The Other Grave of the Fireflies

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  • čas přidán 1. 11. 2019
  • This is the saddest thing I've ever produced. Nobody expects you to make it to the end.
    But Tomiko made it. Somehow, she made it through everything.
    If you'd like to know more about her story, her memories are recorded in the book "The Girl with the White Flag". It's a hard read.
    Your support keeps us going: / rareearth
    Follow our Instagram: / rareearthseries
    Follow my twitter: / evan_hadfield
    Merch (more designs to come): teespring.com/stores/rareearth
    This video was made possible thanks to our incredible Patreon subscribers Aaron lx, Abram Blocton, Adam Lenk, Adam Theo, Alanna Mills, Alberto Daval Cordeiro Araujo, Alejandro Fuentes Salazar, Alex Garland, Alex Papageorgiou, Alex Van de Sande, Alex Ross, Alexander Lee, Alexander Lesiw, Alexis Michelle Smith, Alf Einar Solberg, Amay Khara, Andres Rama, Andrew Larson, Andrew, Anina Shaorandra, Aqeel Fassuhudeen, Arif, Arne 'S Jegers, Arsalan Noorafkan, Audrey Brown, Austin Cousineau, Austin Heyne, Ben Reed, Ben Hewitson, Blue Penguin, Bonnie Lee, Bradley Brown, Brian ONeel, Brian Miller, Bruno Mikuš, Bryan Schmidt, Carl Bodnaruk, Catherine Berry, Chris Ferguson, Christoph Dietl, Cody Belichesky, CompConf, Connor Heindel, Conor Leonard, Cullen McFater, Dénes Berky, Damon Easley, Damon Yi Hao, Daniel Demsky, Daniel Lee, Daniel Sierra Matus, Daniel Tyler, David Johnson, David James McConnell, David Benjamin, David Rowe, David Lister, David Badilotti, DeBickel, Denise Lipscombe, Djof, Douglas Danger Manley, Edee Nackers, Eduardo Balsa, Edward Sykes, Eidi, Einar Holmedal, Eric Downes, Ethnis Studio, f1r3w4rr10r, feo, flox, Fridtjof Mahnke, Gabe S, Ggamefreak22, Giffy, Gilberto Hart, Giulian Fava, Graeme, Gregory Stutheit, Hanyang, Hedi Zisling, Henderson Moret, Hollis Davis, Ian Smith, Illusive Frosty, Isaac Langille-LaBerge, iyas ashav, J Neko, Jack Clark, Jack Fractal, Jakob Ruder, James Clayton Bowman, James Mari, Jamie Cox, Jan Langguth, Jan Vilhuber, Jeremy Wheelis, Jerome, Jessica Mayberry, Joël Gagnon, Joachim Nygaard Kvam, Jochim Timmermann, Joel Grima, John Jenkins, john adams, John Cline, John Goff, Jon Niezgoda, Jonathan Smith, Jonathan Lonowski, Josh Hoppes, Juan Pablo Rodriguez Morales, Julia Thiele, Julian Fiander, Keaton Denney, Kemp, Kenan Klisura, Kevin Lee, Kristjan Kalve, Kyle Hofer, Kyler Frisb, L W, Lars Hjort Christensen, Leo Höppner, Liam Gilles, Liam Cooper, Logan Lyke, Lorenz, Louis Lenders, lucas van wijk, Lukas Jackowski, Lynneigh McPherson, Mārtiņš Šaiters, MacFoxington, Mad Sumac, Marc Anderson, Marc Chang, Marek Slabicki, Mariné Avagyan, Markus Sawinski, Markus, Martin Faszinka, Marty Otzenberger, Matt, Matthew Joseph Klein, Max Palmer, Melanie Sumner, Merodac, Michael Earle, Michael Wladysiak, Michael Belde, Michael, Michael Loken, Mike Shank, Mike Pearce, Mladen Piasetskyi, Mrburgerdon, MrElk, Muncorn, Narskogr, Nathaneal Register, Natsumeg, Niclas Andersson, Noah Hawkes, NM, Orofino, Ossian, Pamela Sabo, Paul Cleeves, Paul Estella, Paulina Jonušaitė, Peaceful Conquest, Penny Underbust, Peter Bjorvand, Petr Doležal, Polina Kotliar, portableplayer4, R Brooks, Rob Rose, Robert Velten, Rob Womack, Rocky Yip, Roger Roca, Ron Warris, Ruddy Ezequiel Arroliga, Sam, Sean Dennis, Sean McCool, Sean Lavery, Sebastian Eli Oberließen, Setoh, sharpie660, Shayne Stride, Shravan Bendapudi, Simen Thoresen, Simon Tobar, Stephen Morrissey, Stephen C Strausbaugh, Steve Martin De Souza, Svein Ove Aas, Teo Cherici, This Has Not Gone Well, Thomas R Edwards, Thomas Paris, Tianyu Ge, Tim Nagy, Tino Dervisagic, Tomáš Kunc, Toni Tienvieri, Travis L Parker, Tristan S, Twisol, Unnamed Muffin, Varun Perumal, Victoria Lierheimer, Walter Schneider, Wes Mills, Whitefang, William Andersen, Xellos, Yash Jain, Yiding Jia, Yuto Takamoto, Zach Kuzmicz and Zoltán Ulrich. We love you guys!
    Thanks for watching! You're clearly one of the good ones.

Komentáře • 1,5K

  • @RareEarthSeries
    @RareEarthSeries  Před 4 lety +3068

    As our channel is clearly dying the algorithm death, I'm so incredibly humbled by the fact that no matter how harsh the topic, no matter how oppositional to CZcams's norm, I got to tell her story because of you and you alone: www.patreon.com/rareearth

    • @unflexian
      @unflexian Před 4 lety +61

      Everyone is dying this past month, I've seen a video from a channel with 300k subs with 3k views after a week.
      Is it because of nebula maybe?

    • @RareEarthSeries
      @RareEarthSeries  Před 4 lety +143

      I have no idea, but at that rate I'll almost certainly be gone by the summer. I might start a new channel based on Patrons and see if I can't game the system, but I dunno. It's frustrating, that's for sure.

    • @unflexian
      @unflexian Před 4 lety +18

      @@RareEarthSeries :(

    • @dnash2131
      @dnash2131 Před 4 lety +24

      Keep making that content, do you have a patreon. I very much enjoy your presentation and content. Thank you

    • @benwest5293
      @benwest5293 Před 4 lety +84

      Regardless the fate of the channel, I'm so thankful that you've had this chance to tell all of us these stories. You are an amazing storyteller and you tell stories which need telling yet are not given the time of day by others. This content is truly a gift, and I believe I speak for everybody else here in saying that it is a true honor to be able to view your work.
      It's a real shame that the algorithm discourages videos like this, videos that are in highest tiers of quality this site has to offer. But unfortunately, it doesn't fall in line with what the algorithm has decided to be "ideal", short snippets of videos which are easy to digest and contain little actual value yet manage to keep eyes on the platform. And that's just sad, it's truly sad. Hopefully the algorithm will get refined in the future and will once more allow this channel to thrive, or at least to get the consistent viewership it deserves. But in the meantime, thank you for what you have made here, for it is truly a work of art.

  • @themarblers4399
    @themarblers4399 Před 4 lety +4016

    Hit me the hardest when I realised, this is just one of the stories that someone survived and able to tell us.

    • @cheezburgrproduction
      @cheezburgrproduction Před 4 lety +133

      If only the walls and rocks spoke to tell of the things they've claim witness to.

