Winter Lyceum: “Kaiten: Japan’s WWII Human Torpedo That Stunned the U.S. Navy”

Mike Mair Presents “Kaiten: Japan’s WWII Human Torpedo That Stunned the U.S. Navy”

WWII ended 50 years earlier when a stunning discovery in 1995 led to a 25-year journey for Mike Mair of Platteville. John Mair, a U.S. Navy veteran, had never revealed to Mike and his siblings the horrific sinking of his ship USS Mississinewa (AO-59) on November 20, 1944. Mike interviewed nearly 300 U.S. and Japanese veterans, reviewed naval records, made scuba dives on Mississinewa while writing the book “Kaiten.” Mike gave a historic speech in Japan in 2019. Learn how the story will continue with global connections and a worldwide film in the making.

A businessman and historian, Michael Mair is the son of a USS Mississinewa survivor. He began research for this book in 1995, including extensive interviews with other survivors, former IJN officers, and naval personnel stationed in the Pacific at the crucial time in 1944. He has appeared on various History Channel programs, served as a consultant for the Canadian television program Sea Hunters, and contributed to Naval History magazine. He lives in Platteville, Wisconsin.