WEBVTT

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- This is a memorial to remember

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the B-29 crash that happened.

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Two B-29s crashed into each other over Shizuoka

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in 1949

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after a bombing raid, and it killed all 23 crew members

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plus approximately 2,000 civilians on the ground.

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(singing)

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So I was able to participate in, I believe,

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a traditional Buddhist prayer.

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We were able to approach both the Buddhist shrine,

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as well as the B-29 headstone,

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and offer up prayers through incense.

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The part that stood out the most

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was pouring the bourbon on the B-29 memorial.

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The organizer of the event has the only remaining,

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or surviving artifact from the crash,

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which was a canteen from one of the B-29 crew members

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that has a hand print embedded in it.

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Handling that canteen was pretty, pretty intense.

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At first it was a little distant,

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just appreciating the history behind the event,

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but then when there were some of the family members

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of the survivors or victims of the event.

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Hearing them speak

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really brought the event closer to me,

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closer to home, and understanding the significance

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of the event

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of demonstrating the unity

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between both the Japanese and the American people,

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and the hope that came from this one tragic event.