Masaharu Homma

Masaharu Homma (本間 雅晴, Honma Masaharu; November 27, 1887 – April 3, 1946) was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. Homma commanded the Japanese 14th Army, which invaded the Philippines and perpetrated the Bataan Death March. After the war, Homma was convicted of war crimes relating to the actions of troops under his direct command and executed by firing squad on April 3, 1946.

Quotes

• Things don’t look very good. I was amazed to hear the details of Japanese atrocities. Even Major Skeen says that although he is doing his best for me, the case is quite hopeless.
  • During his trial in Manila (January 1946); quoted in Lawrence Taylor, A Trial of Generals: Homma, Yamashita, MacArthur (1981)

Quotes about Homma

• He said that the military force is a thing which should be used to defend the Motherland, and work in harmony and try to preserve the world peace, and should never be used to invade the other countries. He also said, constantly, that if a country ever engaged in a war of invasion, that country will inevitably lose. ... Because he studied about the United States, and England, because he was always interested in the world trends and kept his eyes open on it, and also because he understood Japan thoroughly, he realized that the spread of war was not only a misfortune for Japan but to all mankind. This view was not welcomed and was not popular among the people. People used to call him pro-American, a pro-American element. At that time that name was an insult.
  • Testimony of Fujiko Homma, the accused's wife; quoted in Lawrence Taylor, A Trial of Generals (1981)

External links

• Encyclopedic article on Masaharu Homma on Wikipedia