Odachi, who is now well into his nineties, kept his Kamikaze past a secret for most of his life. His attention to detail, unwavering self-discipline and impenetrably strong mind were often the difference between life and death.

Odachi's innate 'samurai spirit' carried him through childhood, WWII and his eventual life as a kendo instructor, police officer and detective.

They'll feel the anger at a government and society that swept so much of the sacrifice under the rug in its desperation to rebuild. They'll witness the psychological trauma of coming to terms with death before each mission, and breathe a sigh of relief with Odachi when his last mission is cut short by Japan's eventual surrender. Their callsign was 'ten dead, zero alive.'īy picking up Memoirs of a Kamikaze, readers will experience the hardships of fighter pilot training-dipping and diving and watching as other trainees crash into nearby mountainsides.

A year later, he was unknowingly assigned to the Kamikaze Special Attack Corps-a group of airmen whose mission was to sacrifice their lives by crashing planes into enemy ships. This book tells the story of Kazuo Odachi who-in 1943, when he was just 16 years-old-joined the Imperial Japanese Navy to become a pilot. **Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) Winner**Īn incredible, untold story of survival and acceptance that sheds light on one of the darkest chapters in Japanese history.

Memoirs of a battle brother download