    • @calichef1962
      @calichef1962 Před 4 lety +92

      And this is just ONE story of the horror of war. Every single person who is on the ground in the middle of a war has a similar horror/desperation story (or a hundred) that they could tell. I really wish humans could learn that wars are NEVER worth it for those who are in the thick of it. The ONLY people who have anything to gain by our modern wars are those that make and sell the weapons and those who loan war budget money to governments to be able to pay the arms manufacturers. Everyone else looses. Even those of us who hear the stories of the witnesses.

    • @jacobmortimore
      @jacobmortimore Před 4 lety +16

      Yep, This is one of the lucky people... Every time there is war , humans literally create the hell we're all so frightened of

    • @litchtheshinigami8936
      @litchtheshinigami8936 Před 4 lety +5

      calichef1962 if there ever is a war again they should fight it digitally in a videogame.. would be much fairer to innocent people

    • @patheirbrown4158
      @patheirbrown4158 Před 4 lety +2

      @@cheezburgrproduction they would scream at us

  • @briangarrow448
    @briangarrow448 Před 4 lety +2210

    My father used to say, I cried because I had no shoes.
    Until I met a man that had no feet.
    I cried tonight for Tomiko.

    • @codyshi4743
      @codyshi4743 Před 4 lety +3

      Me too

    • @AndreAndFriends
      @AndreAndFriends Před 4 lety +2

      +

    • @toddrickman
      @toddrickman Před rokem +1

      And now I cried because you did Brian, thank you for keeping me human.

    • @briangarrow448
      @briangarrow448 Před rokem +1

      @@toddrickman I read your comment and watched this tragic story again.
      Two years and it still brought tears to my eyes.

  • @yoonastolejiminsunderwear8949
    @yoonastolejiminsunderwear8949 Před 4 lety +1851

    fact: tomiko's husband urged her to write her experiences and comes across an old photo of herself carrying the white flag made by grandpa. she tracked down the american photographer named john hendrickson who later on met tomiko and took a picture with her using the camera he used forty three years ago.

    • @Lopro94
      @Lopro94 Před 4 lety +33

      I'd love to see that foto...

    • @ariloves10
      @ariloves10 Před 4 lety +14

      Incredible.

    • @Pepper360
      @Pepper360 Před 4 lety +10

      @@Lopro94 czcams.com/video/oajGshucmD4/video.html

    • @Veritaserum90
      @Veritaserum90 Před 3 lety +18

      @@Pepper360 its clear he meant photo taken AFTER the war, when she met the guy...

    • @pinkycocoon1457
      @pinkycocoon1457 Před 3 lety +1

      Did she write a book?
      Could you please provide me the link?

  • @czarpeppers6250
    @czarpeppers6250 Před 4 lety +1619

    The minute I realized the soldier had a camera not a gun I couldn't stop myself from beginning to cry.

  • @TechnicolorDojo
    @TechnicolorDojo Před 4 lety +3347

    It's weird to hit the like button for something that made me nauseous.

    • @Jokemeister1
      @Jokemeister1 Před 4 lety +45

      Made me sad, not nauseous. Selfish intolerant humans have a lot to answer for.

    • @WillaLamour
      @WillaLamour Před 4 lety +3

      Well said.

    • @andyr0ck
      @andyr0ck Před 4 lety +10

      It raises the question of whether the 60 people who hit dislike did so for that reason or simply because they're inhuman bastards.

    • @gxoxoxo
      @gxoxoxo Před 4 lety +3

      Liked for sharing it to the world and learned from it.

    • @deniecedonnafield4749
      @deniecedonnafield4749 Před 4 lety +4

      @@andyr0ck I hit the button because it was a story well told and should be remembered!

  • @Sembazuru
    @Sembazuru Před 4 lety +2195

    Very "Grave of the Fireflies". I'm not complaining, there should be more stories like this about the true human cost of warfare.

    • @DUDEfreestyle
      @DUDEfreestyle Před 4 lety +57

      Nothing good comes from War. Only pain and suffering 😢

    • @user-yv2cz8oj1k
      @user-yv2cz8oj1k Před 4 lety +7

      I'm not sure they'd be prepared for the increase in the suicide rate if they did stories like this regularly.

    • @neil7737
      @neil7737 Před 4 lety +2

      @@DUDEfreestyle Sometimes things must be killed to allow new life. All war involves pain and suffering but this does not mean there isn't good that comes out of it

    • @DBT1007
      @DBT1007 Před 4 lety +7

      Blame Western Christians that loves war so much.
      They scrambles Africa. And then Middle East. And then trying to rape China. Conquering Southeast Asia. And finally.. torture Japan.
      They have slogan. "Gold, Glory, Gospel". Yeah.. Christianity spreads with destruction. Since the roman empire accepted Christianity. But idiotically, there are people that still love Christianity.. All over the world.
      It's like Stockholm syndrome. A Syndrom where u are a victim and u love and help the bad guy.

    • @Super_Time_XxX
      @Super_Time_XxX Před 4 lety

      I was not prepared either. That hit me hard.

  • @ZephyrGlaze
    @ZephyrGlaze Před 4 lety +1873

    I was emotionally prepared for a story about an ineresting rock. Not this.

    • @sidd54nair
      @sidd54nair Před 4 lety +82

      I was emotionally prepared for the Grave of the Fireflies. Not this

    • @DarkHarlequin
      @DarkHarlequin Před 4 lety +37

      I was like 'oh a parellel to Grave of teh Fireflies' I wonder what it will... oh it's Grave of the Fireflies only in real life... and I'm crying again... cool... was not emotionally ready to watch this...

    • @sourgreendolly7685
      @sourgreendolly7685 Před 4 lety +1

      I needed this laugh

    • @philippstetter5611
      @philippstetter5611 Před 4 lety

      Preach it

    • @n000d13s
      @n000d13s Před 4 lety +1

      Yeah... me neither. It broke me down.

  • @Jotari
    @Jotari Před 4 lety +1065

    You know what's special about this story? Absolutely nothing. It happened to millions upon millions of people during those few years. And that's really the saddest thing of all.

    • @abaranihei2608
      @abaranihei2608 Před 4 lety +15

      Wow, just wow....

    • @BlumChoi
      @BlumChoi Před 4 lety +3

      European Jews for example

    • @agustinvenegas5238
      @agustinvenegas5238 Před 4 lety +74

      @@BlumChoi communists and non communists, black people, white people, it literally doesn't matter, conflict is disgusting

    • @abaranihei2608
      @abaranihei2608 Před 4 lety +7

      When your Mother dies just remember, it happens to everyone!

    • @ciara7172
      @ciara7172 Před 4 lety +67

      @@abaranihei2608 op isn't saying that this isn't devastating or awful. They're saying it was common.

  • @BazilRat
    @BazilRat Před 4 lety +1479

    This has been one of the hardest Rare Earth episodes to listen to. It must have been one of the hardest stories to tell, too.

  • @AIM9Sidewinder1776
    @AIM9Sidewinder1776 Před 4 lety +575

    God damn, imagine living out the rest of your life having experienced all that by the age of 7, heartbreaking.

    • @iamdrumgod
      @iamdrumgod Před 4 lety +5

      She's still alive too. :)

    • @terrygaedchens5928
      @terrygaedchens5928 Před 4 lety +14

      Imagine being strong enough to choose to live, despite not knowing if she had any family left to return to, or if the invaders would kill her too. Still, I wonder if the drama of this story, and unrecountable ones like it, could have been largely prevented if the world powers had stayed out of Japans business. The Bulshevik revolution was at the root of the fight to the finish scenario that Imperialist Japan knew was headed their way, and that their ruling class would be executed whether they fought or not. They chose to fight against formidable odds and die honorably.

