TWS 0029 Saving A Former Enemy

Описание: Produced by cobalution コバリューション

TWS as Things Worth Spreading (made in Japan), designed for school teachers and students to get to know basic knowledge to learn more on the topics
Recommended for those with TOEFL iBT: 42–71, IELTS: 4.0–5.0, Cambridge English: B1 Preliminary, TOEIC: 550–780 実用技能英語検定（英検)2級

TWS 0029 Saving A Former Enemy

Subtitles

Saving
A Former Enemy
Alright, classIt’s time to start
Today’s topic is
“Saving A Former Enemy”
First, we’ll share some basic facts,
and then we’ll have a discussion
What would you do if you found
your former enemy
who desperately needed help?
Would you help them,
or would you turn away?
It was in 1945
Two weeks after Japan’s surrender, three American B-29 bombers
were flying over northern part of Japan
Their mission was to transport supplies, but something went wrong
One of them crashed into a mountain
in Akita Prefecture
There were 12 crew members on board
Only one survived
His name was Norman H. Martien Jr.
He was nineteen years old
He was far from home,
injured, and afraid
Soon some local people found him
They were villagers from a small community near the mountain
At that time,
Japan and the United States
had just finished the war
Many lost family members because of the war between the two nations
But when the villagers saw
the young soldier,
they did not see him as an enemy
They saw a young man who needed help
They took care of him, gave him food, and treated his wounds
They made sure he was
safe and comfortable
45 years have passed
Martien returned to the village
with his wife
He was no longer a soldier
He was an old man, and he
wanted to say thank you
The villagers were happy
to see him again
Martien passed away in 2012
at the age of 86
His story reminds us that
even in times of conflict
we are human with warm hearts
People make choices based on kindness, not on international politics
Discussion
What do you think people at that time said to the boy
who was their former enemy?
How do acts of kindness shape relationships between countries?
If people value kindness,
why do wars still happen?