[25] During his travels, General Suzuki composed two poems which he presented to his “dear brother Tomochika,” One of these, entitled “A Farewell Poem,” ran as follows:
Every soldier must expect to sacrifice his life in War,
Only then has his duty been done;
Be thankful that you can die at the front,
Rather than an inglorious death at home.
Tomochika, True Facts of Leyte Opn, pp. 34—39. [↑]
[26] Strength Accounting Br, AGO, STM-30, 1 Feb 45. These figures must be treated with caution as they include, in addition to those who had actually participated, troops who were merely staging on the island and had played no part in the operation. It is important to remember that at all stages of the Leyte Campaign troops and units were constantly coming and going. [↑]