    • @slithra227
      @slithra227 Před 4 lety +2

      @@terrygaedchens5928 Japan was also an imperialist power at the time, they killed and tortured plenty of civilians on their own fronts in China and across the Pacific.

    • @moralkombat66
      @moralkombat66 Před 2 lety +1

      @@terrygaedchens5928 japan was terrible in ww2. They killed, tortured and raped many civilians. They had to be stopped, but there aren't any good guys.

  • @JacksonBlackmon
    @JacksonBlackmon Před 4 lety +344

    Soldiers: -worried about the noise of a crying infant attracting the enemy
    Also Soldiers: -uses MACHINE GUNS to kill said infant

    • @tyler.9012
      @tyler.9012 Před 4 lety +26

      I think the sound of bullets would be normal there tho

    • @hondaservicecenter
      @hondaservicecenter Před 4 lety

      Tyy1err doesn’t mean it won’t bother a ducking sleeping baby

    • @Jkim890
      @Jkim890 Před 3 lety +11

      It wasn’t about being quiet. It was about feeling like they could do anything to improve their shitty situation. War makes men mad.

    • @lbkotokbiasa9736
      @lbkotokbiasa9736 Před 3 lety +1

      this is fiction right? no soldier that have brain would do this

    • @itsonlyafleshwound9024
      @itsonlyafleshwound9024 Před 2 lety +3

      @@lbkotokbiasa9736 If you only have a hammer, every Problem looks like a nail.

  • @PauloOlveira
    @PauloOlveira Před 4 lety +2220

    Hawkeye: War isn’t Hell. War is war, and Hell is Hell. And of the two, war is a lot worse.
    Father Mulcahy: How do you figure that, Hawkeye?
    Hawkeye: Easy, Father. Tell me, who goes to Hell?
    Father Mulcahy: Sinners, I believe.
    Hawkeye: Exactly. There are no innocent bystanders in Hell. War is chock full of them - little kids, cripples, old ladies. In fact, except for some of the brass, almost everybody involved is an innocent bystander.

    • @dataexpunged6969
      @dataexpunged6969 Před 4 lety +40

      I don't understand how people see videos like these and still believe in god

    • @NoxUmbrae
      @NoxUmbrae Před 4 lety +240

      @@dataexpunged6969 Cool.
      I adress the following not to you, who wrote the comment I'm replying to, but to whomever might be reading this comment:
      *Do NOT take the bait, don't start a conversation about this.*
      It'll lead nowhere and you'll all be left unsatisfied at the end.
      It should be of no one's concern on whom you choose to believe or not to believe, and I think there is much to be gained in time and energy to not discuss this, people in general believe in a whole different spectrum of beliefs and when they discuss it, they focus on different things, and religion, by it's nature, is not concerned with scientific proof, so, let me save you all the time and let you in on a few observations that can be made on pretty much any religious discussion on the internet:
      Presenting scientific fact to religious people is useless: Their religion likely has some deity or theological reason that, through no other mechanism than faith, overrides scientific claim.
      Presenting faith-based argumentation to atheists and agnotics and the like is useless: Most of them try to keep their world view based on a mix between empirical and logical evidence, most reliably acquired through observations of nature (science).
      Do not proselytize, be respectful of other's beliefs and don't belittle what you don't favor or understand.
      These are generalizations based on observation and I thought would be a good disclaimer and/or advice to give because these types of discussion play out very often in the internet and the interlopers seem to miss the point entirely.
      Please, don't do it.

    • @MJ-iu7gm
      @MJ-iu7gm Před 4 lety +23

      @@NoxUmbrae thankyou.

    • @nuttynoah5342
      @nuttynoah5342 Před 4 lety +20

      @@NoxUmbrae thank you

    • @2552644
      @2552644 Před 4 lety +11

      Ερεβος I’m sorry but creation has scientific basis.

  • @apple_meson
    @apple_meson Před 4 lety +1068

    Haven't cried because of a video in so long, but this was so visceral and heart wrenching that I couldn't hold my tears back.

    • @egregius9314
      @egregius9314 Před 4 lety +6

      I wasn't ready for this video..

    • @AxTod
      @AxTod Před 4 lety +6

      I don't remember EVEr crying because of a video...except this one

    • @yoshtodd
      @yoshtodd Před 4 lety +1

      same here

    • @robertlindsey3596
      @robertlindsey3596 Před 4 lety +1

      Same, this broke me a little bit... and I've watched Grave of the Fireflies many times before, I knew what to expect.

    • @lala-kc3br
      @lala-kc3br Před 4 lety +1

      My eyes are soggy and my nose is runny

  • @net81j
    @net81j Před 4 lety +770

    This story should be turned into a feature film. People need to remember these events to understand what War means.

    • @MrSeriousness17
      @MrSeriousness17 Před 4 lety +139

      Have you seen Grave of Fireflies?

    • @fifthcolumn388
      @fifthcolumn388 Před 4 lety +19

      Mr.Serious exactly what I was thinking

    • @HisameArtwork
      @HisameArtwork Před 4 lety +12

      I dunno, I couldn't watch grave of the fireflies to the end, but maybe others can... I'll try and watch JojoRabbit, seems less soul crushing.

    • @net81j
      @net81j Před 4 lety +10

      @@MrSeriousness17 Grave of Fireflies is not based on a real person's actual experience and its story is just not brutal enough to capture what really happened.

    • @MrSeriousness17
      @MrSeriousness17 Před 4 lety +56

      @@net81j I take it thats a no on having watched the movie then.
      The message in that movie is pretty close to the one in this video.

  • @LifeWhereImFrom
    @LifeWhereImFrom Před 4 lety +455

    Thanks for telling this story Evan. So hard to listen through, but we need to remember these kinds of things. I had to stop myself from crying several times. Writing this now, the tears have, against my will, started to flow.

    • @eedobee
      @eedobee Před rokem +1

      Don’t stop yourself crying.

  • @riyadhuladha3155
    @riyadhuladha3155 Před 4 lety +264

    there's still children like Tomiko in Middle east war

    • @gelustoicescu9060
      @gelustoicescu9060 Před 4 lety +41

      Fair point, Sir or Madam. Back then the civilised world knew little about what was going on on these remote war theaters. Today, we do not have that excuse. Only those who turn their eyes away cannot see.

    • @OVXX666
      @OVXX666 Před 4 lety +19

      no one cares about the middle east because they like some arab dude did some dumb shit in america once or twice that may have involved a plane and a building.
      but yeah can trump stop supplying bombs that are being dropped on school children in yemen that would be nice

    • @smo-king6504
      @smo-king6504 Před 4 lety +2

      @@OVXX666 Well the thing the japanese did involved planes too

    • @OVXX666
      @OVXX666 Před 4 lety +3

      @@smo-king6504 yeah but they gave us anime so we good.

    • @shino4833
      @shino4833 Před 4 lety +4

      @@OVXX666 baka

  • @iamdrumgod
    @iamdrumgod Před 4 lety +160

    I believe RARE EARTH is the best channel on CZcams. Trapped in the middle of so much silliness, people drinking milk through their sinus', fail videos, and food travelogues, lies a powerful and purpose driven video log.
    It is always informative and fantastic and I cannot recommend it enough. Beautifully filmed, the stories are loaded with ideas and profound imagery.
    With their recent return from a long hiatus, they are simply outdoing themselves. I believe the attached episode is their best work yet.
    If you prefer gravitas in your entertainment, look no further.

