Burnett Punctum Exercise 1 (Hegel) “Comedy is the form which reflection takes after it has assimilated the truths of Tragedy to itself” (White, p. 94) “It would seem that, for Hegel, the reason for writing history is to be sought in the transformations of consciousness which the attempt to do so effects in the minds of the historians themselves.” (White, 100) “Hegel thus fully credited the immediate perception of the historical field as a ‘panorama of sin and suffering.’ But he set his perception of this panorama within the means-ends question which he insisted in raised in the consciousness by moral reflection on it (‘to what principle, to what final aim these enormous sacrifices have been offered.’) ¶ In short, ‘sin and suffering’ must be viewed as the means for the realization of some principle that is superior to them.” (White, 107) I have been unable to ascertain the precise hour. But the “very long range” P-51 Mustangs of the 21 st Fighter Group stationed on Iwo Jima tended to take off for their escort missions early in the morning, rendezvous with the B-29s that had departed Guam or Tinian about two hours earlier, and then fly the circa-three-hours to the Japanese coast. Supposing a 5:30 am departure, it is reasonable to surmise, then, that Vincent A. Gaudiani was shot down over Tokyo sometime between nine and ten am on the 6 th of August, 1945. The incident occurred after the completion of the escort mission, when the fighters were expected to strafe ground targets (airstrips, factories, railways) before returning — lightened of both fuel and munitions — to the airstrip at Iwo. Anti- aircraft fire was the primary threat to the Mustangs in this late phase of the conflict. Skilled Japanese pilots were scarce by August of 1945, and the Japanese command was conserving its remaining aviation abilities for defense against a full allied invasion, already understood as likely immanent. In the course of a strafing raid on the Kashiwa Airfield, north of Tokyo proper, Gaudiani’s engine received a piercing shot and began losing coolant. Recognizing that the engine would overheat within minutes, Gaudiani made a (soft) crash-landing, bellying the plane into wet agricultural land east of the Tobu-Noda railway line. Here is the report filed by Lieutenant John Combs, flying in Gaudiani’s wing, who witnessed the incident:
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BurnettPunctumExercise1
(Hegel)
“ComedyistheformwhichreflectiontakesafterithasassimilatedthetruthsofTragedytoitself”(White,p.94)“Itwouldseemthat,forHegel,thereasonforwritinghistoryistobesoughtinthetransformationsofconsciousnesswhichtheattempttodosoeffectsinthemindsofthehistoriansthemselves.”(White,100)“Hegelthusfullycreditedtheimmediateperceptionofthehistoricalfieldasa‘panoramaofsinandsuffering.’Buthesethisperceptionofthispanoramawithinthemeans-endsquestionwhichheinsistedinraisedintheconsciousnessbymoralreflectiononit(‘towhatprinciple,towhatfinalaimtheseenormoussacrificeshavebeenoffered.’)¶Inshort,‘sinandsuffering’mustbeviewedasthemeansfortherealizationofsomeprinciplethatissuperiortothem.”(White,107)
Ihavebeenunabletoascertaintheprecisehour.Butthe“verylongrange”P-51Mustangsofthe21stFighterGroupstationedonIwoJimatendedtotakeofffortheirescortmissionsearlyinthemorning,rendezvouswiththeB-29sthathaddepartedGuamorTinianabouttwohoursearlier,andthenflythecirca-three-hourstotheJapanesecoast.Supposinga5:30amdeparture,itisreasonabletosurmise,then,thatVincentA.GaudianiwasshotdownoverTokyosometimebetweennineandtenamonthe6thofAugust,1945.Theincidentoccurredafterthecompletionoftheescortmission,whenthefighterswereexpectedtostrafegroundtargets(airstrips,factories,railways)beforereturning—lightenedofbothfuelandmunitions—totheairstripatIwo.Anti-aircraftfirewastheprimarythreattotheMustangsinthislatephaseoftheconflict.SkilledJapanesepilotswerescarcebyAugustof1945,andtheJapanesecommandwasconservingitsremainingaviationabilitiesfordefenseagainstafullalliedinvasion,alreadyunderstoodaslikelyimmanent.InthecourseofastrafingraidontheKashiwaAirfield,northofTokyoproper,Gaudiani’senginereceivedapiercingshotandbeganlosingcoolant.Recognizingthattheenginewouldoverheatwithinminutes,Gaudianimadea(soft)crash-landing,bellyingtheplaneintowetagriculturallandeastoftheTobu-Nodarailwayline.HereisthereportfiledbyLieutenantJohnCombs,flyinginGaudiani’swing,whowitnessedtheincident:
