“Hand over the videotape!” The U.S. military approached, causing public commotion. Then QAB reporter Yoshio Minachika 1 – Ryukyu Shinpo Digital

2024-08-09 20:00:00

Publication date: 05:00 on August 10, 2024Update date: 14:55, August 10, 2024

the person who wrote this article

Umeda Qinghe

“Take out the film!”

At about 2:15 pm on August 13, 2004, a large US military transport helicopter CH53D crashed on the campus of Okinawa International University. The windows of the main building where the helicopter came into contact were broken and the smell of smoke filled the air. Immediately afterwards, US soldiers rushed in from the nearby Futenma US military base, and the scene was blocked.

While county police, fire department, and even university personnel were excluded, only one reporter conducted interviews inside the main building. They were Yoshio Minochika (48 years old), who was the director of the content business bureau and journalist of Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting (QAB) at the time, and the photographer. The two entered the building from the rear of the main building and conducted interviews before security cordons were raised.

When the two were discovered by American soldiers on the third-floor landing, they were taken to the first floor. The American soldiers said in a strong tone: “We will not let you go anywhere,” and asked him to hand over the tape.

“Give it to me!” “I won’t give it to you!” After confronting the American soldiers, the two escaped in two directions. An American soldier chases the photographer. Dozens of citizens watching outside the restricted area became emotional. A bizarre situation arises: civilians chase an American soldier, who relentlessly pursues a photographer beyond the restricted line.

American soldiers captured the photographer, but dozens of civilians surrounded him. The atmosphere was warm.

(Umeda Aotaku)

There are still 13 days left until the crash of a US military helicopter at Okinawa International University, which will mark the 20th anniversary. What happened there that day and how did people feel? We will introduce the issues and trends revealed by this accident one after another.