  • @MayankGoel447
    @MayankGoel447 Před 4 lety +237

    I was expecting something related to the movie 'Grave of Fireflies' which can almost bring anyone to tears. Although this was a different story, really loved it. Both of them are can really make one cry.
    For those who haven't watched the movie 'Grave of the Fireflies' by Ghilbli Studio. I recommend it, it is a masterpiece and is also set during the time of World War 2.

    • @danielsjohnson
      @danielsjohnson Před 4 lety +3

      The similarity this video and "Grave of the Fireflies" share is they are both sad stories about Japan during and right after World War 2. Another similarity is they are both well-made.

    • @KS-mt1lb
      @KS-mt1lb Před 2 lety +1

      This similarity, they must be accompanied by a box of tissue.

    • @So3oodiya
      @So3oodiya Před 11 měsíci

      The movie is not for the faint heated though.. it can affect you very deeply for days after

  • @TheAlphahyena
    @TheAlphahyena Před 4 lety +92

    I watched the Ghibli animation of the movie a few years ago: Grave of the Fireflies. I liked it immensely, but I can't bring myself to watch it again because it hurts so much. Your story was much easier to go through. Thank you.

    • @jennsmith3177
      @jennsmith3177 Před 4 lety +3

      i have a tat of the little girl from the movie on my right arm.

  • @SnoAto
    @SnoAto Před 4 lety +71

    The moment he said "hold up the flag it will keep you alive" it hit me so hard...

  • @MoiraOBrien
    @MoiraOBrien Před 4 lety +351

    I have tears in my eyes watching and listening to this story, having spent the day with my children, grandchildren and great grandchild, watching a grandson get married - the very ordinary business of a modern family in a time of peace. I was 3 months old when Tomiko was rescued from war. I have never known war or real hardship in my life and I hope I never will. It is right and proper that we should remember those who suffered from the iniquities of global warfare and do our best to make sure that it can never happen again.

    • @MrZyphod
      @MrZyphod Před 4 lety +10

      Sad to say, I don't think that war has ever stopped in some part of the world or other...

    • @MoiraOBrien
      @MoiraOBrien Před 4 lety +11

      This is of course true but from an English point of view we have been at peace in Europe thanks in no small part to the EU.

    • @appleslover
      @appleslover Před 4 lety +2

      @@MoiraOBrien a huge part i would say

    • @lawrenceallen8096
      @lawrenceallen8096 Před rokem

      @@MoiraOBrien The EU????? It is an ECONOMIC union. Don't you mean NATO, the USA and UK in particular? The USA, whose citizens paid to rebuild Europe after WWII and provided the bulk of military support against the Soviet Union: the largest and most malevolent European Colonialist Slave State to exist in the 20th century! And in the 1990s the USA/NATO stopped Europe's concentration camps that popped up again after the fall of the Soviet Union in the former Yugoslavia. But sadly, like clockwork, 30 years after reunification, the Germans are back at it again: "You will own nothing and be happy."--Klaus Schwab regarding his "New World Order." He never finishes the sentence "You will own nothing and be happy, and we will own everything and be happier than you." And the other "EU" countries do nothing because Germany funds them through debt and therefore owns the EU. As an American, from the country that has paid the bulk of the price for the longest period of peace in Bloody Europe's history these past 80 years: Let's agree to not put the Germans in charge until the people with numbers tattooed on their forearms die off. As a courtesy to them, let's just wait another 10 year or so before the Germans impose the 4th reich."

    • @MoiraOBrien
      @MoiraOBrien Před rokem

      Ah yes - the policemen of the world - the wonderful US of A, who have more billionaires and more poor people than any other developed country. The EU was spawned out of a desire for European countries never to fight wars again. It may have started as an economic union, but it has developed into far more and is thus far more important . Thankfully, it has developed into something that can compete on a level playing field with the US. What kind of political union it develops into is a matter of conjecture. I cannot deny that the US contributed hugely to the ending of WWII - but then so did Russia. The fact is that the US sat on its hands until it was forced into the war by Japan, so don’t go crowing about your prowess quite so much.
      I am not qualified to make comments on your perception of Germany. However, as someone who was born before the end of WWII, and therefore have experienced the whole of the post war era, I feel qualified to be able to see Europe (not just the EU) as a far better place thanks to the formation of that body - and it’s continual growth.
      Personally, I would like to see a confederate system adopted in Europe. However, the political will for this seems to be somewhat of a dream still.
      I wish America well, but I am eternally glad that I was born this side of the Atlantic and that I am a citizen of the EU.

  • @realexperienc
    @realexperienc Před 4 lety +81

    To the entire Rare Earth team:
    Thank you for having the guts (and the grace) to make such a heartbreaking video...if only those whom speak so easily of going to war could see this with compassion and realise what war really is!
    Keep up the good work!

  • @tarigHashim
    @tarigHashim Před 4 lety +77

    Its rare earth ,but sadly the story is not rare...
    We keep repeating the same story every day .war is never rare.

  • @rorysparshott4223
    @rorysparshott4223 Před 4 lety +211

    This is the most beautiful video you've ever made. Thank you, it's a masterpiece.
    I just need to go and cry a lot.

  • @scissorfits
    @scissorfits Před 4 lety +69

    "oh ill watch the new rare earth with my dinner" i said and now my curry tastes of tears

  • @martinsantos6497
    @martinsantos6497 Před 4 lety +83

    This is indeed Rare Earth. And even rarer youtube. Thank You.
    My best friend said that she would have preferred a story about a sad rock. I think that this is a story about a sadder rock.

  • @rhijulbec1
    @rhijulbec1 Před 4 lety +171

    I've had a child die. Here in Canada. Completely blindsided by something so rare, it took a year and several specialists to finally figure out. To think that Tomika, barely older than a toddler, endured such loss, such heartache, hurts my heart to the point I'm overwhelmed with that feeling of loss I remember from 35 years ago (Julie Diana 12 Feb 1984-07 Apr 1984) as though it were again just happening.
    I wonder what happened to her. I hope more than anything she had a good life. But we know better. Life doesn't care what you've endured, there's no pardon from pain, heartache or hardship just because you've suffered. At most I hope she was loved.
    Thank you again Evan. A reminder that what we think of as hardship now, means waiting for phones to charge so we can stare blankly at the screen again. I'm guilty of that too.
    But I've also known a loss most never will. And hearing of hers, so many lost~it tears my heart.
    Jenn in Canada 🇨🇦

    • @razor1uk610
      @razor1uk610 Před 4 lety +7

      rhijulbec1
      As a fellow 12th Feb child (1979) along with Abe Lincon & Charles Darwin, I had to type something.
      My sincere but much belated condolances & commiserations, however shallow that could appear to sound from me.

    • @rhijulbec1
      @rhijulbec1 Před 4 lety +8

      @@razor1uk610
      That is so kind of you. Thank you. No kindness is ever shallow. No condolence is ever belated.
      People tend to think that time heals all wounds. Anyone over 5 knows that's not true. Everything that happens to you is a memory and memories don't heal.
      Your kind words soothe that still very, very raw pain. I can call up every emotion, every thought, every memory of that day. Just as if it's still new.
      So your kind words do indeed help. Because even though that shocked, visceral agony may diminish, (no one could survive that kind of loss if the screeching rawness of that terrible physical/emotional pain didn't diminish) there's always the memory of it and any kindness is a port in a storm.
      So thank you. Sincerely.
      Jenn 🇨🇦

    • @DarkestDeeds
      @DarkestDeeds Před 4 lety +8

      From what I've found mostly from bits of the book, Tomiko Higa went on to marry and finish law school. She met the photographer again who took the picture of her as a child. It's really hard finding information because even though the book is now in English, it wasn't originally.

