Wings of Defeat

Maura Doyle
Oakland Catholic High School
10th Grade World History 2
Wings of Defeat is a heartbreaking and moving story of the Kamikaze pilots of World War II. Much of the documentary's information is conveyed through interviews with surviving pilots. Their accounts deliver a complexity to a story often told as a single-sided story of fanaticism of the Japanese. There is little nuance to the story when told through the American perspective. Students usually connect with the sense of loss that American soldiers felt at the hands of a "crazy" enemy. Wings of Defeat collapses this traditional American narrative of the Japanese Kamikaze during World War II. It complicates the story and allows the viewer to understand how Japanese men were forced to be Kamikaze pilots by a ruthless military desperate for victory.
 
Wings of Defeat is appropriate for upper-high school level students, perhaps an advanced group of 9th or 10th graders as well. It is graphic in some parts, but that is necessary to convey the story. The accounts from the Japanese survivors are relatable for students who connect more with emotion and story than facts out of context.
 
As teachers of history we are encouraged to provide our students with many viewpoints. This documentary fulfills that mission. We encourage our own students to analyze both perspectives of an issue - a task that I find students are often unable to do - especially with Kamikaze pilots. Students often have prior knowledge of the Kamikaze pilots, or they have a simplified belief of Americans as "the good guys" and the Japanese as "the bad guys." This documentary will use the power of storytelling and powerful visual imagery to challenge that narrative and hopefully add complexity to how they understand the role of the Kamikaze.
 
In my 10th grade World History Class, I would pair this documentary with our study of the Pacific Theatre of World War II. I would like to conduct an exercise where students read about Kamikaze pilots from their history book and History Channel clips. They will write a reflection about the Kamikaze pilots. Then we watch the film and they write another reflection about if their thoughts changed and how. I would be surprised to see students not change their mind at least a little after watching this film.
Another way this film could be used would be to study the relationship between military, government, and citizens during times of war. Students will be curious and will likely want to discuss whether the Japanese Military government represents all of the Japanese citizens.
What’s the difference between holding a compulsory draft and forcing Kamikaze pilots? Where do you draw the line. Discussion based activities relating to this documentary would be particularly useful because students ask questions and bring up viewpoints that I often fail to consider.
Overall, I find this would be a valuable addition to my classroom resources. Even if we don't have time to watch the documentary in full, I'd like to use it as a bridge between my unit on Japan and our study of the Pacific Theatre of World War II. Outside of the actual content, I think it teaches students the value of multiple perspectives in every narrative.

“Wings of Defeat”, a film by Risa Morimoto and Linda Hoaglund, looks into the lives of four young Imperial Navy men who were willing to sacrifice their lives for their country and unbelievably survived. The documentary sheds light on the life and role of Kamikaze pilots in Japan during World War II. It shares the stories of survivors of the Kamikaze missions, allowing the viewer a better understanding of their feelings of fear as they carried out their missions; and the heartbreak in realizing their efforts were in vain.
Prior to watching ‘Wings of Defeat’ I had the opinion that Kamikaze pilots were radicals, proudly sacrificing themselves for Japan, with no thought or care for their own lives. Although this is true in some aspects, their stories are so much more than that. The documentary begins with Risa Morimato explaining her desire to know more about Kamikaze pilots and their missions because of her uncle who died several years ago. By learning more from survivors and their families, Morimato uncovers the terrible truth of Kamikaze pilots and their difficult inner struggles. Contrary to what most believe, Kamikaze pilots were young, impressionable men who did not have a choice, knowing if they refused a mission they would likely be killed by the Japanese government. ‘Wings of Defeat’ gives viewers a chance to hear from these elderly Japanese men explain how propaganda prepared Kamikaze pilots to do what they did during World War II. The ‘boy pilots’ who died left few written records of their experiences. However, through letters and diaries that were found, and the interviews with survivors, it is possible to glimpse valuable insight into their struggle for a sense of humanity amid the horrific conditions of war and to find some meaning in a death they felt they could not escape
I highly recommend this film for high school students and older. The film should be shown in parts to students as there are subtitles and watching requires concentration. Stereotypes can prohibit being able to understand history and there is no better example of this than in 'Wings of Defeat'. The challenge of using this in the classroom with high school students is to make clear this is not just a lesson in knowing more about the enemy. It is also a lesson into knowing ourselves, and how culture and propaganda adds to the horror of wars.

