Captain, as a matter of fact, people with similar requests visit the White House every day, and the President is happy to satisfy their needs by coming out to the veranda when he has time. The gate of the White House is open from 9:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon, and you will be given the opportunity if you wait on the veranda.”
After saying, “Thank you,” I hung up the telephone. But I thought, “Why should I waste my time to wait around for the President to appear?” I did not care about the photo, and I did not say anything about this conversation to Sachs. On Friday, there was another call from the secretary. Again, Sachs was not around.
The secretary asked me, “Captain, do you play golf?” I bluntly responded that I could not.
“Then, it doesn’t matter. To tell you the truth, the President will be playing golf, and we wanted to invite you to join.”
That night, there was a long envelope delivered to me at the Fairfax
Hotel from the White House. It contained a charcoal sketch of Eisenhower swinging his golf club. On the sketch was the President’s signature, “Dwight Eisenhower,” and in the right upper corner, “To Captain Fuchida.”
There was no other explanation, but I had read the article, accompanied with a photo of the President, in the evening paper that said that Eisenhower played golf that day and that an artist drew a portrait of him swinging his golf club. I thought that what I received must be a preliminary sketch. He must have had one of the sketches sent to me with his signature. I was deeply moved that he paid such attention to me, and I felt the greatness of his personality.
Then, there was another call from the White House secretary. This time Sachs answered the phone, and the secretary asked if I had received the preliminary charcoal sketch. I told Sachs to respond that I certainly had received it. The secretary suggested that the President would attend service at the National Presbyterian Church in Washington D.C., and if the Captain wanted to attend the same service, he was more than welcome. Sachs was delighted and accepted without asking me. For him, it was an opportunity to have my photo taken shaking hands with the President.
The following day, Sunday, February 22nd, Sachs and I went to the National Presbyterian Church early, well ahead of time. While we were waiting, we talked to the minister about our situation, and he asked if I could give my testimony at an assembly that night. As we were available, Sachs, without hesitation, accepted the offer on the spot.
At the scheduled time for the start of the service, as the organ began its prelude, about 500 attendees rose from their seats to receive the President. Eisenhower entered the hall escorted by his Secret Service guards. He noticed me standing near the entrance, and he shook hands with me lightly. With a wink, he signaled for me to follow him. He sat in the seat at the center of the hall and let me sit next to him as the First Lady did not accompany him that day. After we sat down, the congregation sang a hymn. It was my favorite hymn, “Blessed Assurance,” and I sang with a loud voice.
For That One Day: The Memoirs of Mitsuo Fuchida, Commander of the Attack on Pearl Harbor Page 28