China's Dangerous Game

Earlier this week, the Chinese Navy of the People's Republic of China delivered stern warnings to U.S. Navy P8 Poseidon Surveillance planes flying over the South China Sea with calls to 'Go now!" The hostile tone of the Chinese Navy has many scratching their heads as to what are they really up to in the South China Sea. What's obvious is this build up of military forces on the part of the Chinese is escalating tensions and creating a hostile new cold war in the South China Sea that could easily get out of hand. This new dangerous game occurred as American planes flew over disputed waters which the PRC claims as their own based on historical claims. Really? Let's talk about that.

In recent months has been engaging in island building throughout the South China Sea in what has been international waters. They have brought a fleet of dredges to turn submerged atolls into sizable islands which they claim is for civilian use yet is heavily protected with early warning radar, military sized landing strips, and a small flotilla of warships enough to have made the Imperial Japanese Navy of WWII jealous that they hadn't thought of this first. What's really crazy is that the PRC which up until now could be counted on to contain it's influence to the Asian continent is now expanding deep into international waters hundreds of miles from mainland China. This of course is not sitting well with the governments of Japan, the, Philippines, or Vietnam. The deliberate construction of operational military bases in international waters has also posed a navigational hazard for both commercial sea and air traffic as the Chinese Navy now regards these waters to be the military zones of the PRC which poses not only a problem for the JMSDF, but the U.S. Navy who is entrusted to keep the international shipping lanes and air corridors open. Reminiscent of China's clash with our P-3 Orion in the early 2000's, China seems eager to flex it's muscle. Hence another reason why the Japanese Diet needs to scrap Article 9 so the JMSDF can further bolster it's forces as a key ally of the United States. With the U.S. Navy stretched so thin, we need s stronger JMSDF. We hope that PM Shinzo Abe will continue to rearm Japan to meet this growing threat to peace. Until then, we will write about this as time goes on because we are certain this will not be the last hostile incident between the U.S. Navy and the PRC.

New Edition Released

We are pleased to announce that our biographical Vietnam War book MY FATHER'S WAR IN VIETNAM AND THE LONG SHADOW OF THE HON CONG MOUNTAIN has been re-released on paperback and Kindle editions. We have also released a Spanish language edition La Guerra de mi Padre en Vietnam. This book is about the real life of my late father Luis Eduardo Rosas during his tour in the Central Highlands of Vietnam as a member of the 1st Air Cavalry Division 1965-1966. This book also details the lives of those who served with him and how the Vietnam War changed him and his family for years to come. These new editions contains new updates and new stories that were not in the original hardcover edition. Available worldwide.

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

Seen here is the His Magesty Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko outside the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

The Fall of Saigon Remembered

40 years ago today saw the fall of Saigon and the end to the War in Vietnam. Over 200,000 ARVN,  50,000 American, countless Viet Cong & PAVN soldiers, and countless civilians died in the conflict that ended on this date in 1975.

Abe Apologizes for American War Deaths

Japan's Prime Minister spoke before a joint session of Congress. In his speech, he brought up the big elephant in the room by offering his eternal condolences for American War Dead. “On behalf of Japan and the Japanese people, I offer with profound respect my eternal condolences to the souls of all American people that were lost during World War II,” he said to rousing applause from U.S. lawmakers. Abe went one step further acknowledging that Japan's actions against it's Asian neighbors caused great suffering. While most applauded this historic acknowledgement of Japan's wartime misdeeds, lawmakers like Democrat Mike Honda who invited a former Korean Sex Slave felt he did not go far enough. Of course no speech from a Japanese PM will ever satisfy critics in China and Korea. But as Abe said, what is done can not be undone. For this reason Abe's government is trying to spare no effort to help its neighbors where it can. Moving back to the war, in the gallery sat a former LT General Snowden who fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima. He sat next to the grandson of the Islands garrison commander Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi. The two men stood together and shook hands symbolizing just how far we have come since those dark days of WWII. We at American Mishima believe there is still much that Japan must own up to for the war but at the same time appreciate these heartfelt apologies and continued efforts to right the wrongs of the past. All things takes time and we believe Japan will get there. But don't take our word for it. Watch the speech here:

April Apologies

In case you noticed, we did not have any posts this month due to our internet issues. We are back online again. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Heisei Emperor Honors War Dead

Seen here from earlier this month, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko laid wreaths to both Japanese and American war dead on the island of Peleliu. This one small island in the Pacific was the scene of horrific battles in which over 10,000 Japanese Soldiers and some 1500 Americans were killed. Considering how many deaths on Peleliu were done in the Showa Emperor's name, it is fitting that the current Heisei Emperor pay his respects to those lost so long ago. We at American Mishima appreciate and respect this humble gesture and hope that our two great nations which today are close allies and friends never go to war against each other ever again.