Gene "Spooks"
Merrill
(TMCM(SS), Ret.) meets the first Japanese POW of WWII
[In Dec 2003 I watched some] of the Dec 7th Pearl Harbor
programs on the History and Discovery channel. Two of the
programs had a bit about the five 2-man Submarines which were launched
by the
Japanese Mother Boats and their crews to attack targets of opportunity
that day.
I had a flash back when they did the part on the one that
beached at Bellows AFB which caused me to dig this picture out from my
scrap book.. While DARTER was at Pearl conducting our MK 48
Certification I had the opportunity to give the only survivor of the
mini subs, and the first POW of WW II, Kazuo Sakimaki, a tour of DARTER
and later had lunch
with him, along with Ray DeYarman, CDR ( Subase Museum Curator ),
a PR type
from SUBPAC, and several more in the party.
Mr. Sakamaki appeared at ease as he related how he came about the
beaching of his boat. What he said then pretty much matched what
was said on the
TV programs.
Thought you might find this interesting.
![Article with photo from Patrol Newspaper [SubBase Pearl Harbor] 14 Oct 1983](T-MerrillwPOW.jpg){kind=link}