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OKADA, Kunio ATIS Translation of S/D before OKI on 1 Oct 46 Cpl. in WAH Operations Division, Code Section, from mid-June 1945 (After 19 June) to 10 September 1945, quartered with duty co. About 1000 15 August 2, Lt. Minoru N. AKAMURA of the duty Co. ordered Defendant to select about 20 soldiers from the code section, assemble and hoard a truck in front of air defense administration building. Defendant did so, at which time NAKAMURA said it would be postponed until afternoon, adhere was to he a broadcast at noon, so they reassembled about 1430-1500. Later some soldiers brought 13-20 US blindfolded and tied airmen, who were loaded in one truck with 10 Os, some from the Operations Room, 2-3 NCOs. About 20 men from the detail rode in the other truck. They arrived at a place in the mountains near the crematory; "several Officers took one airman each and led him to a place of his own choosing where he beheaded the airman with a service sword. After beheading a person, an Officer would lead another airman away and behead him." Defendant doesn't know why the NCOs did any beheading. The corpses were put in about 15 wooden boxes, taken away by truck. The Officers returned to Headquarters on one motor truck, which then returned to the scene with several persons, and they exhumed the bodies buried in a spot, the soldiers on detail loaded them on the truck, and Defendant and the soldiers then went by truck to a spot near the crematory about 200 meters away. The soldiers carried the corpses to the place of burning, then returned to Head quarters by truck. (Note: Obvious that OKADA can give names, despite his reluctance here. This statement was taken by Oki, signed by him.) |