西村京太郎の「十五歳の戦争」 陸軍幼年学校「最後の生徒」
推理小説作家の西村京太郎が、今年3月3日亡くなった。91歳。鉄道や観光地を舞台にした「トラベルミステリー」の第一人者として知られる。自叙伝「十五歳の戦争」はそれとは違い戦中、戦後直後の実体験を書いたものだ。とても面白かった。
19歳になれば軍隊に召集される。初年兵は殴られ、大変だ。陸軍幼年学校なら、最初から士官だ。それで15歳で入ったという。軍だから厳しいが、幼年といえども士官候補生としての待遇も受けた。そこでは本土決戦の覚悟を持ったが、B29の空襲に歯が立たないこと、金属供出のおろかさなど、そこで感じたことが率直に語られる。当時は隣組がある。組長は軍国主義に凝り固まって「小さな東条(首相)」と呼ばれていた。自分の組から英雄的な軍人がいないことが不満だった。彼が陸軍幼年学校に入ってあいさつにいったらびっくり、目を丸くした。ざまあみろと思ったという。
日本人は戦争に向いていないという日本人論が面白い。日本の軍人は現代戦がわからなかった、という。東條首相の有名な話「敵の戦闘機は精神で落とせ！」に象徴される精神論である。補給するという兵站の思想がない。敗けるとわかっても撤退させず、死守を命ずる。ついには生よりも死が尊いという特攻に行きつく。これでは戦えるはずがないという。
昭和20年4月から8月までエリート将校養成機関の陸軍幼年学校の通ったその短くも濃密な4か月半、さらに戦後の混乱する日本で、豹変する大人たち。戦時中、敗戦直後の少年は何を見て、何を悟ったのか。戦中派の貴重な証言である。いまこそ傾聴したい。
Kyotaro Nishimura's "15-year-old war"
Army childhood
school "last student"
Detective novel writer Kyotaro Nishimura died on March, this year. 91 years old. Known as a leading person in "travel mystery" set in railways and tourist spots. The autobiography "War of the Fifteen Years Old", unlike that, describes the actual experience during and immediately after the war. It was very interesting.
At the age of 19, they will be summoned to the army. The first year soldiers are beaten and hard. At the Army Childhood School, he is an officer from the beginning. That's why he entered at the age of 15. Although it is strict because it is an army, he was treated as a cadet even when he was a child. Although he was prepared for the mainland decisive battle there, he candidly talks about what he felt there, such as the fact that the B29's air raids were can not win and the metal donation was foolish. At that time, there was Tonarigumi group. The leader was entrenched in militarism and was called "Small Tojo (Prime Minister)". he was dissatisfied with the lack of heroic soldiers from my group. When he entered the Army Childhood School and greeted him, he was surprised and his eyes were rounded. Mr. Nishimura thought it was fun.
The Japanese theory that Japanese people are not suitable for war is interesting. Japanese military leaders said they didn't understand modern warfare. It is a spiritual theory symbolized by Prime Minister Tojo's famous story, "Drop enemy fighters with your spirit!" There is no logistics idea to replenish.
Even if it turns out to be defeated, it will not be withdrawn and will be ordered to defend to death. Eventually, they end up with a special attack in which death is more precious than life. It is said that this cannot fight.
From April to August 1945, the short but dense four and a half months that the army childhood school of the elite officer training institution attended, and the confused postwar Japan, the adults who change suddenly. What did the boy see and realize during the war and immediately after the defeat?
It is a valuable testimony of the wartime faction. We want to listen now.