    • @rhijulbec1
      @rhijulbec1 Před 4 lety +5

      @@DarkestDeeds
      WOW! Thank you for this! It's good to hear she had some success in her life. I cannot imagine a 7 yr old going through that much trauma. I'm ecstatic to hear that she may have been ok after all.

    • @DarkestDeeds
      @DarkestDeeds Před 4 lety +3

      @@rhijulbec1 I hope you too had a good life after your loss.

  • @LacedWithOreos
    @LacedWithOreos Před 4 lety +30

    "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." -George Santayana.
    There are far too many stories of those trying to survive post-war and yet the cycle of hatred and violence continues. She was just a child. And they were all human.

  • @ziggystardust1973
    @ziggystardust1973 Před 4 lety +249

    this is too dark for me wow
    edit: I'm actually crying now

    • @a_lucientes
      @a_lucientes Před 4 lety +7

      When you recover, if you havent seen the animated film this story inspired (The Grave of The Fireflies 1988 - from Studio Ghibli) it is one of the most moving films Ive ever seen.

    • @Utubesux
      @Utubesux Před 4 lety

      Need some tissue?🤯

    • @skeetsmcgrew3282
      @skeetsmcgrew3282 Před 4 lety +3

      @@a_lucientes Only anime that ever made me cry. I had zero clue what I was getting myself into and it most certainly ruined my night lol

    • @AP-zw6ql
      @AP-zw6ql Před 4 lety +3

      @@skeetsmcgrew3282 I own a copy of this anime. I've only watched it once and doubt I'll ever be able to watch it a 2nd time.

  • @lewismassie
    @lewismassie Před 4 lety +58

    That photo hit me like a ton of bricks. Incredible video

    • @sujimtangerines
      @sujimtangerines Před 4 lety +6

      I held it together until that image.

    • @chapocademesquit
      @chapocademesquit Před 4 lety

      @@sujimtangerines i was crying like a little sobbing baby when the river part came

  • @thefourcorners6306
    @thefourcorners6306 Před 4 lety +35

    The anime "Grave of the Fireflies" is one of the greatest anime i've seen so far.

    • @bayersbluebayoubioweapon8477
      @bayersbluebayoubioweapon8477 Před rokem

      You should watch Barefoot Gen. The author of the manga based it off his time surviving the atomic bombing.

  • @curiousworld7912
    @curiousworld7912 Před 4 lety +131

    Oh, my God... What we do to each other is beyond my comprehension. That so many children in the world, right now, face what this child faced so many years ago...we never learn... May God forgive us.

    • @garretth8224
      @garretth8224 Před 4 lety +10

      Me must forgive each other that is more important than the forgiveness of a god that may or may not exist.

    • @unvergebeneid
      @unvergebeneid Před 4 lety +7

      @@garretth8224 and one that would, according to Christian lore, subject this little girl and all the civilians who died on that island to eternal torture for the crime of having been brought up in a non-Christian culture.

    • @a_lucientes
      @a_lucientes Před 4 lety +10

      @@unvergebeneid Not to defend Christianity but according to its doctrine this is not correct. If they were never exposed to the bible they would not be considered heretics. There is a famous story (Ive no idea if its true, but it goes right to the absurdity of religion) about a missionary who, while trying to convert Eskimos in Northern Canada told them that to reject Jesus is to bring damnation upon one's soul. To which the Eskimo replied: _But what if I never heard of Jesus. How could God hold someone responsible for something he is unaware of?_ "Then you would not be damned", replied the missionary. To which the Eskimo asked: _Then why did you tell me about him?_

    • @unvergebeneid
      @unvergebeneid Před 4 lety +1

      @@a_lucientes Haha, fair question. Don't you, at least according to Catholic doctrine, still make it to Limbo if you've never had the chance to join the club?

    • @dataexpunged6969
      @dataexpunged6969 Před 4 lety

      How could you even believe in a god after what you just saw? How can you be so blinded? Does your indoctrination run that deep?

  • @classycompositions932
    @classycompositions932 Před 4 lety +568

    The Joker seems like a cheerful childrens movie compared to this.

    • @Sabinsandinsky
      @Sabinsandinsky Před 4 lety +1

      bahahahahahaha

    • @grendo45
      @grendo45 Před 4 lety +48

      Not really man. The joker is partially about childhood trauma and violent abuse and it causing mental illness as well as lifelong suffering. That's maybe less fucked up, but still really fucking sad if you think about it, even in comparison to this.

    • @usedretainer3301
      @usedretainer3301 Před 4 lety +8

      Classy Compositions well joker was a pretty dark movie too. It’s about a man who just wanted to spread joy but in return he only got pain, violence, and rejection. Plus he was mentally ill too and mentally ill people usually think the wrong way when fixing or trying to find happiness again. With this video, yeah it may seem like nothing but they’re both serious topics we shouldn’t joke about. Being mentally ill is not a choice, along with seeing your world fall apart and the innocent people around you die of a death they didn’t get to choose. Some of them did choose their death because they no longer wanted to suffer anymore but having the courage to live takes a lot of courage during those times.

    • @CheshireCesare
      @CheshireCesare Před 4 lety +5

      grendo44 I mean... as emotional as it might be, The Joker is still fiction, though.. what children went through during this war was not..

    • @grendo45
      @grendo45 Před 4 lety +3

      @@CheshireCesare I really don't think that makes much of a difference here. The exact story of the joker is fictional, but many events and phenomenons shown are very real and affect millions of people.
      If someone made a fictional movie, inspired by the invasion of okinawa, showing equal levels of cruelty, would that then be a cheerful childrens movie or not sad because it is fictional?
      You can tell yourself arthur fleck isn't real, while you can't tell yourself that about tomiko. However for both arthur and tomiko there are thousands or even more untold stories about real people very much like them.

  • @Bloodreign137
    @Bloodreign137 Před 4 lety +22

    This has been one of the most tear-jerking episodes of Rare Earth. That was one metal little girl

  • @Billyboy4209
    @Billyboy4209 Před 4 lety +64

    Literally had to force my self to NOT click a different video.😧
    That was tough,but a history that should NOT be forgotten...

    • @DarkHarlequin
      @DarkHarlequin Před 4 lety +3

      Seriously there are two reasons you click away a video. One is it doesn't grab you. The other happened to me here to where it's so real and emotional that my soul is telling me 'skip this please' and I have to force myself to say 'No! You will let this effect you and tear you down because it's important!'.

  • @Haplo-san
    @Haplo-san Před 4 lety +15

    I did the translation and waiting for an approve. It took longer than I thought because it was hard; and hard because I had to take a break and breath everytime I filled with tears and couldn't continue. I did my very best and checked couple times. I've also checked others but decided to translate your baseline, double-entendre after all; this is Rare Earth indeed. I'm proud that I can help to tell her story too from your powerful narration. Thank you for sharing her story with us.
    P.s for everyone: If you haven't heard of it, I highly suggest you all to check Ikue Asazaki and listen her song "Obokuri-Eeumi" which she sings in Amami dialect (I guess). Wiki says she born and grew up in Amami island but some says she is Okinawan also sings Okinawan. No matter what, the fact is main islanders doesn't understand the lyrics without translation and she sings beautiful, the song is beautiful and I feel it fits very well to this story.
    And also, the six Ryukyuan languages are listed in the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger. UNESCO said all Ryukyuan languages are on course for extinction by 2050.

