Seventh Fleet Commander Lauds Legacy of Japanese Battleship
By U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs
YOKOSUKA, Japan - A former Japanese Imperial Navy battleship moored as a museum in Yokosuka is a strong symbol of Japan’s naval heritage, and of the U.S. Navy’s friendship with the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force, according to the U.S. 7th Fleet commander.
Vice Adm. Scott Van Buskirk spoke May 27 at a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the preservation of the Mikasa, 106 years after it served as flagship for Admiral Heihachiro Togo during one of the most important operations in naval history, the Battle of Tsushima.
"All of us in the U.S. Navy are extremely proud of our association with the Mikasa and with Admiral Togo’s legacy," said Van Buskirk. "And we are extremely proud of our alliance with Japan, and with the JMSDF."
Togo, widely considered to be one of world’s greatest naval heroes, positioned the Mikasa to lead the combined Japanese fleet into a decisive naval victory against Russia. The Russian fleet lost twenty one out of thirty eight Russian ships, with seven captured, six disarmed, 4,545 Russian servicemen died and 6,106 were taken prisoner, while the Japanese only lost 116 men and three torpedo boats. A pre-dreadnought ship named after Mount Mikasa in Nara, Japan, Mikasa stands as the last remaining example of its kind anywhere in the world.
Van Buskirk explained how Togo and the Mikasa were associated with the U.S. Navy via Admiral Chester Nimitz, a lifetime admirer of Admiral Togo who considered himself a "disciple" of the Japanese Admiral. After the war in 1957, Nimitz learned from Japanese friends that the Mikasa had fallen into a state of disrepair and was being used as a bar and dance hall. He wrote an impassioned article for the magazine Bungei Shunju reminding the citizens of Japan of Togo’s great victory and how important it was in their and the world’s naval heritage. He donated the 20,000 yen he received for the article to start what became the Mikasa Preservation Society.
Van Buskirk noted that the ceremony was not just about the ship, but also about the strong bonds of friendship between the combined forces of the United States Navy and the JMSDF, which are built on the recognized and accepted principles that make a naval power for a nation critical to its maritime success. Van Buskirk cited Operation Tomodachi, which saw 7th Fleet forces assisting their JMSDF counterparts to deliver disaster relief to northern Japan following the devastating tsunami in March, as a powerful example of the strong relationship.
"During Operation Tomodachi -- and in my daily interaction with Vice Admiral Takashima and Vice Admiral Kuramoto -- I observed the JMSDF closely in what was an incredibly difficult mission, and I recognized that Togo’s spirit lives on," said Van Buskirk. "As the men and women of the JMSDF operated under intense physical and emotional stress, they were at their best, never wavering in their focus, in their devotion to the mission’s success, and in their sense of duty to their nation."
This article was originally published at: http://www.c7f.navy.mil/news/2011/05-may/039.htm
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