Susan Moricca
Adjunct Professor – Holocaust and Genocide Studies
Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey
2015 Asia Study Tour Participant

A Poem

What I Know Now

Reflecting upon the China Tour
I know so much more than I did before
The Pacific War, the Chinese so bravely fought
Is a ruthless part of history that must be taught
More than 30,000,000 Chinese were massacred, like dominoes they would fall
While the Japanese followed a policy of (The Three Alls) “Kill all, Loot all, and
Burn all”
The abuse and suffering of Chinese woman and man
Was the Japanese government’s overall plan
The slaughter of civilians, experimentation, and rape
With such brutality, almost impossible to escape

The meeting with comfort women lay deep in my heart
Now I know my commitment, that I must do my part
Returning home for these women brought nothing but shame
It is absolutely necessary now to give them some fame
The women were raped, no matter what age
Living in comfort stations like animals in a cage
The Japanese soldiers showed no remorse
As they purchased, and kidnapped at least 200,000 by force

Unit 731, under General Shiro Ishii, a reminder of evil
Especially as we looked at the destruction and upheaval
After the Japanese surrendered, accepting defeat
This facility was set afire, another act of deceit
Experiments conducted with chemicals and injections with plague
To the outside world their knowledge of this was extremely vague
Children and babies were also used as a test
Their short lives sadly ended like all of the rest
Contamination from chemicals and germs still cause such pain
Living with toxic disease, and the like make life impossible to sustain
Prisoners of War suffered horrific abuse
Their treatment by the enemy, there can be no excuse
Executions took place from evening to dawn
There was not even time for their families to mourn
Some were beheaded, while others were burned
From Japanese reporters and others we learned

There were some rescuers and an International Safety Zone
To harbor the Chinese so they would not feel alone
Rabe, Vautrin, Shuifang, and Magee, to name just a few
Made a commitment to help and knew what they had to do
Some 200,000 Chinese crowded in this place
They were fed, cleaned, and sheltered, Japanese soldiers were not there, not even a trace
Now the refugees felt secure and safe, so they thought
Until the Japanese soldiers entered to take the women and girls who they sought
The soldiers used rape, torture, and killing contests as weapons of war
So atrocious, like nothing the world had ever witnessed before

The facts of these atrocities we know they are true
From actual diaries, testimony, photos that there are much more than a few
The stories of victims must be told
So the truth and their legacy will continue to uphold
The Sino-Japanese War lasted many years
And the memories and bitterness still conjure up fears
The Nanking Massacre, only 6 weeks in length
350,000 Chinese were slaughtered, showing the Japan’s Imperial Army’s strength
One-third of the city was burned to the ground
So many people and homes have never been found
No longer can this injustice be denied
Especially from the victims and witnesses who have not lied
No prosecution for the leaders of crime
Although they committed atrocities for a very long time
The Tokyo Trials disclosed the facts back then
Yet a shrine in Tokyo today honors these military men

Crimes against humanity, what this crime is now called
And this disappointing outcome had many appalled
What the victims and survivors want for themselves and especially their youth
Is a public apology and history textbooks that speak the truth
No formal apology has yet to be made
And the victims are awaiting remunerations that have not been paid
Educating others about this history is the key
In helping others to respect and revere humanity
How can one forget the past?
Is it not crucial that we make this history last?
Good and bad as history may be
As educators we know teaching others is our responsibility

Human Rights abuses need to be a global concern
That will only happen as we begin to learn
More respect for human life is our most important need
When warning signs appear we must react and take the lead
No longer can we just stand by
And watch oppression and the victims die
Learning from the past is the answer for peace
Hopefully, someday war and hatred will cease