  • @stanrayborn926
    @stanrayborn926 Před 4 lety +15

    That little girl possed bravery that I can't even imagine. What a beautiful but tragic story. Thank you for sharing it. Love your channel.

  • @beskamir5977
    @beskamir5977 Před 4 lety +50

    I'm actually sobbing. This is the main reason why I despise war of any kind. A bunch of extremists/politicians/etc not wanting to get along and the people that suffer the most are those that wanted no part in any of it.

    • @healingandgrowth-infp4677
      @healingandgrowth-infp4677 Před 3 lety +1

      War is like the whipping boy. Instead of taking it out on each other they take it out on civilians. The only reason they care is when there are no civilians left to kill.

    • @GreenGoblinCoryintheHouse
      @GreenGoblinCoryintheHouse Před 2 lety

      And yet we see it in action

  • @anshagrawal254
    @anshagrawal254 Před 4 lety +238

    Take this comment for the algorithm

  • @YouFightLikeACow
    @YouFightLikeACow Před 4 lety +292

    This is the most depressing thing you've uploaded recently.

    • @rhijulbec1
      @rhijulbec1 Před 4 lety +10

      The world isn't all that YT tries to make you believe.
      Think of this as a triumph. This child~seven years old~endured and still was able to love the grandparents, even after all she'd seen, she trusted. She found her sisters. I can't say if she was better off dead, as so, so many chose to be or if she was better off living. None of us can. I'm old(ish) and through all the pain of living I've never felt it was time to honestly give up.
      I'm not lecturing. I'm hoping you can see some light in the darkness of this video.
      I hope you're ok.

    • @e1123581321345589144
      @e1123581321345589144 Před 4 lety +2

      try ever

  • @amydebuitleir
    @amydebuitleir Před 4 lety +20

    When the video finished, with tears running down my cheeks I whispered "please, please, please let there be a way for me to find out more about the rest of her life". I clicked on the description and saw there is a book. I don't know yet if I have the strength to read it. Thank you for your most powerful story yet.

  • @-haclong2366
    @-haclong2366 Před 4 lety +64

    He pointed a weapon she had never seen before, and then he shot her.

    • @sourpuss5951
      @sourpuss5951 Před 4 lety +12

      Good thing the word "shoot" has more than one meaning.

  • @Tedd755
    @Tedd755 Před 4 lety +25

    This was powerful. I feel strange clicking the "thumbs-up" button on such content, but for once, this video deserves such a nudge to the algorithm more than maybe any other. Thanks, Evan and your team, for producing this. I hope you're OK.

  • @leehaseley2164
    @leehaseley2164 Před 4 lety +81

    So moving that I was brought to tears. Flooding back came all the memories of war, from Dachau concentration camp to the killing fields.
    Powerful and eloquent as always.

    • @alarcon99
      @alarcon99 Před 4 lety +2

      where you a survivor of Dachau? i would love to hear your story but i could never ask for something so personal. wherever you are in the world, know i'm so happy you are here.

    • @leehaseley2164
      @leehaseley2164 Před 4 lety +7

      @@alarcon99 fortunately for me, I was only ever there on school trips. The sole British student in a class of German students, we had to go as part of the curriculum in Germany, once in grade 8, 9, and 10. All day on each occasion. It was truly the single most harrowing experience of my life, so now just the thought of all those poor souls held there brings me to tears, for all they endured.

    • @terrygaedchens5928
      @terrygaedchens5928 Před 4 lety

      If only the Bolshevik revolution had been crushed before WW1, WW2 wouldn't have been fought, Germany wouldn't have been forced to demonitize their economy due to the massive threat growing g from the East, and martial law being imposed, necessitating all citizens work for food and shelter, and support resistance preparation to the intended invasion of Stalin and his genocidal agendas. Stalin won, by slaughtering tens of millions of humans, and the world still blames Germany for resisting Stalins intended genocide of Germanic people worldwide.

  • @ElbowDeepInAHorse
    @ElbowDeepInAHorse Před 4 lety +41

    First time CZcams has ever brought me to tears.

  • @kibblemom
    @kibblemom Před 4 lety +22

    Much as I love history, this is one of the hardest things I've ever watched. And yet I'm so glad I did. These stories need to be told and retold. Will we ever learn? We can only hope! Thank you for doing this.

  • @mattstreckfuss9678
    @mattstreckfuss9678 Před 4 lety

    Thank you. Your channel mean so much to me. The stories are raw and painful at times - but powerful and important. This story brought tears - but helped to bring light into the madness of war.
    Thank you for what you do

  • @boogiman007
    @boogiman007 Před 4 lety +72

    Your storytelling abilities are on another level.

  • @Eirien87
    @Eirien87 Před 4 lety +18

    thank you so much for spreading that story.... hope people will unterstand one day that nothing is worth a war or destruction or pain like this

  • @macbuff81
    @macbuff81 Před 4 lety +1

    Thank you for creating these very beautiful documentaries. They illustrate real depth and meaning. I love the slow pace as well. These days so many people rush things passing by the opportunity to appreciate stillness and reflection.

  • @eddvcr598
    @eddvcr598 Před 4 lety +3

    Thank you for telling this haunting, yet very important story.
    I can’t imagine going through this Hell on earth as an adult. The loss of a quarter of Okinawa’s lives is unbelievable. The tropical islands inhabited by easygoing, cheerful people have an underlying sadness, and your story beautifully illustrates one of the reasons why. And to think that Tomiko’s story is just one of the many truly horrifying stories chills my soul. It is the civilians in the path of war who inevitably suffer in wars, on both sides.
    You are an amazing storyteller. I am a new subscriber now!

  • @gliza
    @gliza Před 3 lety +3

    I was lucky enough to live on Okinawa for several years. There are caves all over the island. I have explored many of them. And many of them were used during the war by Okinawans who found themselves stuck in the middle of two super powers colliding. They were victims of terrible circumstance and that circumstance being that their beautiful island where, prior to the war, was a place of farming and fishing-life was slow and peaceful...that beautiful island held a key strategic stronghold for whoever held it.
    Okinawa is so beautiful. The people are wonderful, the scenery is gorgeous, the food, etc, etc, etc...but, it is a scar on this Earth. And if you know where to go, you can still feel that hopelessness and sadness. Some ghosts never leave.
    I recall a coworker telling me that he stumbled upon a cave on the side of a small road. This cave was fenced off and there was a plaque but it was only in Japanese. He told me there were yen coins all over the ground on the inside of the cave. And then he told me that he felt such a heavy feeling of sadness and he couldn’t shake it, nor did he understand and he had to leave.
    Many years later, he and I, along with a few other Americans airmen were exploring the island with one of our Okinawan coworkers-Sashida. He was the oldest of the local nationals that we worked with and he would take us around to see cool things that weren’t on the tourist map-mostly caves that we could explore.
    Anyway, one outing after exploring a cave Sashida brought us to, my coworker who told me the story about the cave he felt the sadness at a few years prior said that he recognized the area so we stopped and he told me that the cave was down a small trail. Sashida already knew about the place. He told us it was a cave where many Okinawans hid during the war. They knew how ruthless the Imperial Japanese military was. And they were told that the American military was even worse. And because of this, the older Okinawan men killed everybody in the cave and then killed themselves. Children, women, elderly...everyone. They did this because it seemed like the best option. How terrible is that? A peaceful people who lived a simple, peaceful life of farming and fishing...victims of circumstance. Victims of the most horrible aspects of mankind.
    I felt the immense weight of that sadness. I felt the impression that the Battle of Okinawa made on that beautiful, little island. Right there a few meters down a small trail that one wouldn’t even notice if they weren’t looking for it....off a small, unassuming road. It was a beautiful day and it started off happy and exciting but visiting that cave changed the mood for everyone-including Sashida. I felt ashamed and sad.
    Some ghosts never leave.

