蘋果日報-要死總有時候 - 古德明

On 13 July 1944, Maniagassa, a small Pacific island held by the Japanese, came under attack. A Japanese sodier was trapped in a trench with three others. He describes what happened."Suddenly we heard the voice of an American soldier: 'Come out.' I knew full well how dishonourable being taken prisoner was, and I had a grenade with me for committing suicide. I felt that my time to die had come, and looked at the other three for confirmation. That was when the sergant major piped up. 'I'll take responsibility. There's always a time to die. Let's go out.'"After we were captured, the sergeant major was sent to a different camp. I haven't had the opportunity to see him since then, but I want to thank him for his decision to be taken prisoner: he taught me the preciousness of life."一九四四年七月十三日，日軍扼守的太平洋小島馬尼阿加薩遇襲。四名日軍困在戰壕裏，其一談到當時的情況：「我們突然聽到一個美國軍人的聲音：『出來。』我深知被俘是非常可恥的，身上也有一枚手榴彈準備自殺。我想，犧牲的時候到了，就望望其他三人，只待他們同意。這時，軍士長忽然開口：『我來負責。要死總有時候。我們出去吧。』

「被俘之後，軍士長給送到另一個營，從此我沒有機會見過他。但我想多謝他決定俯首就擒。他教我明白了生命多麼可貴。」