Posted on: Thursday, March 15, 2001

Apology tempers painful testimony

By Mike Gordon and Susan Roth
Advertiser Staff Writers

On a day that promised emotional testimony, the words that lingered most were the words of apology.

Onishi already had spent an hour and 19 minutes on the witness stand telling a rapt and packed courtroom every detail he could recall of the day the USS Greeneville surfaced beneath his ship, the Ehime Maru.

He spoke of a terrible noise and shudder created by the collision. Of the water rising swiftly. Of the faces of the frightened shipmates still aboard as the Ehime Maru began to sink. Nine people, including four 17-year-old boys, drowned in the accident.

During the entire testimony, Onishi never once looked at Waddle, who silently studied the fishing captain from no more than 15 feet away. When he bridged the gulf between them later, a member of the Japanese consulate took notes, releasing the text later.

"I apologize," Waddle is reported to have said, "for causing so much sadness and suffering. I am very aware your crew did everything in their power to try and save the students on board."

According to the consulate, Onishi offered only a brief response: "I completely understand your feelings."

When the court resumed for the rest of its morning session, Waddle discussed the private moment.

"It was an opportunity for me to meet with the captain and express my apology," he said. "It went very well."

Onishi's appearance was greatly anticipated in Japan, where emotions about the collision still run high after nearly five weeks.

The only member of the crew expected to testify, Onishi was called to the witness stand at 8:01 a.m. and bowed as he entered. Six family members sat in the court.

"Thank you for returning to Ho-nolulu," said Vice Adm. John Nathman, president of the court. "The court recognizes this may be difficult, but the court feels your testimony will be important to understanding the collision."

And so it began, detail after painful detail.

The Ehime Maru had left Ho-nolulu harbor about noon and was on its way to do more fishing training for the students aboard, cruising south at 11 knots. Onishi said he was on the bridge of the ship nine miles south of Diamond Head when the collision occurred. Even now, he still isn't sure what time it was - 1:30 p.m., maybe 1:40 p.m.

"The first impact was as if the stern of the ship was being tossed or lifted up," said Onishi, speaking through an interpreter and reading from notes. "After that, a terrible metal hitting sound occurred, and then there were two banging sounds."

He believed the impact came from the bottom of the boat, but just afterward he spotted the Greeneville in the water off the Ehime Maru's left side. The instrument displays shut off, and he realized "there was a very abnormal water level," so he tried to gather his crew on the ship's bridge for emergency procedures.

Members of the crew and students were already there, he said, but as he attempted to follow, the waves were already lapping at his heels.

There was panic and yelling among the students and crew.

"They were clinging on to handrails and structural things on the ship," Onishi said. "Immediately the water reached the back of the bridge and a number of people were thrown into the sea."

Then a wave washed Onishi overboard and away from the Ehime Maru.

"I took a glance at the Ehime Maru," he said. "I was able to observe a number of crew members and trainees on the deck."

Ten life rafts floated free of the ship, and people had scrambled into them, Onishi said.

"I was hoping to find somebody clinging to them," he said. "We yelled and searched, but I was unable to find anybody."

The Ehime Maru was gone in five minutes, he said.

Onishi told the court that he understood explanations about why the Greeneville did not put divers in the water to rescue his crew, a point that has also angered the Japanese.

But the 58-year-old captain offered no opinion, either way, about whether he agreed with the explanation.

The Navy has said that the submarine was too big and the seas too rough to safely board the victims.

Kazuo Nakata, the father of teacher Jyun Nakata who was lost at sea, said he was too confused and upset after Onishi's testimony to speak at length with reporters.

"I want to say more to the media, but I can't say anything now," Nakata said.

But he did say that he and his wife, Mikie, had the same reaction when Onishi testified about the events of Feb. 9, when the skipper realized his crew was lost and Jyun was among them.

They both started crying.

Hisao Onishi described the collision with the USS Greeneville yesterday. Associated Press

They were spoken in a waiting room yesterday and not beofre a Navy court of inquiry, but captain to captian, man to man.

With the court in recess and the press locked out, Cmdr. Scott Waddle approached Hisao Onishi and said he was sorry his submarine sank Onishi's fishing vessel during an emergency surfacing drill off O'ahu last month.

Hisao Onishi described the collision with the USS Greeneville yesterday.

They were the words spoken ina waiting room yesterday and not before a Navy court of inquiry, but captain to captain, man to man.

With the court in recess and the press locked out, Cmdr. Scott Waddle approached Hisao Onishi and said he was sorry his submarine sank Onishi's fishing vessel during an emergency surfacing drill off O'ahu last month.

Hisao Onishi described the collision with the USS Greeneville.

They were spoken in a waiting room yesterday and not before a Navy court of inquiry, but captain to captain, man to man.

With the court in recess and the press locked out, Cmdr. Scott Waddle approached Hisao Onishi and said he was sorry his submarine sank Onishi's fishing vessel during an emergency surfacing drill off O'ahu last month.