A Sacrifice That Should Not Be Forgotten
Duke Atalay (Ward Melville High School)
I awoke to the familiar sounds of radio hosts as my alarm clock went off at 6:30 AM. A leading song
on the Billboard Top 100 began to play as I slowly opened my eyes, wearily turned off the alarm, and
stumbled out of bed. My daily routine in preparation for school ensued as follows; I ate my breakfast,
brushed my teeth, got dressed, and took the bus to school. March 11 th , 2011 began just like any other day.

As the bell rang, I entered my biology classroom and took my seat. The teacher stood up from her
desk and spoke with anticipation. “Did anyone hear about the earthquake in Japan?” A few students
responded and the teacher continued. “I heard it was an 8.9! Can you imagine?!” The class uniformly
thought in silence as we tried to imagine such a natural disaster striking New York, and immediately
returned back to work.

The school day ended and I returned home where I discovered my dad watching CNN stories about
the disaster in Japan. I saw headlines of a tsunami striking the north east of Japan. I stood there astonished
by the footage of the colossal wave peeling buildings into the ocean’s abyss, as if they were leaves being
carried off by a faint wind. Japanese civilians were huddled above the enveloping sea, stoically watching
despite the omnipresent quality of their grief.

Headlines that a meltdown had occurred at a nuclear power plant in Fukushima due to the tsunami
began to emerge. There were reports about nuclear plant workers who stayed behind at the plant in order to
prevent a broader nuclear catastrophe. Pictures of men breathing through respirators in full body white suits
walking into the reactors started to appear on the screen. The men, in the middle of a radioactive zone
where death seemed imminent, were pumping seawater on exposed nuclear fuel in order to prevent a full
meltdown that would spread radiation to the whole nation. These men were heroes, risking their own lives
in order to ensure the wellbeing of their family members and loved ones. I could not help but compare
these brave individuals to the firefighters that sacrificed their lives by entering the World Trade Center on
9/11. All of these men were able to muster up the courage that few men are able to do, to boldly overcome
fear’s perpetual grasp and venture out into the most dangerous of circumstances.

When taught about Japan during the times of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the valiant samurai and their
deep devotion to the Bushido were integral parts of the lesson. We learned that the Bushido was the moral
template composed of seven virtues that the samurai lived by. The one that is most cogent, according to the
author Inazo Nitobe, is Rectitude (46). It is described by him as follows: “Rectitude is one’s power to
decide upon a course of conduct in accordance with reason, without wavering; to die when to die is right,
to strike when to strike is right” (Nitobe 46). These words were the inspiration and essence of the bravest of
samurai, who fought for their masters no matter how bleak the battles may have seemed. They knew that if
there was any moment to leave this world, it would be on the battlefield, the most glorified testament of
their sacrifice and devotion.

As I watched these brave, unnamed heroes enter the nuclear power plant, the virtue of Rectitude
echoed in my head. These heroes knew that this was the right thing to do, to put the welfare of their nation
above their own health and safety. I have always prided myself on my values of choosing the path of virtue
because I believe that the emotional satisfaction you receive in the end is paramount. These Japanese
workers were able to confront the most crippling of fears because they knew that this would be their
moment of Rectitude, their moment to light their eternal shine. We often look to famous names of valiant
war heroes or prominent political heroes for inspiration, but we often forget about the men and women who
do what is right for the advancement of the world around them instead of for self-pride. The Japanese
workers at Fukushima remind us what chivalry really means in a world constantly obsessed with making a
legacy, and should inspire even the most weary of people to take the path of sanctity despite the demons
that stand in their way.

Works Cited:
Nitobe, Inazo. "Rectitude or Justice." Bushido: The Soul of Japan. Tokyo: Kodansha International Ltd.,
2002. 46. Print.

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