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GOIYAMA, SHINJI Statement of Goiyama (token 1-8 July 1947) 42, at WAH from 42 to surrender, Western Demobilization Bureau, Fukuoka, from September 1945 to present; to now begin work in Finance Department of Home Ministry, Kokura. Member of WAH Adjutant Section. The superior of Goiyama was Adjutant Tsuno Koga until May 1945, then Ejiro Jin. The other adjutants were Tomonosuki Kusumoto and Haruo Minami. Nakaoka's duties were mostly withtthe CG; he accompanied him on inspection trips. Kusumoto had charge of documents and records. Koga also had charge of documents and records, carried the most responsibility. Incoming documents of importance would have to clear through the adjutant's section, and Kusumoto would receive them and send them to the proper section. If Kusumoto wasn't there, then Koga would do it. While all official mail to the CG would clear through the adjutant section, anything marked confidential or secret would not be opened, but sent by CG directly to section affected. Any outgoing letter having the seal of the section head on it or anything marked secret or confidential did not clear through the adjutant section. Official letters for the CG were written by the senior adjutant, either Koga or Jin, but this was very rare. The CG*s seal was in the adjutant section. W.O. Igumi Kiyohara had charge of the secret documents for the adjutant section. Goiyama was in charge of awards department, kept records of those to receive decorations. Also kept ind. records of all WAH personnel. All correspondence regarding Goiyama* s records would be prepared by him and taken to his superior for approval. He also handled correspondence necessary in any temporary assignment he might have. Sometimes Goiyama had to take correspondence pertaining to his department to the staff officers and the CG. One of Goiyama's duties was to hand carry classified documents from adjutants section to the staff and CG if it pertained to him. Each section handled its own classified documents. Goiyama handled those pertaining to his section. It was Goiyama's duty to feed and house the Prisoners brought into WAH and to provide security guards so that they would not escape. Goiyama did not keep the records; the staff section kept the records. Would know how many Prisoners to feed or house by taking roll. Every day Goiyama inspected, the Prisoners and counted them— inspected them in case any were sick, and if so, he would himself tell the Adjutant and call the medical doctor, Komori. In the first part of May 1945 Goiyama called Komori to treat a B-29 flier who was injured when his plane crashed and another Prisoner who hod a bad cold. Of the 10 Prisoners that were brought into headquarters 2-3 at a time in May, 3 were injured. One was injured on the head, one on the shoulder, and one in the back. These injuries were not bullet wounds, but were caused by the crash. Komori treated them at the compound in the headquarters, said something about taking them to the hospital at the University to treat them, this in the early part of May 1945. One or two weeks later he did take the wounded Prisoners to the University Hospital for treatment. [Marginal Not: no] Aihara from the staff section told Goiyama that Komori was going to take some Prisoners to the University Hospital for treatment and to release them to him— verbally, not by order. Komori told Goiyama that there was not enough medicine in his office to treat them, so it would be better to take them to the University Hospital. Goiyama believes that they could have been treated at the compound just as well. [Marginal Note: no] (1) The next day, Goiyama believes that he released 2 Prisoners to Komori— one with a shoulder injury and the one with a back injury. Goiyamabbelieves that Aihara told Goiyama to release 2. Komori picked them out when he came for them— Aihara did not tell Goiyama which two. Goiyama did hear the names of these two from Nakao, but he doesn’t remember. [Marginal Note: " ] The Prisoner with the bad injury to his back needed hospital attention. When he was brought to WAH he had a bandage on his wound. Someone, Goiyama believes Aihara, must have called Komori since he came over at once to treat the wound. Goiyama went with him to see the Prisoner. The Prisoner was lying on his back with his feet on Komori*s left. Komori had him lay on his right side, and he removed the bandage. The injury was just below the left shoulder blade, about at the level of the armpit There was a ragged wound running up and down, about 4" in length. Goiyama doesn’t believe it was deep enough to hit the bone. [Marginal Note: " ] Komori cleansed the wound, put some medicine on it, put on a new bandage, wrapping it around his chest and over his right shoulder. The flier said something to Komori, but all Goiyama could understand was, "Thank you." Komori said that he wanted to treat him at the hospital. [Marginal Note: " ] At this time there were 10-12 Prisoners— not less than 10— in the compound; they kept coming in a few at a time. Komori did not have the authority to take Prisoners to an outside hospital, such as the University, without approval of the chief of medical section— Horiuchi. It would even be necessary to have this approval with Japanese patients; for PWs it would be still more difficult. To treat the Prisoners at the University, they would have to get permission from the War Department and the Ministry of Education. Goiyama doesn’t know whether this permission was ever granted or whether Komori, with his University contact, arranged it himself. [Marginal