June 23, 2010
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Okinawa has paid tribute to the sacrifice of more than 220 female high school student nurses who died in the Battle of Okinawa in the closing days of World War Two.
A memorial ceremony at a monument to the fallen young women in Itoman City took place on Wednesday, the 65th anniversary of the end of the battle. About 400 people including bereaved families attended the event.
The 227 victims belonged to a group of students and their teachers who formed a nursing unit known as the Star Lily nurses, to treat Japanese soldiers.Participants at the memorial sang a farewell song originally composed for a graduation ceremony.
One former student nurse, Ruri Miyara, said her classmates had a lot of hope for their future, but their lives were cut short violently. Another student nurse, Kikuko Miyazaki, said the passage of time has not healed her sorrow.
2010/06/23 19:29(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)
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