My name is Jessica Reynolds and I teach 9th grade English I and 11th grade British Literature. I feel like it would be appropriate for high school aged students.
Wing of Defeat is an excellent choice for not only a history class covering WWII, but also ethics, psychology, and sociology courses. This documentary discusses the topic of Kamikaze pilots during the closing months of WWII and addresses the prevailing belief that all the pilots that were assigned to these ranks were suicidal fanatics. The film presents testimonials from former Kamikaze pilots and gives them the chance to explain all aspects of their existence as a member of the Kamikaze Corps.
The films makes clear that most of the corpsmen, along with the rest of Japan, were indoctrinated from a young age with a deep respect for their country and an intense desire to protect Japan from the incoming Allied forces. It is also worth noting that the majority of the Kamikaze pilots were not volunteers, but instead were thrown into a suicide mission by their government when it was faced with the overwhelming evidence that they were about to lose the war. Presenting this information through one-on-one interviews with former pilots helps to humanize an act that most Americans would consider as one of the most barbaric and bizarre actions against our country and military.
This documentary presents another side to the American WWII narrative and also induces feelings of empathy and commiseration for Japanese soldiers. This movie helps to present the Japanese as people with a love of their country (which we, as Americans, can appreciate) and also examines the effect that that pride has on an individual and groups alike. It was a beautiful film and I highly recommend it.

I spent the entire time watching Wings of Defeat in astonishment. Every educator who teaches about World War II should be required to watch this film. It provides viewers with real life stories of the Kamikaze “Tokkotai” that are moving and thought-provoking. Their stories are not what most Americans assume and not what many history books gloss over. Even though the stories are incredible, high school students may become disinterested because of the need for many English subtitles. However, this film is an invaluable resource for teachers of this subject; it presents an overlooked viewpoint that teachers need to include in their lessons which will help students understand Japan’s role in WWII and its development since then. If used in the classroom with students, it could additionally provide an opportunity for comparisons between soldiers across cultures and the mental demands of the military.

“Wings of Defeat”, a film by Risa Morimoto and Linda Hoaglund focuses on Japan during World War II and the role of the Kamikaze pilots. The film tells of survivors of the Kamikaze’s and their emotions and feelings towards their glorified roles in Japan. While many considered them fanatics that would sacrifice themselves for their country, the Kamikaze survivors of this film argue that fear and abuse contributed to their Kamikaze missions. Through this documentary these Japanese survivors account the terror they experienced as well as the heartbreak they felt watching their country be torn apart during World War II.
Many have believed that Kamikaze’s were proud of their commitment to their country and willing to voluntarily sacrifice their lives for their country. It has been a lesson taught throughout many history classrooms; however, “Wings of Defeat “tells a much different story than these lessons. The film starts with Risa Morimoto who is on the quest to find out about her uncle’s role as a Kamikaze. Although her uncle died years early she begins to find out the role of the Kamikaze by interviewing other surviving Kamikaze pilots and family survivors of World War II. Upon her search she finds the grim truth of Kamikaze pilots and the internal conflicts of remaining true to their country and wanting to live. She discovers that many of the pilots did not want to tell their family their role in the military because of the heartache of knowing their fate. One survivor, Nakajima Kazou stated his anger towards the Showa Emperor and never forgave him for the lives he took by enlisting Kamikaze pilots. Through their eyes a dark shadow was put over them for if they refused their Kamikaze mission they knew the government would kill them. The question wasn’t “am I going to die” but more “how am I going to die”. The film also gives a brief history on why the Kamikazes were used. Through major defeat from the United States, the Japanese military were running out of resources. Their entire fleet had been destroyed and their land had been firebombed leaving the citizens of Japan starved. In a last ditch effort, Japanese military ordered the use of all pilots as Kamikazes. Known as Tokkotai these men were sent on missions knowing they would not return. Through the use of propaganda these suicide missions became glorified stating it was for the country and that they would be remembered as heroes. Many of the Kamikaze survivors felt the burden of carrying this role but knew they did not have a choice and would have to face death.
This film would be suitable for high school age students. While the film gives a lot of interesting information it is a little bit dry to show in its entirety. Also, you need to make sure you have subtitles on since most of it is in Japanese. However, the personal stories are certainly interesting and shed new light on the role of Kamikazes in World War II. There are a few scenes in particular that would be useful to show students. For US History a great scene to show would be how the US veterans talked about the sinking of the U.S.S. Drexler by a Kamikaze. While the United States military was stunned that Japanese military men would risk their lives, they agreed with them and felt that they would do the same. It is also included in that scene the idea that even after major defeat by the United States, the Kamikazes were seen as inspirations however that idea was not believed even my the pilots. It’s an interesting scene to show because it gives the reaction of the United States veterans and how they respected the Kamikazes yet shows that the Kamikazes barely respected their roles. Another scene that would be useful to show in the classroom is from scene six. The scene shows a World War II Japanese film of an officer explaining how men would die and what that sacrifice would mean to “die gloriously”. This scene would be appropriate when discussing propaganda usage in World War II. This film is also useful as a teacher resource. It provides a different picture of the Kamikaze that is often overlooked in US history textbooks. It also gives a better understanding to explain the concept of Kamikazes to students.
4 stars