Note: " ] Goiyama excuses his part by stating that if superior tells a subordinate to release a Prisoner, he does so. If a Japanese soldier were to be treated at the University, it would necessitate permission from the Ministry of War because it is military personnel, and the Ministry of Education because the University comes under their jurisdiction. Goiyama doesn’t know if this would be necessary in case of PWs or not. Goiyama is not certain what was wrong with the 2nd Prisoner he released to Komori the first time he took the Prisoners to the University Hospital, but thinks he had a cold. The taking of the Prisoners to the Hospital was not secret, but Goiyama did not^talk to anyone about it, since he thought it "best”. However, he did report it to Senior Adjutant Jin and Maj. Kusumoto. Goiyama also reported to them the number of Prisoners who came in and number who went out. [Marginal Note: no] About 1230, after lunch, Goiyama went with Aihara to his room and Aihara told him to make preparations for the Prisoners to leave, said the truck would be at the compound at 1300 and that Goiyama should order 3 extra guards. They then walked over and met Komori in front of the building where the Prisoners were kept, went into the building and Komori pointed out the 2 Prisoners he wanted, which included the Prisoners with the wound that Goiyama described above. The security guards took the 2 Prisoners by the arm, and they walked out and got on the truck which had arrived while they were in the building. [Marginal Note: " ] Goiyama had called Nakamura in the adjutant section and asked for 3 extra guards who were not very talkative to go with the Prisoners to the University. Aihara told Goiyama to get guards who did not talk very much. Aihara said it would be better if no one knew that the Prisoners were going to the University. Before the guards got in the truck, Aihara oriented the guards and told them not to tell anyone that Prisoners were taken to the University Hospital. The treatment of Prisoners at the University Hospital was a secret, was not to be talked about. [Marginal Note: " ] At the truck before it left for the University were a truck driver, Komori, Aihara, Goiyama, Sato of the staff, who just watched, did speak to Komori. The truck took off with the 2 Prisoners, 3 guards behind, and the driver in the cab and Komori. Goiyama is almost certain that Sato got into the truck and left with Komori. [Marginal Note: " ] On being shown pictures of fliers, on seeing pictures of Robert B. Williams he says that he looks familiar; knows that there was a Prisoner by that name in the WA compound during this period. He was either sent to the University or executed on 20 June 1945 after bombing of Fukuoka. [Marginal Note: " ] On seeing picture of Charles M. Kearns he states that he was a PW at WAH at the time the Prisoners were taken to the University Hospital, but does not think he was sent to the University, but executed on 20 June. [Marginal Note: " ] On seeing picture of Teddy J. Ponczka he states that he thinks this man was dark complected, tall, well built, that he was the man wounded on the back and treated by Komori, that he was taken to the University by Komori the first time that Prisoners were taken there and was killed. [Marginal Note: " ] Picture of Dale E. Plambeck (looks familiar, states he was of average height, had a long neck, slender face, small jaws, reddish white hair, was slim, was taken to the University the 2nd time by Komori. He was the man with the cold. After he got on the truck, he stood and laughed, and Goiyama felt sorry for him because he knew that he was going to be killed at the University. [Marginal Note: " ] The following day Komori came to the Headquarters and told Goiyama that the Prisoners had died at the University during medical experiments. Goiyama reported this to Kusumoto. Goiyama doesn*t believe that he told Jin because he wasn*t in his office when Goiyama reported to Kusumoto. [Marginal Note: no] Komori told Goiyama about this in the Medical Section. Goiyama believes that he was returning for the benjo, and G̶o̶i̶y̶a̶m̶a̶ Komori calle dhim into the large medical Section office and told Goiyama, quietly, what had happened. [Marginal Note: " ] Either that same day or the next day Goiyama went into Kusumoto office to get his approval on a document pertaining to Goiyama section, and Komori was talking to Kusumoto, stated that he was experimenting on an anti-toxin for bed bugs, using the Prisoners blood. This was after Goiyama told Kusumoto what Komori had told him. [Marginal Note: " ] Goiyama then changes story, believes now that G̶o̶i̶y̶a̶m̶a̶ Komori only took one Prisoner, the one with the wounded shoulder, the first time. [Marginal Note: " ] Goiyama then remembers that the Medical Section was not in the Headquarters at the time Komori told Goiyama about the first operations. The first flocr was occupied by the staff at the time, and the room Komori called Goiyama into to tell him of the operations was occupied by the Intelligence Operations, where radio messages were received and information plotted on any operations made, in charge of a Capt. and 2nd Lt. Yamanaka, but they were not in at the time. [Marginal Note: " ] (2) 2-3 days after the first time (the Prisoners were taken to KIU) Aihara called Goiyama into his office, said that in about a week Komori would take more Prisoners to the University. Because the first Prisoner was killed at the University, Goiyama knew that it would happen again. About a week later, in the last part of May, Aihara again told Goiyama to make preparations to take 2 