US Navy Captain Ordered a Military Funeral for Kamikaze Pilot During World War II—Here’s Why
In an extraordinary act of humanity amidst the brutality of World War II, a US Navy captain made the unprecedented decision to hold a military funeral for a fallen kamikaze pilot who had attacked his ship. The moment occurred in 1945, near the war’s end, when a Japanese kamikaze pilot crashed his plane into the USS New Mexico, killing several American sailors. Despite the loss, the US Navy captain overseeing the vessel chose to honor the enemy pilot with a full military funeral at sea.
This gesture shocked many at the time. The US Navy captain, identified as Captain Dwight Dexter, believed that even in war, respect for courage and sacrifice must transcend national boundaries. He reportedly told his crew: “He was doing his duty, just as our boys are. We fight with honor. We bury with honor.”
The military funeral was carried out with full rites—his body wrapped in a Japanese flag, a moment of silence held, and then committed to the sea. The action by the US Navy captain didn’t go unnoticed—it has since been cited in military ethics courses and highlighted in discussions about the moral complexity of World War II. For many, it remains a striking example of compassion amid chaos.