According to his account they had been specifically told to avoid the Utah because it had no combat value. The pilot of his airplane most likely was confused due to the heavy smoke by the time they joined the attack that he misidentified the Utah as a preferred target.
Why? The war has been over for a few years. Since they are already there in Hawaii, why not visit such a historical place and have a somber reflection?
Why wouldn't you? Visiting that area of Japan isn't as popular as visiting Hawaii, but if you happened to be in the neighborhood why wouldn't you visit such an impactful place as the peace memorial at Hiroshima?
The locals are okay with you being there. They just wish you wouldn’t drop your cigarette butts on the ground.
No clue, the obituary references Masamitsu seeing two splashes and impacts. Although, a WW2 plane probably wouldn't have the power to carry 2?
I used to work for a Japanese company. I’m well aware of their affinity for cigarettes. But Japanese people by and large abide by protocols. They dispose of their cigarette butts properly, unlike Americans who tend to just fling them wherever they feel like it.