Prisoners to the University the next day. Goiyama went to see Nakamura and made arrangements for 3-4 additional guards. Goiyama told Nakamura that they were taking Prisoners to the University again, and so he needed guards, that the first Prisoner who had been taken to the University was done away with, that these fliers had bombed Japan, and, because of this, they would not come back from the University either. A̶i̶h̶a̶r̶a̶ M---- said, "Is that so?” [Marginal Note: " ] About 1300 the next day, Komori, Aihara and Goiyama went to the building where the Prisoners were kept, went into the building, Komori pointed out 2 PWs and the guards which Nakamura had sent took them out and helped them into the truck. Ope Prisoner had a cold and a temperature and the other Prisoner had a bandage on his hftftd. Before this, Komori had treated both these Prisoners several times. The Prisoner with the cold had been given medicine and he had put medicine and changed the bandage on the other Prisoner^ head. His head wound was not very serious. It was just the top layer of skin which had about a one inch jagged cut on the right side of the head. [Marginal Note: " ] Both Prisoners walked to the truck without help. Goiyama knew these Prisoners were being taken to the University for medical experiments and that they would be killed there because after the first operations Aihara told Goiyama that Komori would take more Prisoners to the University. Around the truck before it left were Aihara, Komori, Goiyama, 3 special guards, a truck driver, and Col. Sato. Aihara warned the guards to keep this secret. Also there were 2nd Lt. Nakao of the intelligence staff and Lt. Col. Yakumaru, a staff officer. Komori had something that looked like a box wrapped in white cloth that was about 8" x 8" x 12". He handed this to a guard and said, "Be careful— do not break this." Goiyama believes it must have been a glass container; it seemed so light. [Marginal Note: no ] Sato said to Nakao, "Why don't you get on the truck and go see it?" Nakao said, "I might as well." Komori, Nakao go on the truck with the Prisoners and left. Aihara went toward his office and Yakamaru went with Sato toward the Air Defense Building. [Marginal Note: " ] The following day, Nakao came to Goiyama* s office, said, "I saw it (meaning the operations) and it was very bad; you should not see it." He told Goiyama that they had put the Prisoners on the operating table and put them to sleep, that one Prisoner just before the mask was placed on his face raised up and asked, "Are you going to kill me?" It was then that he told Goiyama that it was nothing for him to see. [Marginal Note: " ] Goiyama now remembers that the day after the first operation Komori told him that, after the Prisoner had stopped breathing, they had probed the heart and it was still beating. Goiyama also reported this to Kusumoto. [Marginal Note: " ] At the time that the 2nd group of Prisoners were being loaded on the truck, Aihara told Goiyama that in about a week "we" would send more Prisoners to the University. About a week later, in the first part of June, on the way back from lunch with Aihara, he told Goiyama that they would send 2 more (3) Prisoners the next day, that Goiyama would make preparations for the guards. Goiyama went to Nakamura's office and told him that "We are going to send some more Prisoners and we would like to have the guards that do not talk very much." He asked him for 3-4 guards. [Marginal Note: " ] The next day, at about 1300, Aihara and Goiyama went from lunch to the building where the Prisoners were kept, waited outside and Komori and Sato came, * the guard opened the door, Komori pointed out 2 Prisoners, and the guards brought them outside. [Marginal Note: " ] Goiyama doesn't remember whether it was this time, but there was one time when Komori did inject something into the Prisoners in the morning before t% he took them to the University. At that time the Prisoners were not in pain; at that time Komori said "When we take the Prisoners to the University, it is better that they are asleep. [Marginal Note: " ] In order to make them sleep, I am going to give them this injection. I want to time this just right so that by injecting this now they will be asleep just when they enter the hospital." This happened either the 2nd or 3rd time. On the 2nd occasion, the Prisoners walked out, climbed on the truck themselves; nether was injured in any way. Sato turned to Goiyama and said, [Marginal Note: " ] "Goiyama, get on the truck and go see it.n Goiyama then went back to his room, got his sword, and on his return the truck had left, so he didn't go. [Marginal Note: no] Aihara again instructed the guards, and then Komori got on the truck. This happened before Goiyama went after his sword. Goiyama did not hear any- " thing about this trip. [Marginal Note: " ] Goiyama recalls a time when they took 2 Prisoners to the University in a staff car. The arrangements were made as for the other times. Komori, the 2 Prisoners, 2 guards, and a driver went this time. Komori had a glass jar this time also. [Marginal Note: " ] Aihara was with Goiyama the 4 times Prisoners were taken out of the compound and sent to the University. He was also present when Komori pointed to the Prisoners he was to take to the University. [Marginal Note: " ] Each time Goiyama would receive from Aihara a slip of paper with the names of the Prisoners who were to be released written in Japanese. Each cell room door had the Prisoners name in Japanese. There were usually 2 Prisoners in each room. Komori did not see the slips Goiyama had, but seemed