80 years after WWII Battle of Okinawa, bones are still being discovered

The World War II Battle of Okinawa left an estimated 240,000 people killed or missing — and 80 years later, their bones are still being unearthed by dedicated volunteers.Japan’s southernmost prefecture was plagued by one of war’s most deadly battles, which lasted from April 1 until June 22, 1945, when American declared victory.Bone digger Takamatsu Gushiken, who spends his time in caves in Okinawa, explained to CNN that of the 1,400 sets of remains recovered on the ill-fated island, only six have been identified.“They are human, and I am human too,” he answered when asked why he embarks on the unique labor of love.“No more wars.There should be no more wars.”Gushiken turns in all his findings, but said it’s up to authorities to run DNA tests on the bones.

In many instances, there is not enough material left to examine, however Gushiken feels the government should be more involved.“I hope the authorities will take a more proactive approach to identifying the bones, improve their technology, and returns as many bones as possible to their families,” he told the outlet.Roughly 100,000 Japanese military and 50,000 Okinawans were killed in the battle, along with close to 50,000 Americans, according to the National World War II Museum.Steph Pawelski, a US Department of Defense school teacher who curates the Okinawa Battle Sites Facebook page, is also invested in the battle site, as both of her grandfathers served at Okinawa.She tries to find the locations her grandfather took photos of during his time there.“I was able to see through Grandpop’s eyes, walk in his footsteps, and feel his presence in a way I never expected.It was as if the past and present had converged, creating a snapshot of history in a way that words would never capture,” Pawelski told CNN.To mark the battle’s 80th anniversary, 98-year-old Okinawa veteran Neal McCallum also returned to the battle site, where he suffered a gunshot wound in his leg from a Japanese bullet, lead...