Gaudianisurvivedthelanding.Takenprisoner,hewastransferredtotheOmoriprisoncamp,isolatedonanartificialislandinTokyoharbor,notfarfromthelocationofthemodernShinagawaAquarium.AphotoofhiswreckappearedinaJapanesepaperafewdayslater:
Ifmyreconstructionofthetimingiscorrect,VincentGaudianifellfromtheskyandlandedonJapanatmoreorlesstheverysamemomentthattheEnolaGaydroppedanuclearbomb(called“LittleBoy”)ontheJapanesecityofHiroshima,killingsome80,000peoplemoreorlessinstantly(withperhapsanother150,000sentencedatthatmomenttoslowdeathoverthenextseveralyearsfromradiationsicknessandothersecondarycauses).1Iwishtomove,inmyseriesof“PunctumExercises”forourclass,fromthistemporalconjunction.Mysubject,then,isthedate/moment/hour“6August1945,9:15am”(Tokyotime).Itherebyintendtotrytoworkaconjunctionthatissimultaneouslygrotesque(bothonaccountofthedisjunctionofscale,andtheabsolutemagnitudeoftheHiroshimahorror),anddifficultformewhollytodisregard(inthatVincentA.Gaudianiwasmymaternalgrandfather).Afewbasicthings:Ineverdiscussedanyofthemattersatissueherewithmygrandfatherhimself,whosurvivedthewar,butwasanexceedinglydifficult(andinmanywaysadangerous)person—hebrookedabsolutelynomentionofhistraumaticcaptureandimprisonment.Ofwhatoccurred,mymotherandhersiblingsappeartoknowverylittle,andwhenIfinally(attheageof48)directlyaskedmy
1Thebombwasdroppedat8:15amHiroshimatime,whichwasonehourearlierthanTokyotime.
grandmotherafewbasicquestions,shesaidthatsheandherhusbandhadbasicallyneverdiscussedtheepisode.“Icouldseethathedidnotwanttodiscussit,”sheexplainedtome,“andIdidnotwanttomakehimfeelhewasdisappointingmebynottellingmethingsIwantedtoknow,soIjustletitbe—Iwasjustsogratefultohavehimhome.”Icannotknowifthisisabsolutelytrue.Butitverydefinitelyhastheairoftruthonherlips.Therearefamilyrumorsthatheawakenedinthenightinnightmarefitsacrosshislife—butIalsodonotknowifthisistrue.Idoknowthathewasviolent(andmoregenerallyimperiling)indifferentwaystothosearoundhim(hiswife,hischildren);thoughofthesedistressingthings,too,Ihaveonlyfragmentaryknowledge—knowledgescrimmedbyvariousfamilialdelicaciesandprotectiveconcerns.ButwhatmightHegelhavetosayaboutallofthis?Atthemostbasiclevel,Hegelputstousamonstrouschallengeasfarashistoryingeneralisconcerned—achallengewhoseharrowingdemandsaresharpened,Ithink,bythespecificityofmypunctum.WhitelaysitoutforusclearlyinthethirdofthequotesfromwhichIdepartedabove:myaim,inaddressingmyhistoricalpunctuminaHegelianmodality,willbetodiscern(oratleaststrivetowarddiscerning)someformofratio(intheLatinsense)initscontours/occasion—somehighermanifestationofspirit/reason/planintheswirlingheapofsqualor,banality,andhorror(individualandcorporate;physicalandpsychic)ofthehumanpast.Icannot,frankly,quiteimaginehowtogoaboutthis.Itwouldrequire,itwouldseem,awillingnesstoplacesomeformtranscending“meaning”abovethesufferingandhumanspecificity(abovethecontingencyandquirk,abovetheanguishandterror)ofmypunctum-moment—andalltheothermomentsthatcanbeconceived.Somethingverydeepinmerecoilsatthischarge.Whatisitthatflinches?Atfirstblush,IthinkIflinchbecauseIaminclinedtoprivilegetheindividualhuman,andindividualhumanexperience,overall.Totraducethosespecificandpersonalperspectives(ofthe“sinandsufferning”),inthenameof“someprinciplethatissuperiortothem”isanathematomyunderstandingofthehistoricalvocation,andtomyhumanisticcommitmentsmoregenerally.Thatsaid,IcansortofimaginethekindofthingperhapsHegelwouldhavehadinmind?Let’ssee…
• SomephaseinthemovementoftheWorldSpiritfromEasttoWest?AsAmericadefeatsJapaninthewar,butthenmygrandfathergoestoworkforatrademarkcompany(RCA)thatiseventuallyownedbyaJapanesecompany(Sony).
