Niihau Incident facts for kids
The Niʻihau incident happened from December 7 to December 13, 1941. It involved a Japanese pilot named Shigenori Nishikaichi. He crash-landed his Zero plane on the Hawaiian island of Niʻihau. This happened right after he took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Japanese Navy had thought Niʻihau was empty. They had planned for damaged planes to land there and wait for rescue.
The people of Niʻihau, who were Native Hawaiians, didn't know about the attack on Pearl Harbor. They treated Nishikaichi as a guest. But they were careful and took away his weapons. They brought a local person who was born in Japan to help translate.
That night, the Hawaiians found out about the Pearl Harbor attack. They then took the Japanese pilot into custody. They let him stay with the Haradas, who were the only other residents of Japanese descent on the island. Guards were placed to watch him. The pilot then told the Haradas about the attack. The Haradas agreed to help him.
Nishikaichi and Yoshio Harada managed to overpower a guard. They escaped to try and destroy the plane and important papers. Then, they took two Niʻihau residents, Benehakaka "Ben" Kanahele and his wife Kealoha "Ella" Kanahele, as prisoners. The Kanaheles later fought back against their captors. They eventually killed the pilot. Ben Kanahele was hurt during this struggle. He was later honored for his brave actions.
Contents
A Story of Courage
The Niʻihau incident is a powerful story from World War II. It shows how people reacted during a time of great surprise and danger. The island of Niʻihau is very small and private. It was not prepared for such an event.
The Pilot's Crash Landing
On December 7, 1941, Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. One of these planes was a Zero fighter, flown by Shigenori Nishikaichi. His plane was damaged during the attack. He flew towards Niʻihau, hoping it would be a safe place to land. He crash-landed his plane on the island.
Meeting the Islanders
The people of Niʻihau were surprised to see the plane. They had no radio or news from the outside world. They didn't know about the war or the attack on Pearl Harbor. They found Nishikaichi and treated him kindly. They took his weapons as a safety measure. They also found a Japanese-speaking resident to help them talk to him.
The Truth Comes Out
Later that day, the islanders learned about the attack on Pearl Harbor from a radio message. They quickly understood that Nishikaichi was an enemy pilot. They decided to hold him. They allowed him to stay with the Harada family, who were the only other Japanese people on the island. But they kept guards on watch.
A Dangerous Escape
Nishikaichi convinced the Haradas to help him. Together, they overpowered a guard. They tried to destroy the pilot's plane and any secret papers. They then took Ben and Ella Kanahele as prisoners. This was a very tense and dangerous situation for everyone on the island.
Ben and Ella's Bravery
Ben and Ella Kanahele were incredibly brave. They fought back against Nishikaichi and Yoshio Harada. During the struggle, Ben Kanahele was injured. But he managed to kill the pilot, Nishikaichi. This ended the dangerous situation on the island.
Honoring a Hero
Ben Kanahele's actions were seen as very heroic. He was later given a medal for his bravery. The incident showed the courage of the Niʻihau people. It also highlighted the unexpected ways the war affected even remote places.
The composer R. Alex Anderson wrote a song about the incident called "They Couldn't Take Niihau, Nohow!" It was played when Ben Kanahele received his award in Honolulu.
Images for kids
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A6M Zero in the markings of the aircraft flown by Nishikaichi on display at the Pacific Aviation Museum
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Remains of Nishikaichi's Zero on December 17, 1941
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Rusted parts of the Niihau Zero as displayed at the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor
See also
In Spanish: Incidente de Niihau para niños