  • @ncc74656m
    @ncc74656m Před 4 lety +13

    Thank you, Evan, Kata, and Tomiko.
    Please. No more war.

  • @Dunderpunch
    @Dunderpunch Před 3 lety +2

    Imagine any child around this age who you know personally going through that, or don't if you value being happy.

  • @aftertone3146
    @aftertone3146 Před 4 lety +14

    There will be moments where I will forget about this, there will be also moments where this story will return on full force to remind me what war truly causes.

  • @user-ne3ze4zz7r
    @user-ne3ze4zz7r Před 4 lety +47

    Wow. Just wow. It's been a long time since I've watched such a heart-wrenching video.

  • @bretdaley6869
    @bretdaley6869 Před 4 lety +15

    This one left me in tears, Thank You 💖

  • @AHylianWarrior
    @AHylianWarrior Před 4 lety +1

    Your video was recommended to me by another youtuber I watched just through passing the time until suddenly on my recommended feed, there was Rare Earth. I've been on a binge of your videos ever since.

  • @dai-nippon_digger
    @dai-nippon_digger Před 4 lety

    keep making episodes please. This was so heart wrenching but also helpful. Helpful in the way that it makes me think of my own grandparents and there stories during ww2. It makes me remember them. thx.

  • @blanith
    @blanith Před 4 lety +11

    Much like Grave of the Fireflies, this is important and I am glad I watched it.
    I will proceed to never watch it again.

  • @Skapo
    @Skapo Před 4 lety +25

    I'm bookmarking this for the next time someone talks about war like it's a good thing. War is hell.

  • @mcav1399
    @mcav1399 Před 4 lety

    I'm crying right now. All most all the stories you put up are sad, or disheartening, but this one... A whole different level.
    The way you tell the stories you do is just awe inspired, I hope you never plan to stop

  • @DrHotep
    @DrHotep Před 4 lety +1

    This video made me support you via Patreon.
    In my opinion your Channel is the best CZcams has to offer and it needs to be supported.
    Thank you very much Evan and I hope the best for the future.

  • @jdd5672
    @jdd5672 Před 4 lety +16

    Well that was the most emotionally wretching thing Ill watch all year, thumbs up

  • @Yakzur
    @Yakzur Před 4 lety +4

    I often wonder "how many Tomikos have there been?". How many children have suffered the way she did? It's not a question with a verifiable answer, you can't put a number on it, but even one is too many.
    Any time you hear someone advocate for war, show them this. Tell them they will create thousands of children that suffer like Tomiko did if their rhetoric goes unchecked.

  • @michaelmartin4552
    @michaelmartin4552 Před 11 měsíci +1

    When I was on Okinawa in 1988 I was lucky enough to have met her. Miss Higa is an amazing individual and she taught me a lot about that battle that I had never heard before. And the version she told us was very similar to what was reported in this, however she did not tell us in so much detail.
    However, she did talk about going to caves and tombs that were full of bodies, where the Japanese soldiers used grenades and rifles to kill those inside. Because not all of the hiding places were caves, many were the "Turtleback Tombs" that still dot the countryside to this day.

  • @RichardDominguezTheMagicIsReal

    Grave of the fireflies is a heartbreaking story that has a profound effect on me every time I watch it, this story just touches something deep in me that cries out for all the children who suffer through no fault of their own ... Thanks so much for sharing this

  • @plaza8470
    @plaza8470 Před 4 lety +8

    Heck I cry every time I watch Grave of the Fireflies.

  • @thesagedwizard
    @thesagedwizard Před 4 lety +7

    Damn man. The feels. This had tears rolling down my face while I ate the ashes that my breakfast had become. Thank you for telling her story and making me feel human today.

  • @Abigail-hu5wf
    @Abigail-hu5wf Před 4 lety +1

    Thank you for telling this story. I'll go out of my way to share this because more people need to see your work.

  • @Gatsu1Berserk
    @Gatsu1Berserk Před 4 lety +1

    Dude, you took me by surpise with this one. I know you guys know how to captivate people, but this one just took me by the throat. Amazing story and you made me cry like a river... but sometimes thats not a bad thing. Sometimes, it makes you stand still and think about things. Something we all do far to little these days. So thank you, and please, dont ever stop with what you're doing here.

  • @gelregio8978
    @gelregio8978 Před 4 lety +4

    I grew up with my grandparents and I ended up sobbing when they took her in and helped her live. I never cried this hard from watching a true story video. This just broke my heart.

  • @jhoanacasillas6390
    @jhoanacasillas6390 Před 4 lety +8

    Sometimes you need to hear stories like this to remind us how privliged we are in our lives. I'm just going to cry for tomiko and all the people that had to go through this and are still going through it nowadays. Wish I knew what us regular people can do to stop these atrocities from happening.

  • @daikage
    @daikage Před 4 lety +1

    This is one of the most difficult stories I have ever heard. Thank you for presenting it in such a caring and thought provoking way. I am going to have to buy this book now.

  • @jamesbarels469
    @jamesbarels469 Před 4 lety

    Thank you so much for sharing her story. You told it very well. Your tone was extremely respectful of her experience, carrying all the emotions of Tomiko's journey to the viewer.

  • @gianghuynh9570
    @gianghuynh9570 Před 3 lety +3

    I think the Internet is probably the one tool that will help us prevent war, because it helps us comprehend the perspective of victims of war. I too have a story to share, from someone I have met in real life. In Australia when I went there to study I often visit a family of a lawyer, they were refugees fleeing Saigon after the fall in 1975. The couple are friends of my parents, as they often travel to Vietnam to visit. He told me the story of how his family was affected by the war. Their family were landowners in the south, and did quite well for themselves. But the Vietcong movement disrupted the southern society to open the inevitable Northern invasion. One of the more radical members carried out an attack on the guy’s family, throwing a grenade in their house when everyone was asleep. It killed 3 of his siblings and wounded his mum. That’s why their family became afraid of the Northern ideology, and when the war effort went badly for the southern government, they knew they had to go. They traveled to Australia via smuggler’s boats. He told me on the trip the women had to smear feces on their face and the men hide under the deck so that pirates won’t kill them or rape the women, and they were told to bring as much jewellery as they can to offer the pirates. When they landed in Australia they were held in refugee camps, with little food. The guy told me how he waddled in pond of human waste to pick vegetables to make soup for his family. Eventually the Red Cross sorted out the refugees and assigned each family a country and region to go to. The lady’s family is split up and her sisters and their family are assigned to European countries, while her husband and she get assigned to live in Melbourne. They built a successful life there. And despite everything that happened and hardship that they went through, all they feel about Vietnam is a strong sense of belonging and loss. They still treated it as their homeland and returned to visit as much as they can, whenever they can. I am young and grew up the system that drove them away, and I am taught about the northern side of the war. Through them I understood that in that war nobody were really at fault when it comes to the Vietnamese, you can totally blame the Americans for that. The Northern side didn’t try to spread communism to the south, they simply saw the south as the missing part of a unified country still under oppression. The south saw the north as tyrannical communists through American propaganda, while the US saw Vietnam as a threat to their ideology and society. In the end it’s the people that suffered, so many displaced people. So the lesson we should all learn is, think about the people and the children when you wanna do war. You should see that it’s never a good choice.

