The Indigenous People of the Pacific and Some History

When I mentioned to my dad about the policy behind the 51st Defense Battalion being sent to the Marshall Islands, he chuckled. He had no idea, but he was not surprised about the genetics reasoning. Nonetheless, some of the fiercest fighting in World War II took place in the Pacific Theater, and during the early years of WW II, the Japanese were winning. All Allied soldiers were needed to stop the Axis powers, and our civilian population did their part with war bonds, conservation, and support.

Source: archives.gov
Montford Point Marines on the beaches of Peleliu. Although not assigned to combat, these soldiers pitched in to help.

The Pacific enjoys many romantic connotations to many present day Americans. It represents a tranquil vacation paradise, and to a key television demographic of 18-49, the frequent isolated locale of the CBS reality competition show Survivor.

Furthermore, the Pacific Ocean represents one third of the earth's surface. It was explored by Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, who named it for its peaceful, tranquil waters. Magellan was the first to circumnavigate the globe. Legends and folklore add to the allure of the Pacific, along with its distinctive cultures, traditions, and various languages/dialects.

Many of the Survivor locales were in the Pacific. Can you guess how many?
Source: media.wths.net

There are three distinct classifications of the indigenous people that reside in the Pacific:  Micronesians, Melanesians and Polynesians. These distinctions were classified in 1822 by French explorer and naval officer Jules Dumont D'Urville. Like many categorizations based on explorers of centuries past, some of them are flawed. Nonetheless, these classifications are still used.

Source: hawaiiansaivus.org

Micronesia- Greek word, meaning small islands

Melanesia- Greek word, meaning, Black islands, named after its inhabitants

Polynesia- Many islands.

Judging from the map a majority of the islands are small and numerous. Additionally, the classification system does not take into account migration from remote small islands to larger cities, crossing geo-cultural regions and intermarriage.

Source: googleplus.com.
Young children from the Solomon Islands.

If you look at many of the pictures of some of the Pacific Islanders, you might notice that there is a segment of dark skinned people with blond hair. The blond hair is not from European blood, or hair coloring but rather an amino acid change in the TYRP1 gene. This change is unique to this group of people.

Source: media.npr.org
American soldier with Micronesian infant. The dying baby was  holed up in a cave with a Japanese soldiers.
Photo taken by famed Time photographer Eugene Smith 1918-1978.

Prime Minister Tojo sought complete domination of the Pacific. They believed that the natives were of a lesser race. Country after country fell to the Imperial Japanese. Power and the need for raw materials fueled their zeal for occupation. Despite the origins of its name, the Pacific was not a peaceful place during World War II.




Notes: Peleliu is a part of Palau. (See above map.) An intense battle lasted two months and resulted in a US victory. The Marines suffered heavy losses on this island. A tactic by the Japanese at this time was to hide out in caves to inflict massive casualties.

Oceania: Includes the tropical islands of the Pacific and also the countries of Australia and New Zealand.


http://www.infoplease.com/country/micronesia.html
http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/pacific-ocean.html
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2012/05/case-closed-blonde-melanesians-understood/
http://www.mapsofworld.com/pages/fast-facts/australiaoceania/

"Honor Comes From Death, Disgrace Comes From Surrender"

How do you get young Japanese men willing to die for their country during World War II? What makes a soldier, later known as a holdout, refuse to give up, even decades after war's end? What would be the explanation for extreme brutality and loss of significant lives in the Pacific?

Source: us.123rf.com

Bushido code
Answers to these pertinent questions lies within the medieval Samurai Warrior class and the strong code of Bushido. The Samurai Warrior class dominated the Japanese government and cultural landscape of the nation for centuries. Samurais occupied the upper echelon of Japanese society, and were admired for their  superior fighting methods that insured a safe and peaceful Japan.  However, this ruling class was abolished and Emperor Meiji became Supreme leader in 1868. Efforts then began to modernize Japan, but the Bushido belief system remained in place, since members of the samurai had a role in forming the government.

Source:amandatarziaads4horspestudioblogspot.com

The Bushido code advocated a lust for battle and under no circumstances should a soldier surrender. To serve dishonorably would be a travesty and major repercussions would transpire.


Shinto Religion
Additionally, the Shinto religion held 1) that the Emperor was divine and should be worshiped. 2) Japan was not merely land but created by a Sun Goddess. 3) Japan must rule and "extend its reach and enlightenment to less fortunate races." All members of Japanese society were expected to be adherents to this philosophy.

Source:  4bp.blogspot.com

Military Code
The strict military code for the Japanese Navy and Army issued in 1872 barred escaping or surrendering from the military. These were grounds for death along with disobeying military orders and conscientious objectors.

 Punishment was granted to a soldier's immediate and extended family members, just as during the Edo* period:  The crime extended to five generations and punishment to five affinal** relationships. 

Unsurprisingly, the first lesson that a Japanese student soldier learns is how to use his own rifle to kill himself if he was trapped in a trench or cave. These statements were attributed to Irokawa Daikichi, a historian drafted from the University of Tokyo to become a student soldier at Tsuchiura Naval Base. In the 1972 novel, Zone of Emptiness, author Noma Hiroshi recounts how the professional soldiers resented the student soldiers because of their perceived status in receiving higher education. The superiors believed that any corporal punishment would toughen the student soldiers.

A culture of extreme brutality was encouraged within the military itself. If a Japanese colonel was displeased with one of his majors it would not be unusual for the colonel to strike the offending major a blow across the face to reinforce his reprimand.The major chastised in this way would be expected to strike one of his captains who had incurred his displeasure. The brutality would be passed down the line from the Japanese officers to their own enlisted men who would then be expected to beat each other up. At the end of this chain were men perceived to be the lowest of the low, enlisted Koreans and Taiwanese, who receive the worst beatings. - From Pacific War.org

So, allegiance came from a combination of the Bushido culture and Shinto religion. Add this to a strong military history that advocated corporal punishment and you have a lethal cocktail for a massive war machine. There simply were no alternatives. Japanese soldiers were told that "Honor comes from death, disgrace comes from surrender."


   *Edo:  former name of Tokyo, also known as the period between 1603-1868.
**affinal: in-laws, relatives by marriage


http://www.pacificwar.org.au/JapWarCrimes/Explaining_JapWarCrimes.html

http://www2.gvsu.edu/walll/Japan%20NO%20SURRENDER.htm