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Statement of Aihara (18 July 1946) In mid May Sato told Aihara that certain PWs wens to be sent to the University Medical School to be treated for wounds, handed him a list of Prisoners to be so taken. Such a list was not of the Prisoners’ names; each Prisoner was given a letter with a phonetic sound such as "e”, ”lo”, and "ha", and this letter was put on their record and on their shirts, this was on the list. Aihara handed this list to 1st Lt. Goiyama, told him that Sato said these PWs were to be sent to the University, that he should wait until someone came after the Prisoners. Evidently Komori had previously talked to Goiyama, stating that he, Komori, had Sato’s permission to take the Prisoners to the University. Sato believes Komori picked the Prisoners; Goiyama should know how. Goiyama was first one of the officers in the unit that had charge of the Prisoners, with an unknown colonel in command, Kusumoto 2nd in command. The 1st time 1-2 Prisoners were taken to the University; Sato and Komori also went. Goiyama should know who accompanied the Prisoners. The 2nd time 2-3 Prisoners were sent to the University about a week after the 1st, 1 the 3rd time, which operation Aihara attended, this 4-7 days after the 2nd. Sato told Aihara that there was going to be a PW operation at the University, asked him to go. Aihara went by street car; there were 6-7 people there, including Ishiyama and Hirako, Sato and Komori. Yakamaru might have been there. The operation was on the back of the head; Aihara left before it was completed, but Komori later told him that the PW died. 1-2 Prisoners were sent the 4th time about a week after the 3rd. |