GDSF Members Aboard Fallen Helicopter off Miyako Island Remembered; Memorial Ceremony Held on Nearby Irabu Island in Okinawa Pref.
20:00 JST, April 7, 2024
A one-year anniversary memorial ceremony for the victims of a Ground Self-Defense Force helicopter crash off Miyako Island was held on nearby Irabu Island in Okinawa Prefecture on Saturday.
The UH60JA multi-purpose helicopter crashed in April last year, killing all 10 GSDF members on board.
The memorial ceremony was held in front of a flower stand set up on Irabu Island, overlooking the crash site.
About 30 people, including bereaved family members of the GSDF members and high-ranking officers of the GSDF, attended the ceremony and prayed for the victims who died in the line of duty.
The attendees included family members of Masahito Iyota, former commanding officer of the GSDF Miyako Guard who died in the accident, and his successor, Hayato Higa.
After a moment of silence, each of the attendees placed flowers on the stand.
Yukikazu Kokuba, 82, president of the Okinawa Defense Association, said, “The accident occurred during geographical research in preparation for disasters or emergencies. I will never forget their passion to fulfill their mission.”
"Politics" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Promotes Revised NISA Investment Program to Young People; Kishida Focusing on Moving Money From Savings to Investment in a Safe Environment
-
84% of People Nationwide Say They Feel Japan’s National Security Is Under Threat
-
“High Probability” 2 MSDF Patrol Helicopters Collided near Torishima Island; 1 Dead, 7 Others Onboard Missing (Update 2)
-
Russia to Ban Non-Registered Vessels from Waters Around Northern Territories From April 11 to 17
-
Japan-U.K. Foreign Ministers Confirm Deepening Cooperation in Security Field; Kamikawa Underscores Importance of NATO Ties
JN ACCESS RANKING
- M6.0 Earthquake Hits Japan’s Tohoku Region; Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi Prefectures Observe 4 on Japanese Scale With No Risk of Tsunami
- China Mutes Memorialization of Reformer Hu Yaobang; Memories Could Spark Critique of Xi Administration
- Shinkansen Services Suspended After Man ‘Searches for Phone’ on Tracks; Disruption Affects About 14,000 Passengers
- U.S. 7th Fleet officer Arrested on Suspicion of Stealing Sushi, Sashimi, Chicken at Kanagawa Shopping Mall; Suspect Caught Mid-Meal
- UNRWA Director Describes Catastrophic Destruction in Gaza; Says Relief Trucks Robbed, ‘People’s Hearts Destroyed’