Destination Tokyo and The Attack On Japan

Japan is no longer safe! This was the sentiment of most Americans after The Doolittle Raids; America’s first bombing attack on mainland Japan. These raids had a profound effect on American morale during WWII. The supposedly impregnable island of Japan had been ruptured and The U.S. was now on the Offensive. Initial perceptions of American people’s the support of these raids would reflect an unwavering dedication to the complete annihilation of the Japanese foe. Though it is true that nearly all Americans supported the war, some did have reservations. The damage done to the Japanese people as well as the welfare of U.S. soldiers was and issue for many. Destination Tokyo, a wartime film, depicts the issue of the pure necessity to fight the Japanese as far outweighing any loss of life or property. Also the April 19, 1942 New York Times editorial “The Attack on Japan” casts the raids as the only effective, meaningful response to the coldhearted Japanese enemy. How are these claims related to one another? Is this a valid justification for war? More broadly, what do these claims speak about human nature in general?

Destination Tokyo, like any other Hollywood film, was made to entertain. It also tried to deal with some of the feeling and thoughts of American soldiers and their families during the war. The film tried to reflect many of the attitudes and emotions of average Americans. One of these attitudes was that American soldiers were not violent warmongers like the Japanese. The record Mike would play of his wife showed how he missed her and longed for home. Captain Cassidy’s stories of his wife and son reflected what he valued above all else. When asked what his most memorable moment was, Captain Cassidy did not respond with a tale of a military victory, but with a simple anecdote of taking his son for his first haircut. The stuffed doll Wolf carried around brought humor to the ship. It lightened the crew’s spirits by reminding them of their everyday lives back home. Other than Tin Can perhaps, most of the crewmen would much rather not be fighting. A longing for home and fear of death pervaded the minds of many soldiers. Mike, a soldier killed in the film, was described as a peace loving man. In the words of Captain Cassidy, “Mike was fighting to put more roller skates in the hands of five years olds in America and roller skates rather than daggers in the hands of five year olds in Japan.