to know beforehand which Prisoners were to go. He knew in which cells they were kept because he had visited the prisoner building about 2-3 days to treat the Prisoners. Goiyama believes that he did not keep the memorandum slips from Aihara or give them to Kusumoto, but threw them away. He did not keep any records of these Prisoners. [Marginal Note: " ] Goiyama believes that as to orders received to release Prisoners to the University, which were given to Komori, the first time there was only one (could have been 2), 2 the 2nd time, 2 the 3rd time, 2 the 4th time (believes this is the time they went in the staff car. Believes that 7 Prisoners in all were sent to the University, not certain. [Marginal Note: " ] Goiyama thinks he heard Komori talking to Kusumoto about using the Prisoners' blood in experiments for a bed-bug exterminator. Kusumoto said, "If it works all right, we will give some to the 46th Regiment." [Marginal Note: " ] At the end of October or the beginning of November 1945, at the Keigo School in Fukuoka, Gen. Fukushima called a meeting of Sato, Kusumoto, Goiyama, and possibly Jin for the purpose of concealing the University operations and the executions. Fukushima stated, "If we are ever asked about what happened to the Prisoners who were in WAH we will say that they were all sent to Hiroshima." He cautioned them (Goiyama says "us") that they should all tell the same story. Kusumoto argued against this, stated that the truth would be learned anyway, that it would be worse to conceal it. Fukushima stated that the best thing to do was to say that the Prisoners had been sent to Hiroshima, and that ended the argument, and they just listened to Fukushima. Sato and Fukushima were writing something on paper about the date and the number of Prisoners who were sent to Hiroshima. Goiyama believes that about 30 Prisoners were said to have been sent to Hiroshima. Believes that they were to have gone there sometime in August. About 1 December 1945 another meeting was held at the Keigo School, at which Fukushima, Kusumoto, and Goiyama attended. Sato was supposed to have attended, was not there. Fukushima stated that "we" would not be able to say that the Prisoners were sent to Hiroshima, but that they must still hide the fact that the Prisoners were sent to the University because it would mean a lot of trouble for them and that they should say that they were executed on 20 June. This was the story as to 14-15 Prisoners, who actually were executed or killed at the University. In February or March 1945 Inada, former chief of staff at WA, called Goiyama to the Chikushi Girls School, said he did not know the facts about Prisoners being sent to the University, asked Goiyama to tell him in detail about it. Goiyama replied that Komori treated some Prisoners at the compound and then took some to the University Hospital for medical experiments, that he heard later that they were killed, that Komori said that he was going to take blood from the Prisoners and make a bed bug antitoxin. Inada merely said, "Is that so?" [Marginal Note: no] In April 1946 Sato called Goiyama to the Ohama School in Fukuoka, told him that if he were questioned by anyone about the WAH Prisoners he was never to mention the fact that any Prisoners were sent to the University. [Marginal Note: " ] |
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Statement of Goiyama (16 July 1947) About 0830 on the morning of the 4th time, Goiyama believes, that the Prisoners were taken to the University for medical experiments, Komori came to Goiyama^ office and gave Goiyama two papers with a white powder in each. He told Goiyama it was a sleeping medicine and that, at about 1000 Goiyama should give it to the Prisoners, dissolved in a glass of water. Komori gave Goiyama the names of the 2 Prisoners that he was to give the drug to and said that the drug should put the Prisoners to sleep by the time they were to be taken to the University. About 1000 Goiyama went to the cells of the 2 Prisoners and dissolved each paper of the sleeping medicine in a glass of water and gave it to them to drink. When Komori came at 1300 he remarked that the medicine had not taken effect. [Marginal Note: no ] Drugs were administered to Prisoners twice before taken to the University. Once Komori gave 2 Prisoners an injection in the arm and this time when Goiyama gave them the powdered drug. [Marginal Note: " ] No case of a Prisoner requesting medical attention although he could have. Gbiyama would know about it if it happened during the day; if it happened at night it would have been reported directly to the adjutant in the morning, but this never happened because no Prisoner was ever sick enough to make a special request at night. [Marginal Note: " ] These 2 Prisoners were both healthy (2 Goiyama gave powder? 2 Komori injected?) None of them had more than minor wounds, none serious. They all walked to the truck without assistance, and they all appeared to be healthy. [Marginal Note: " ] Goiyama states that he was questioned by SCAP Legal Section last year about the Prisoners being taken to the University, asked if he had talked to Col. Oki, at which time he said no. At that time Goiyama did not know who Oki was, later learned that he was the superior of a major he had been questioned by at WAH and whom he had told about Prisoners being sent to the University. At that time Goiyama told SCAP Legal Section that he didn't know anything abopt Prisoners being sent to the University for medical experiments because of orders from Fukushima and Sato not to divulge such information. [Marginal Note: no " ] |