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I just received the sad news of the passing of my friend, Lt. Cdr. Iyozo Fujita. He was a good man and I got to know him well during my three year stay in Japan.
Fujita-san was born on 2 November 1917, in the Shantuag Province, China. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1938 as a member of the 66th Class. In September 1941 Fujita-san was assigned to the carrier Sôryû as a Zero fighter pilot. He participated in the Pearl Harbor attack as a member of the second wave.
In 1942, this Zero pilot saw extensive combat during the Wake Island attack, Indian Ocean Operation and the Battle of Midway. During the Battle of Midway he shot down a number of American torpedo bombers before being shot down by friendly fire. Luckily Fujita-san was later rescued by friendly forces. After this, now a seasoned Zero ace, he flew numerous combat sorties from Rabaul, the Philippines and Iwo Jima. I feel very fortunate to have known him well.
My book “Beyond Pearl Harbor: The Untold Stories of Japan’s Naval Airmen” being published by Schiffer Publishing next year will have an extensive oral history of his life. Here are Fujita’s reflections on the war (an excerpt from my book):
“When the war began, I knew that Japan would never win against the United States. I always wondered if any other country would intervene and stop the war. I always hoped that this would happen. I really don’t know how I want to be remembered, perhaps as a survivor. I want to be remembered as a survivor who was fortunate to survive from the start of the war at Pearl Harbor until getting shot down at Midway. It was miraculous that I survived; I often wonder why it was possible. It is just one of those things that is beyond human comprehension.”
Rest in peace Fujita-san; you won’t be forgotten.
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