On June 20, 1945, just before the end of the war, 123 American bombers took off from the island of Guam for an attack on Shizuoka, a Japanese city at the foot of Mount Fuji. The raid destroyed two-thirds of the city, taking the lives of two thousand of its citizens. Twenty-three American airmen also died when two of their planes collided in mid-air. That these twenty-three men were enemy soldiers mattered little to one Japanese person, who buried their remains next to the graves of the Shizuoka citizens killed in the attack, and erected a memorial for them there. Many years later, in 1971, another Shizuoka citizen learned of this. He began holding his own ceremony besides the memorial, praying for the souls of the twenty-three Americans each year on the Saturday closest to June 20. This gradually began to attract local support, and spread among the people as a day of praying for peace. Having campaigned for peace for many years, this beautiful story strikes a deep chord with me. I hope it will become more widely known around the world and inspire other people too. February 2008 Imagine Peace Yoko Ono

On June 20, 1945, just before the end of the war, 123 American bombers took off from the island of Guam for an attack on Shizuoka, a Japanese city at the foot of Mount Fuji. The raid destroyed two-thirds of the city, taking the lives of two thousand of its citizens. Twenty-three American airmen also died when two of their planes collided in mid-air.

That these twenty-three men were enemy soldiers mattered little to one Japanese person, who buried their remains next to the graves of the Shizuoka citizens killed in the attack, and erected a memorial for them there. Many years later, in 1971, another Shizuoka citizen learned of this. He began holding his own ceremony besides the memorial, praying for the souls of the twenty-three Americans each year on the Saturday closest to June 20. This gradually began to attract local support, and spread among the people as a day of praying for peace.

Having campaigned for peace for many years, this beautiful story strikes a deep chord with me. I hope it will become more widely known around the world and inspire other people too.

February 2008

Imagine Peace

Yoko Ono

Hear an audio review of the book here

Let them beat their swords into ploughshare and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not take up sword against nation; They shall study war no more. (Isaiah 2:4)

With his story of the bombing of Shizuoka and the life of Jack O’Conor, Jerry Yellin has created a book about war and violence that is truly a path of peace and reconciliation. So often in our world we watch others and see ourselves get trapped in cycles of conflict. From nation-states to neighbors we all can cite examples of tension, anger and the escalation that tear people in our world apart. Mr. Yellin captures this pattern so powerfully, both from the Japanese prospective and from the American point of view. Yet, even as he weaves the story of the dehumanizing and destructive build up to war, we understand through his characters how some try desperately to maintain their humanity! Like verse from Isaiah, Mr. Yellin’s story does not culminate with bombing of Shizuoka. Death and destruction pave the way for reconciliation, redemption and hope. As each nation heals, unlikely but real encounters bring former combatants together.

Mr. Yellin’s work reminds us that the warriors, their families and the survivors all bear scars. With each encounter Mr Yellin asks the protagonists and the reader to consider not only how we heal after such devastation, but how those who caused the damage can do actions to heal each other. We make a journey from bomber and bombing lens and bomb craters to Isaiah’s conclusion- - if soldiers heal each other - - can we learn from this and create a world where we ”teach war no more”.

Rabbi Michael Birnholz

The Blackened Canteen” captures an incredible ceremony that reflects this divinely-inspired ability to love and respect one’s former mortal enemies. I witnessed this annual event in 2008 – it will, unquestionably, become one of the most emotionally inspiring experiences of my life. The story surrounding this ceremony, as described by Mr Yellin, transcends mere historic recounting … it provides the backdrop and explains the elements and forces that intertwined to create an incredible tale that should be read by every American and Japanese.

Colonel Dave Carey, US Air Force