After RPC-017 was initially recovered and amnestics were distributed a search for relevant documents was conducted. Among the recovered documents was a diary written by Akio Kurishi, of the 2nd Mixed Brigade, 109th IJA Division. Akio Kurishi's body was found in the second tunnel system's perimeter tunnel around Mount Suribachi.
Feb 20, 1945
Today is the second day of fighting, we have stood with honor. The Enemy breaks upon our lines like water on rocks. Kuribayashi has declared that we are to break the enemy offensive here, and so we shall. Once the offensive is repelled the homeland will be safe. We will succeed because we must.
It is quiet now, I do not know why, maybe the Americans have pulled back after our display of bravery, maybe they are too fearful to fight right now.
I shot a man this morning, and another just before dusk. The first man fell over and shook on the ground for several seconds before he stopped moving, it was not like I had expected. He was near the beach and I do not think he expected us to be able to strike so close to the landing sites. I ducked back into my tunnel after that, and I listened to the enemy scrambling around trying to find me for almost an hour before they gave up. I then crawled back to the main tunnel system and reported what I had seen to my officer. I had done my duty. I have no doubt I delayed the delivery of supplies to the front lines for some time, I hope my brothers in arms used the advantage. The second man I shot today did not stop screaming for several minutes. The Americans were not willing to send out a medic to grab him, a shameful act that meant I had to shoot him a second time. I felt uneasy after that, it hit me harder than the first man had. I have seen the stares my comrades have, I wonder if I will get one too if I stay here too long.
I will go back to my tunnel tomorrow to observe what the Americans do. If I see any high ranking officers I will shoot them. I would like to shoot all of them, but Kiru advised that I could give up my position then, and that the information I get is more valuable than any one man. Kiru may be right, I shall serve the emperor as he does tomorrow.
Feb 21, 1945
It it quiet again, and from my tunnel I can see all of what the Americans do. I would like to shoot them, to stop them from delivering any more weapons that may harm one of us, but Kiru was clear in his instructions, if I do not obey then I may face consequences. What matter are the consequences when life is at stake though? I have seen a great many things today. The beach is better protected now, there are gun emplacements near the beach head and a great many small ships in the shallow water. I have seen radios, food, mortars, ammunition, and gun crates carried by hand to the treeline. The enemy tanks and armored cars are having too much trouble getting through the sand right now. The enemy is well supplied, whenever I look out to the water I see transports and ships all at the ready. I wish our Navy was so kind as to send the Yamato to deal with them.
I have seen no high ranking officers so far. The enemy has not attacked our lines again much today, I have only heard gunfire to suggest small flanking groups. I think the displays of bravery from the day of the landing and the day after have made the enemy less willing to go forward. With my binoculars I can see their faces, they look afraid. The men who get out of the landing craft look weak in the face, they have doubtlessly heard of the fight we have been giving them.
It has only been a few hours since I have last written, the only thing of note was that a pair of men carried three gun crates to the trees that were painted differently. One of the men was shouting and exclaiming something to the soldiers that were grabbing the guns, the other man hit him and said something that made the man be quiet. The men that grabbed the guns each sprinted in the direction of the front lines without hesitation. I am worried that these may be elite troops dressed as the common American criminals sent to fight Japan. I crawled back to the main bunker and had a radio operator warn command of the situation. In the time to get back to my tunnel nightfall will come and I will not be able to see anything, thus I decided to get some sleep before there is enough light out to see again. We are Kuribayashi's eyes and must be attentive when we can see.
Feb 22, 1945
I woke up early this morning to get some food before crawling to my tunnel, but Kiru found me and told me of new orders. Kiru told me that several Americans charged the front lines alone and without any air cover. The lack of artillery or any other enemy activity meant that we were not expecting an assault. These men had stormed one of the tunnel systems leaving no survivors. They only retreated when several were wounded or killed and the casualties were then carried back to the American lines. The report stated that the wounded men refused to drop their guns and handed them to another man upon getting back to the lines. I do not know why a wounded man would refuse to just drop a gun that is naught but weight when he is bleeding.
The enemy flame tanks were only able to clear exposed rooms, losing an entire system of tunnels is not only unexpected, it is the thing that may inspire fear in the hearts of any man who wishes to see Japan again. I worry the men I saw at the treeline yesterday were the same ones that killed my countrymen. I wish I had done something yesterday, why did I not?
Today we are to watch the American lines from the mountain tunnels, and warn of enemy activity while the 145th Infantry reoccupies the tunnels. May the emperor keep us safe.
Disaster, as the men of the 145th were headed to the lower mountain tunnel system they were cut down by machine guns. I saw the enemy counter charge, there was no flanking maneuver, and less than thirty men. Despite this they pressed forward, they never stopped running or shooting and even fired their guns while jumping over obstacles. When one was in danger another would pull him to safety, these are the first of the enemy with honor, and they fight as pack beasts. They ran to the tunnels we had hoped to occupy and the rest of the enemy followed as a walking pace darting from cover to cover. The other Americans looked stunned by the fact that the first men had attempted such a charge. The only way to fight a brave man is with bravery. Now that we have finally seen an enemy with bravery and fighting spirit that measures near that of the people of Japan we need to face them in the old ways, we must do a frontal charge against them if we are to have a chance at breaking their will to fight.
I must get back to upper mountain tunnels and report what I have seen. I have no doubt the men I saw at the treeline are the ones that have lain so many of my brothers to rest.
I had to go slowly but I made it back to the mountain. By the time I arrived the news I had hoped to deliver had beaten me, not by another observer, but by the enemy. There was a small force pushing the second tunnel system, it must be the same men. Radio reports had indicated that we pushed them back after sustaining heavy losses, and that they each dragged a wounded comrade back to the trees from whence they came. I worry, for this happened before but there was nothing to indicate any less of the men being on the battlefield. There must be more arriving on the beaches every day.
It has only been a few hours, the entrances to the second system are being assaulted, though the gunfire is still far off I can hear it getting closer all of the time. Do these men never stop? It must be them. I pray that I may be steady in my aim. I was not afraid before, I only felt guilt for not killing as many of these men as I could when I had the chance, I am afraid now though. I cannot allow these men to pass.