The Kamikaze Pilot

By Chase Chung 6F

As part of our lesson on writing strong characters, students were asked to build a character completely from the inside out, detailing their very thoughts and desires to the words they use and then finally, appearance and setting.

As an avid fan of World War II history, Chase Chung wrote a compelling short story told from the point of view of a Japanese Kamikaze pilot who’s about to make the ultimate sacrifice!

My plane swooped down to the Americans. Anti-aircraft fire exploding around me. My engine was hit. The plane was turning around and round, and at last, it hit the water. I was soaked. My head is bleeding. A small ship is coming to me, and the soldier raised his M1930A3 rifle and… “Akihiko! Wake up, Akihiko! Your Kamikaze squad is about to take off! Get to your zero and take off, you idiot!”

My Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter was gleaming there in the sunlight. It took many days and men to build this beauty, and our generals are just going to make it last for a few hours or less. Such a waste.

They are doing the same to us.

The idiots are ordering us to plunge down onto allied ships. We were given little fuel, just enough to plunge onto the enemy.

But I have to look brave.

I have to serve the emperor whom’s voice I’ve never heard.

The whole Japanese air force, my squadron, my friends, my family all think that it’s worth it, because the emperor is a living god or something like that. I therefore cannot let them down.

Sacrifices must be made.