Marcus McDilda
Marcus McDilda | |
---|---|
Born | December 15, 1921 |
Died | August 16, 1998 | (aged 76)
Known for | USAAF fighter pilot shot down and captured by the Japanese |
Military career | |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Army Air Forces |
Rank | First lieutenant |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Prisoner of War Medal[1] |
First lieutenant Marcus Elmo McDilda (December 15, 1921 – August 16, 1998) was an American P-51 fighter pilot who was shot down over Osaka and captured by the Japanese on 8 August 1945, two days after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.[2]
Capture and confession
After his capture, McDilda was paraded through the streets of Osaka, where he was blindfolded and beaten by civilians. He was then interrogated by the
As you know, when atoms are split, there are a lot of pluses and minuses released. Well, we've taken these and put them in a huge container and separated them from each other with a lead shield. When the box is dropped out of a plane, we melt the lead shield and the pluses and minuses come together. When that happens, it causes a tremendous bolt of lightning and all the atmosphere over a city is pushed back! Then when the atmosphere rolls back, it brings about a tremendous thunderclap, which knocks down everything beneath it.[2]
This "confession" led the Japanese to consider McDilda a "
This case has been cited as evidence that interrogational torture is ineffective, as his "confession" might have been counterproductive to Japan's intelligence-gathering.[4][5]
References
- ^ "Marcus E. McDilda". The Hall of Valor Project. Sightline Media Group. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Story of Marcus McDilda - Kempeitai Torture - WW2 FEPOW". www.forces-war-records.co.uk. August 11, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ Langer, Howard (1999). World War II: An Encyclopedia of Quotations. p. 219.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-965-3927-0-9.
- ^ Sanchez, Julian (May 5, 2009). "How Torture Helped the Allies in WWII". juliansanchez.com. Retrieved August 23, 2023.