Movie Review.
Wings of Defeat (Once we were Kamikaze…)
“Wings of Defeat” is a terrific documentary that gives a most revealing picture of the Japanese Kamikaze pilots of World War II. I must admit that if you asked me “Who were the Kamikaze and how do you know that?” I would have said that they were maniacal men who went on suicide missions. I would have also said that they were ruthless and dangerous. I would have compared them to the terrorists who crashed into the World Trade Center. And all that I knew would be based on Hollywood movies made about World War II.
This movie was an eye-opener. Through interviews with the few surviving Kamikaze pilots, a different picture emerges. These pilots were young men only a few years older than our high school seniors, often yanked from their studies to join the military. They trained as pilots and then were selected to become the Kamikaze. In the emotional interviews, you realize that they were not maniacal, but were merely following orders give by a desperate government who knew that Japan did not have the resources to fight the American Navy. The only way to sink a US Naval destroyer was to crash into it. These young pilots did not want to die, but were doing their patriotic duty.
I highly recommend this documentary for use with high school students. It is 89 minutes long, which may be too long for a high school class, but segments from it could be shown. Since I teach Physics, I am not sure where I would use this movie in my curriculum-however it would work well in a unit about World War II. I think that it could also work in a Psychology class l as a study in human behavior. The surviving Kamikaze pilots were wrestling with guilt for having survived, or even purposely crashing into the water before hitting the ship and even more, for their feelings of their fear to die.
Jane Shamitko
Physics Teacher - Grades 11-12
Trinity High School - May, 2011

Wings of Defeat, directed by Risa Morimoto, is a documentary that attempts to portray the story of Japanese Kamikaze pilots that survived WWII. Morimoto’s quest to tell the survivors’ story is driven by questions surrounding her uncle’s past. He was a Kamikaze that survived, but never told anyone details about his military service. By interviewing both American seamen and other surviving Kamikaze, Morimoto, an American of Japanese descent, brings to light what the end of the war in the Pacific theater was like on both sides of the battlefield.
I think that this film would be best used in an 11th or 12th grade classroom due to some graphic scenes that contain pictures of dead bodies and charred corpses. (I found the pictures of the aftermath of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to be especially hard to see. I do feel that mature high school students would be able to handle viewing the film, I would just warn them first about what they would be seeing.) Also, the film is mostly in Japanese with English subtitles. While this is not an issue for many students, I think that some might have a hard time paying attention to the film in its entirety.
The documentary focuses a great deal on what motivated the Kamikaze to defend the Japanese Empire. At the end of WWII, Japan was faced with some daunting challenges, namely a lack of resources and manpower. Without a change in battle strategy, the country would be forced into disgrace and admit defeat. Many would be surprised to know that most Kamikaze did not volunteer for their mission; rather, they were forced into this “most honorable” of services for their country. Based on Morimoto’s interviews, students will learn from these survivors that most were scared and really did not want to take part in Kamikaze missions. This is a far different picture from the stereotypical crazed warrior that many Americans thought Kamikaze to be. From Morimoto’s interviews with American servicemen, viewers see the impact that Kamikaze warfare had on the Allies. American seamen were scared of the Kamikaze, but sympathized with them. One retired serviceman even says that there were Americans who probably would have acted in the same way. Even though Morimoto states that over 6,000 Kamikaze died for their country, and claimed the lives of over 15,000 Americans, their efforts were not enough and Japan had to admit defeat.
I feel as though this documentary would be especially effective in bringing history to life for students. Many of Kamikaze were in their mid to late teens (the same age as many of my students) and were fed propaganda that led them to support the glory of the cause. The documentary lends itself well to an assignment where students would have to place themselves in the Kamikaze’s position and leads to questions of how would they feel if they knew that their ultimate mission would be their last?