    • @kingofthecatnap6246
      @kingofthecatnap6246 Před 3 lety +1

      Thanks to Daniel Ellsberg (the Pentagon Papers) most Americans are aware that the Bay of Tonkin attack was a lie used invade Vietnam.

  • @JohnDoe-dg1dl
    @JohnDoe-dg1dl Před 4 lety +112

    damn, this video is heartbreaking

  • @kokonana4086
    @kokonana4086 Před 4 lety

    I have no idea how I sat and listened through your entire piece. Yet, by the end of the clip, I found myself sobbing and flood of tears rolling down my cheeks.

  • @DonQuiKong
    @DonQuiKong Před 4 lety +2

    This is one of your best videos evan.
    such a powerful story, and you told it perfectly!

  • @gothbunny
    @gothbunny Před 4 lety +4

    One of my grandfathers fought in the Pacific theater, including the invasion of Japan. (after the bombs dropped. He was mainland, not Okinawa.) My mother let me scan in and read his letters from the front. He was never one to sugar coat things and he wrote with an open journalists eye. The horrors he described still haunt me. It's been 17 years since I've read those letters.
    My other grandfather fought in the European theater, he kept a journal till the day he died, and he told me experiences he had. Again, second hand events I'll never be able to forget. He told me that he needed to pass them on to me because I was the next generation, I would be able to keep the lessons he learned about cruelty, hate, kindness and compassion fresh in mine and the next generation minds.
    It's hard for us that have never experienced war first hand to even comprehend Tomiko's story, and countless others. We've become removed from them by comfort and peace, which aren't bad things. My point would be summed up as; remember Tomiko, remember her story, and always be kind.

  • @Endercrow32
    @Endercrow32 Před 4 lety +2

    Somehow the credits hit me hardest of all. Thank you Evan.

  • @sixstringtherapy5038
    @sixstringtherapy5038 Před rokem +1

    This was one of the most heartbreaking stories I've ever heard. I was finishing up my work day as this came on auto play. Made for some awkward/worried interactions with my crew as I attempted to get to my vehicle. I sincerely appreciate you telling this most horrible story. It's essential to keep fresh in our minds, the horrific ways we are able to treat our fellow humans, when we start to see them as "the other". Your channel is quickly becoming one of my favorites on this platform.

  • @sh1murai
    @sh1murai Před 3 měsíci

    i first saw this first closer to its release, not right after but not long, and it crushed me. every now and again ill remember it or find it again for various reasons. often i choose not to watch, knowing ill likely just get crushed again. today was the 4th time because i thought "id seen it before and i know it, i'm recommending the channel to some friends, with this video as an example. so i should make sure this is as good yet horrid as my memory says" and I'm wrong for the 3rd time, once again shedding tears for a time and people ill never know. and being reminded a story like this wasnt unique, not in its time and place. nor now amongst conflicts we subject eachother too.
    likely not the right comment or comment section but despite this being a crushing outlier id like to thank you for the videos you guys make. amazingly smaller, more digestible aspects and stories of the world. and congratulations on 1 million subscribers. likely would have been best to say on a more recent video but i appreciate the work you do and want to express it while the emotions in my brain are hot and fresh.

  • @JasonRuppVlog
    @JasonRuppVlog Před 4 lety +20

    That was powerful. Thank you for the story.

  • @moraine2442
    @moraine2442 Před 4 lety +37

    That shirt is waging a war on the video compression algorithm

  • @franziskapala8723
    @franziskapala8723 Před 4 lety

    Thank you for spreading her story and other stories, stories that matter, stories that encourage compassion, stories that link humans from all around the globe through feelings. So telling about gruesome events like this can spark something good in humanity for our future together and that's totally worth it. 💖

  • @INeverUseThisLol
    @INeverUseThisLol Před 4 lety +2

    As soon as the photo showed up the tears just started flowing. Hell I'm tearing up again writing this comment, this video was so difficult to watch. Every single person should have to watch it though, so that we can make sure these things never happen again. Incredibly powerful video, great job Evan.

  • @AniSayakhom
    @AniSayakhom Před 4 lety +4

    the grandma and grandpa part got me hurt the most. i cried dawg 😭

  • @jakemarchbank
    @jakemarchbank Před 4 lety +21

    It can always happen here, anything can happen anywhere

    • @julijakeit
      @julijakeit Před 4 lety +3

      it teaches to just really appreciate the comforts most of us have. the horrors some people have to witness to this day whenever the war is ongoing. Like Syria. how many Tomikas or Tomiks still walk this earth is unknown and the people concentrate on mundane nonsense on the news.

  • @jujubeda01
    @jujubeda01 Před 4 lety +1

    Thank you, i never knew i needed to cry. Life has been hectic so i pushed everything in, and this gave me the opportunity to just cry it out. Thank you..

  • @adhiantos
    @adhiantos Před 4 lety +1

    Thank you so much for sharing this story with us. Heart-wrenching.

  • @davidcarrajola2863
    @davidcarrajola2863 Před 4 lety +9

    I follow you for two years now i guess...
    Best Episode of Rare Earth untill date,
    congratulations.

  • @naanamora3282
    @naanamora3282 Před 4 lety +8

    This story teared me up. You’re a great storyteller. An Aesop of our time. Thanks for sharing

  • @bon12121
    @bon12121 Před 4 lety +1

    Thank you. I haven't watched your videos in about a year but seeing this title I just had to.
    The last video I recall watching was of a young Japanese boy licking the floor.
    It was only last week I highly recommended your channel to a bunch of friends. Thanks for your work.

  • @areefakhan8032
    @areefakhan8032 Před 4 lety +1

    You are a great storyteller. Thank you for your efforts in making these wonderful videos.

  • @Hondavid.
    @Hondavid. Před 4 lety +3

    This tore me to pieces...

  • @donnysandley6977
    @donnysandley6977 Před 4 lety +27

    I never knew my grandfather and rarely think about him but I know he was what my family called a island hopper in WW2 and he was traumatized from all fighting and death he experienced 🤔

    • @donnysandley6977
      @donnysandley6977 Před 4 lety +2

      @@enokii not absolutely sure but I think it's because of all the islands that make up Japan and he was a military soldier

    • @retrofuture1989
      @retrofuture1989 Před 4 lety +4

      @@enokii The Americans called their strategy of taking one island at a time "Island Hopping" as they pushed the Japanese closer and closer to their Homeland. I imagine that the soldiers who fought on these island hopping campaigns were referred to as "island hoppers" like that person's Grandpa.

  • @beaker4311
    @beaker4311 Před 4 lety

    dude.... this is top 3 of saddest stories ive seen here. ive heard her story some what before, but never like this. and never with the picture to back it up and make it real. ty for the story. and i hope in my future kids life time, this story wont have to be repeated by another tomiko

  • @TheRedDragon5000
    @TheRedDragon5000 Před 3 lety +1

    I saw the picture somewhere on the internet and had to come back here to comment.
    It hit me so hard again realising that she covered her face not from the sun, but from the fear that she was about to be shot. I cried my face off, I "watched" this video a long time ago, but I usually just let it play in the background and haven't seen the picture.
    If I could like this video again I would, hopefully you'll make many more like this.
    Thank you.