here he was , having reached a ripe old age by the merest of chances , sound of body and mind , with a loving and beloved wife , three children , and five grandchildren to carry on his seed , and he 'd witnessed and played a part in the murder of the airmen whom , surrendering , he 'd seen blown to bits , and in the death of the kamikaze pilot who , trying to kill him , had been obliterated by a five-inch shell .