I want to become the HAGAKURE 
 
                                                        HONDA, Toshiaki  
 
It was that I met Mr. Keiziroo Iwabe for the first time in October, 1943. 
I met him for the first time, It was based on Yokaren and carried out pilot 
and reconnaissance member separation. The composition substitute of a team 
was performed. 

It carries out into the 3rd group of 23 section, and our new affiliation is.
Especially he was not the existence which was conspicuous from the physique 
like "middle" in the group. Moreover, when he asserted his opinion, it talked 
by mixture�@The dialect of Saga.

His eyeball was thick and a good person. He was not also arguing with other 
persons. Those who had met him at once must have felt the charms in which 
most is not left.                          
 
He was writing it to the address of a postcard as "Oochi, Oochi-cho." 
I looked at it and asked him. "It reads with what." 
He answered. "It is Oochi town Oochi." The way of speaking is pride strong 
against its hometown. It was thought that it had.

He often told about the text of "HAGAKURE".
"A samurai's way is understanding dying. When there are two ways, the samurai 
should choose to die early. So and so"

By him, I was able to know a part of "HAGAKURE" for the first time. 
"HAGAKURE" is the instruction of Nabeshima's samurai's way. to this instruction, 
as for him, he was going to become Nabeshima's saAccording murai.
I was interpreting. the meaning of "one opportunity in two" was "survival or 
death that time acing"
It was the hearing mistake in me. they were "two and two opportunities."
"HAGAKURE" was the textbook which taught the frightful life of not considering 
a survival from the start. It was in after years that I knew it.

When he was looking at having struck key by transmitting training, his finger 
was very strong because of agricultural work. I had said the joke.
"Your finger is not a finger which hits a transmitting by a key."

Kagoshima Navy Flight Corps, No3 group 23 section.
Mr. Iwabe is reflected in the center. It is the 2nd sequence from before.

We who ended training in Shanghai Navy Flight Corps were assigned to the unit of 
every place. I am assigned to the attack plane party of Tainan Navy Flight Corps.
Here, it became together with him.

"The offing aviation game of Taiwan" started. It was from October 12 and it was
the thing ten days after we join Tainan Navy Flight Corps. I was in the air-raid 
shelter then. 
And it was the target of air strikes of an enemy there. Therefore, "whether today
is the last moment", I thought so.

Then, about 40 classmates who aspired for the Kamikaze party will return to an 
inland. The destinations were 721 Navy Flight corps in the Koonoike air base of 
Ibaragi Prefecture. He and I were in it then.

We did training by the Suisei type 33, On the Koonoike air base. it continuation 
for about two months from the beginning of of 1945 February. We was transferred 
to Hiyakurihara Navy Flight Corps. It was it late in March.

Several days after coming to Hiyakurihara Flight Corps. The Chief Petty officer 
came to the place which supper finishes and is chatting all together. 
And he said.
"601 Navy Flight Corps by seems to want the navigator member of a Suisei, isn't 
there any candidate?"
 
On the other hand, everybody wished. Because, a "Suisei" is which is because it 
is the newest bomber. If it is moreover called 601 Flight Corps, it will be the 
strongest unit also in the navy. All the members expected also self and self.

And several persons' person was nominated. There was also Mr. Keiziroo Iwabe in 
it. They were glad, were brave, and transferred to another section and went to 
601 Flight Corps. They were selected because they had got evaluation higher  
than we.

Several days after, Mr. Iwabe settled down to the brand-new flying suit, and 
he came to our deck to lower a big aviation clock from a head and to show in 
its best. It becomes the member of 601 Flight Corps and there is also still no 
between. It was thought to him that dignity stuck.
 "-- it was good -- do your best .... ". It encouraged, while everybody envied.           
�@
However, this was the brave figure of his last.

Then, the action of he in 601 Flight Corps is although not known. It is imagined 
using the early speed of Suisei that it flew about to "the search for the enemy",
"reconnaissance", besides "a patrol", etc.
The sky of the parents' home of its home town was heard that there was a letter 
that it flew at a low altitude.

Moreover, it is the movie theater of Karatsu-shi. His parents carried the leg to 
the movie theater repeatedly. It is because it was told that his figure was 
reflected in a newsreel.

12 sets Suisei Bombers of the "No4 Mitate kamikaze party " composed of the first 
flight group of 601 Flight Corps. They sortied from the Hiyakurihara air base. 
It was 1430 on August 9, 1945.

Petty Officer Iwabe went into the reconnaissance seat of Suisei bomber. The first 
lieutenant Sakakibara is a pilot of this airplane . the 3rd platoon and the first 
plane.
"The direction of Kinkazan by 125 which discovered enemy ship. Distance is 140 
nauticalmile.15:50." It disappeared, after he sent this telegram.
  
The thing with his breast performed by discovering an enemy and rushing bravely.
Possibly it was HAGAKURE "the time to die was known." Mr. Keiziroo Iwabe was 
the sumrai of HAGAKURE.
It was the mischief of fate. That war is already completed was drawing near, 
however he did not know it.  And it believed merely winning and the young life 
was put out. Very really regrettable.       

Now, returned and his soul is in a hometown.And it is sleeping calmly together 
with the soul of two elder brothers killed in war in the mountain of a hometown.
At the Buddhist service of the 50th anniversary of the person's death.
22 classmates of the Karatsu junior high school worship at a grave, and please 
remember his lifetime. he knows how it was loved by people of its home town it 
is the talk with which should be pleased.

Moreover, one of the classmates of his junior high school meets by chance 
the picture of the late him of the Petty Officer Iwabe currently exhibited by 
the Kanoya air base historical-records hall, and will say in 1972 that the tear
passed.                                                                 

First flight commemoration. Back is 3 tipe beginners' class training plane.

(Translation March 16, 2003)