Regarding the Oct. 24 article "Vivisectionist recalls his day of reckoning": I would like to pass along my thanks to former Japanese Army surgeon Ken Yuasa for having the courage to try to atone for what he has done. Looking at one's own misdeeds and then attempting to redeem oneself require a special type of courage. Yuasa should be congratulated for this, even though the mark on him may be indelible. This is doubly true when one factors in the interference of the Japanese right, whose agenda would lead violently down that same road if left unchallenged.

As the father of a son whose heritage is 50 percent Japanese, I hold the value of this type of courage quite dear. When it finally comes time for me to explain to my son the historical place of Japan's wartime people, I will rely heavily on the examples of people like Yuasa, who have managed to retain their humanity in the face of incredible inhumanity.

chris hurst