Abstract
Ryukyu Kingdom, which was incorporated in one of the prefectures of Japan in 1879, became the 47th prefecture following the defeat in World War II. However, the draft system was enforced later than the other prefectures, because the Meiji government did not convert Okinawa as a prefecture of Japan immediately, maintaining the preservation policy based on former customs. The research on Okinawa as the site of the ground war between Japan and U.S. has numerous compilations, but the research on the actual experiences based on the legal order to conscript men from Okinawa as soldiers and the military service law for them to fight in foreign territories have been relatively untouched, though personal experiences of individual soldiers have been published. With this report, I would like to clarify the actual battle experiences of three survivors of the WWII, born in Okinawa during the Taisho era, through the interviews I have conducted.