• Somedialecticalpivotinthenatureofwarfare,evincedandepitomizedbymygrandfather’sgettingshotdownatthemomentofthebirthofthenuclearage?Afterall,mygrandfatherwasafenceratWestPoint,andthistraditionlinkshispilotingthe“Mustang”directlytothelonglinageofchivalry,ofwarcraftasamatterofmountedmenmakingcharges—fighterplanescanbeunderstoodascavalryinitsfinaltechno-elaboration,andtheexplosionofanuclearbombmightbeunderstoodlegiblytomarktheendofthelongeraofwarassomekindofknightlycombat.
• SomeProvidentialism?Mygrandmother,whenItoldherIhaddiscovered
thatVincent’splane(#308)wasknownasthe“MaryOne,”immediatelywonderedifthiscouldhavebeenaninvocationoftheVirgin.Ithinkitisunlikely.Butitisnotimpossible,Isuppose.Therecanbelittledoubtthatmygrandmother,backinNewYorkwithmy8-montholdmother,wasprayingveryhardtoMarythatherhusbandwouldreturn.Andshe(andmymother)cannothelpbutfeelthat,hadthebombnotbeendropped,hewouldlikelyhavediedatOmori…
Iamnotabletoenteranyoftheseformsofthoughtaboutmypunctum.Doyouhearme?Icannotthinkintheseways.Notwithmyactualthinkingperson.ButtheworkoffeelingmywaytowardthemcertainlygivesmeasenseofthedirectioninwhichHegel’shistoricalthinkinglies—andofthegreatdistancethatseemstoseparateus.
PunctumExercise2(Burckhardt)
“[Burckhardt]apprehendedtheworldofhistoricalobjectsasaliteral‘satura,’stewormedley,fragmentsofobjectsdetachedfromtheiroriginalcontextsorwhosecontextsareunknowable…”(White,p.251)“TheplotstructureofthisstorywasIronic,thatistosay,the‘pointofitall’wasthattherewasno‘point’towardwhichthingsingeneraltend,noepiphaniesofthelaw,noultimatereconciliations,notranscendence.”(White,251)“Iknowtoomuchabouthistorytoexpectanythingfromthedespotismofthemassesbutafuturetyranny,whichwillmeantheendofhistory.”(Burckhardt,citedinWhite,235)
NOTABENE:Whatfollowsismybestefforttodoakindofpasticheor“impersonation”oftheBurckhardtianhistoricalvoiceormood(asweencountereditinthepassageswereadfromCivilizationoftheRenaissanceandtheHaydenWhiteanalysis)asIimagineitmightlookconfrontingmypunctum.IshouldsaythatIamnotveryhappywithhowthisturnedout.Bothinthesenseof“Idonotlikewritinghistorythisway,”and“IamnotsureIdidanespeciallygoodjobbootleggingBurckhardt.”Themoodofaristocraticpessimismthatonediscernsinhiswritingisalientome,andwhatitdoestoone’ssubjectmatterIfindbasicallyappalling.Ialso,asawriter,tendtowardfiguralelaborations,andIhaddifficulty(despitemybestefforts)suppressingthattendencyhere—evenasIwasmindfulthatHaydenWhiteisquitecorrecttoidentifytheanti-metaphoricaltenorofBurckhardt’sprose(andthepreponderanceofsimplesentencesbuiltaroundverbsofbeing).Aswillbeclear,Itriedtogetatmypunctumviaapre-modern“frame,”sinceIthoughtthisletmeworkinakeyclosertoBurckhardt’s.Itproduces,however,acertainloopingweirdnessintheexercise—togetherwithasortofelisionofhistoricalspecificitythat,inourcurrenthistoricalmode,clearlytriggersconcernsaboutOrientalist“othering.”Iwanttounderlineseveraltimesthatthisisastylisticexercise.Notmedoinghistory…-DGBItmaybesaidofthemartialvirtuesthattheydiestanding.Andthismaybethebestthatcanbesaidofthem.InternalpoliticsintheKamakuraShogunate,droveMinamotonoYoshitsune(1159-1189)intoanitinerancyofexilicmisalliances,despitetheyouthfuléclatofhisserviceintheGenpeiWar.Hispoeticspiritservedhimnobetterthanhisswordsmanship,andattheageofthirty-one,hebenttothetaskofritualself-slaughterintheinnersalonoftheTakadachiCastle,Koromogawa—therebymakingofhimselfasmallgifttobushido,thehighernihilismofthewarriorclass.ButitwasoutsidethemaingateofTakadachithatworkwasbeingdonethatwouldkeeptheannalistsofmedievalJapanbusyforhalfamillennium.AsYoshitsune’s
bellybloodflowedbylamplightintheshrineofFujiwaranoHidehira,themorecharismaticworkofspanglingfatalismwashappeningonthebridgeoutside,whereYoshitsune’swarmongeringvassalmonk,Benkei,hadstationedhimselftofendoffsomethreehundredretainersofFujiwaranoYasuhira(manymounted),inordertopermithissamuraimasterYoshitusunethequietnecessarytokillhiswholefamily—andhimself.Benkei’slaststandconsisted,inessence,ofpresentingsomenacingafigureastostayanyfrontalassaultuponthebridgewhatsoever.Nevertheless,ahailofwell-placedarrowssoondispatchedhimwherehestood.Andstandingheremained.Hisuncannycommitmenttotheworkofwarpreventedhim,evenindeath,fromfallingtotheground,whichsignificantlydelayedthefinalonslaughtbyYasuhira’smen,whoremaineddurablyfearfulthattheirnemesisstilllived,despitehavingbecomeaSaint-Sebastianfortheirtargetpractice.Intreatingtheeventsof6August1945,wedowelltorecallBenkei’sstandingdeath,andthecountlessentr’actesofstiffenedsubmissiontodutifuldemisecelebratedintheLandsoftheRisingSunbetween1189andthefireballatHiroshima.There,ofcourse,manydiedstanding,andtheintenseflashoflightandheatproduced,hereandthere,strikingtableaux:theshadows,onbitsofmasonrythatsurvivedtheblast,offiguresinstantlyincineratedwheretheystood,butwhosefinalmomentcastaspectralsilhouetteandtheirbodyabsorbedamarginalincrementofthefatalbrightness.HeretheModernAgemeetsthedaughterofButades.VincentGaudianiwouldnotdiestanding.Orsittingeither,forthatmatter—sincehewaspromptlyhauledfromhisbelliedcraftbyaknotofhostilefarmers.FamilyloreamongtheGaudianishasitthathewas“rescued”byapatrolofJapanesemilitarypolice,whichisplausibleenough.Thoughhehadlittlereasontofeelreassuredwithinthebondsofformalcustody.HereisanaccountoftheexecutionofoneofseventeenUSpilotskilledninedayslateratFukuoka,southofHiroshima:2
2TimothyLangFrancis,““ToDisposeofthePrisoners”:TheJapaneseExecutionsofAmericanAircrewatFukuoka,Japan,during1945,”PacificHistoricalReview66,no.4(1997):469-501.
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