James P. Zumwalt meets WW II veteran Mr. Matsumuro

July 9, 2009, Iwakuni - During a visit to Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture, James P. Zumwalt, Charge d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy, visited the U.S. Marine Air Station, paid a call on the Mayor and gave a speech entitled: “The US-Japan Alliance: A Partnership Extending to the Community Level” at the Iwakuni Chamber of Commerce. The speech drew an audience of more than 100 from the local community, including business leaders, city officials, Japanese Self Defense Forces (JSDF) officers, and the media.

The audience also included Mr. Masayuki Matsumuro, a former kamikaze pilot who was spared from having to carry out his mission when the war ended. Tragically, though, he lost his entire family in the bombing of Hiroshima. However, his is a story of hope and reconciliation when an altercation with an American GI right after the war resulted in a lifelong friendship between the two men and a visit to the United States where his encounter with American volunteerism changed his life.

You can find out more about this amazing story on Mr. Zumwalt’s blog.