Whenurhappy:
There is a bit of a pattern being set here
What pattern might that be then, other than this man and yours were both Chiefs of their respective Air Forces, or is that it? In which case 'Dur' I believe is the appropriate colloquialism.
The subject of this thread reflects the state of denial of Japan as a whole of its past, despite begrudging government statements to the contrary. His position that Japan was not an aggressor, and a brutal inhumane one at that, is as bogus as the Nazi government blaming Poland for the incident that plunged us into WW2. Germany faced up to its historic role, Japan has not. It was right to sack him, though foreign outrage at his infamous prize winning essay would have escalated if he hadn't been, and I suspect that was the clincher rather than any domestic protest which would have been politely minimal.