Yamamato
In 1939 Isoroku Yamamoto became commander in chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet. This promotion culminated a brilliant career of naval command at all levels, including two tours of duty in the United States. From his experience he knew more about America than most Japanese, and, consequently, did not favor going to war against America. In a speech before the war he said:
Most people think Americans love luxury and that their culture is shallow and meaningless. It is a mistake to regard the Americans as luxury-loving and weak. I can tell you Americans are full of the spirit of justice, fight, and adventure. Also their thinking is very advanced and scientific. Lindberg’s solo crossing of the Atlantic is the sort of valiant act which is normal for them. That is a typically American adventure based on science. Do not forget American industry is much more developed than ours and unlike us they have all the oil they want. Japan cannot beat America. Therefore we should not fight America.405
These views were not popular with the many pro-war factions in Japan, who were already angry over Yamamoto’s opposition to his country’s other military adventures. His rise to overall command against such heated opposition was an indication of his brilliance and his reputation among his peers.
This great admiral is seen as a tragic figure of history because he was ultimately drawn into fighting the war that he didn’t believe he could win. The choice he had to make was hard: whether to continue his opposition and step down, or to devote his keen intellect to making the best fight possible. It is difficult in retrospect to know what would have happened if he had done more to oppose the war.
As we live our own lives in an uncertain world, we also face difficult decisions. Fortunately, they are seldom of this magnitude, even though they can be extremely stressful from our perspective. We are blessed to know that we are never on our own when we face hard choices. In our times of uncertainty we can turn to God through the spiritual resources that are always available to us: Scripture, prayer, and the loving advice of fellow Christians.
This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.
—Deuteronomy 30:19