We did a lot of sightseeing during our just under two years on Okinawa. But one place I hadn't made it to was Peace Prayer Park. Tom went with his Marine class a few weeks ago but I wanted to make sure I didn't miss seeing it while we were here. So Labor Day Monday that's where we went.
The museum looks huge, but we did not go inside. The tour guide from Tom's class said that there would be a different spin on the war and that he did not recommend touring it. We had Brendan with us and I knew he wouldn't last long enough for us to really be able to absorb anything.
We made our way through the grounds.
More than 200,000 people (100,000 civilians) died on this island during the Battle of Okinawa. That's a number so staggering that it's difficult for me to really comprehend such a great loss in such a tiny place.
Rather than face the Americans, many civilians chose instead to jump from the cliffs to their deaths.
It was a sobering place to visit, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to see it.
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