Introduction
Most people today are not aware of the revolting crimes of Unit 731, a Japanese army station that operated under the alias “Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Unit of the Kwantung Army.” At Unit 731, thousands of unethical medical experiments were performed on prisoners of war. The mastermind behind these experiments of Unit 731 was a scientist and doctor by the name of Shiro Ishii, a prominent figure in the Japanese medical community. He believed that experiments of live vivisections of patients would produce the most accurate results in assessing diseases and the reaction of the body to certain conditions, including heavy blood loss and frostbite. Every prisoner held at Unit 731 was killed, and no one was released or able to escape.
Unit 731 was a highly guarded secret of both Japan and the United States for almost half a century. The United States kept Unit 731 a secret because of the extensive medical data that the Japanese had collected and the numerous medical benefits that the research could provide, even though they were gained unethically. The doctors and scientists of Unit 731 were rewarded for their work instead of being harshly reprimanded by the U.S. and Japanese governments. They were promoted to high ranks and were given prominent positions on medical committee boards and institutions. In some cases, some of these doctors and scientists, even to this day, do not recognize the atrocities committed at Unit 731. As one scientist of Unit 731 put it, smiling cheerfully, "There's a possibility this could happen again...Because in a war, you have to win."
The horrific research and experiments of Unit 731 allowed the medical community to jump forward by 40 years and held a significant role in developing the healthcare of today. However, it is still one of the most obscure and least talked about subject of WWII in history classes. For this reason, it is vital that U.S. history classes recognize the horrendous and abysmal crimes of Unit 731 and educate the world on one of the most tragic historical events that should never be allowed to repeat itself again.
Unit 731 was a highly guarded secret of both Japan and the United States for almost half a century. The United States kept Unit 731 a secret because of the extensive medical data that the Japanese had collected and the numerous medical benefits that the research could provide, even though they were gained unethically. The doctors and scientists of Unit 731 were rewarded for their work instead of being harshly reprimanded by the U.S. and Japanese governments. They were promoted to high ranks and were given prominent positions on medical committee boards and institutions. In some cases, some of these doctors and scientists, even to this day, do not recognize the atrocities committed at Unit 731. As one scientist of Unit 731 put it, smiling cheerfully, "There's a possibility this could happen again...Because in a war, you have to win."
The horrific research and experiments of Unit 731 allowed the medical community to jump forward by 40 years and held a significant role in developing the healthcare of today. However, it is still one of the most obscure and least talked about subject of WWII in history classes. For this reason, it is vital that U.S. history classes recognize the horrendous and abysmal crimes of Unit 731 and educate the world on one of the most tragic historical events that should never be allowed to repeat itself again.