NAHA, Okinawa Pref. -- Akira Hamamatsu, 75, recalls Emperor Hirohito's surrender broadcast on Aug. 15, 1945, as little more than a garbled voice mixed with static.
"Defeat meant nothing to me," said the hospital administrator born in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, who was serving at a Tokyo military base at the time.
Organized resistance by Japanese troops in Okinawa had officially ended on June 23, 1945, 80 days after the Allies landed.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.