Sunday, November 04, 2012
Coming Ashore
Labels: New Britain, Post WWII history; Pacific theater
Monday, October 06, 2008
This Day in the History of Americans Being Convicted of Treason
On this day in 1949, Japanese-American, Iva Toguri D'Aquino (one of several women we called Tokyo Rose), was sentenced to 10-years in prison and fined $10,000 for treason. This one needs a little explanation. Iva Toguri was nisei, born in Los Angeles, graduated from UCLA with a BS in zoology, and was a Republican. She sailed to Japan in July, 1941, to help an ailing relative and look at Medical Schools; and was stranded there by the attack on Pearl Harbor and declarations of war in December. She refused to renounce her citizenship and was denied a ration card as punishment. Finally, in 1943, assured that she would not have to broadcast anti-American propaganda, she began to be a DJ under the name Ann. She knew all the American slang and the music the Americans in uniform liked. Most people thought she helped morale rather than hurt it. Although she was paid next to nothing, she used some of her wages to buy food for starving GIs to whom she smuggled the food. Still, with almost no evidence of her helping the Japanese, she was convicted. Friends of mine at Stanford were involved in the mid '70s in getting her a pardon and were successful in 1977, obtaining one from President Ford. Iva died in 2006.
Labels: Post WWII history; Pacific theater
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The High Water Mark of American Military Power
This is a photo of the flyover the Navy and Army Air Corp did after the surrender of Imperial Japan on the battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay. At that time we had about 13 million of our citizens in uniform (about 10% of the population) about 40 aircraft carriers of varying sizes, a nuclear arsenal (only 3 bombs-but a monopoly) and an impressive number of very good airplanes. We could have messed up any country, including the Soviet Union. We stood down instead, because we are a very good country.Labels: Post WWII history; Pacific theater
Saturday, January 19, 2008
This Day in the History of Forgiving Those Who Tresspass Against Us
On this day in 1977, President Ford pardoned Iva Toguri D'Aquino, one of several of the golden throated women who broadcast propaganda for the Japanese and who were each known as "Tokyo Rose".
Labels: Post WWII history; Pacific theater
Monday, November 12, 2007
This Day in the History of Military Justice
On this day in 1948, former Japanese premier Hideki Tojo and several other World War II Japanese leaders were sentenced to death by a war crimes tribunal. Tojo was found guilty of the following crimes:
1. Waging wars of aggression, and war or wars in violation of international law.
2. Waging unprovoked war against China.
3. Waging aggressive war against the United States.
4. Waging aggressive war against the British Commonwealth.
5. Waging aggressive war against the Netherlands (Indonesia).
6. Waging aggressive war against France (Indochina).
7. Ordering, authorizing, and permitting inhumane treatment of prisoners of war and others.
He was hanged in Sugamo Prison outside Tokyo on December 23, 1948. Tojo remains the only head of state to be executed for war crimes.
Shortly after the surrender, Tojo had a doctor mark with charcoal on his chest where his heart was and he shot just on the mark, but didn't die. There is a convincing historical argument that Tojo was merely doing what the Emperor directed but MacArthur chose to protect the Emperor. Tojo, many Japanese believe, was a scapegoat who did only what he had been ordered to do. Only following orders is no defense to war crimes, however, but I'm not sure the defense of duress has been fully explored.
1. Waging wars of aggression, and war or wars in violation of international law.
2. Waging unprovoked war against China.
3. Waging aggressive war against the United States.
4. Waging aggressive war against the British Commonwealth.
5. Waging aggressive war against the Netherlands (Indonesia).
6. Waging aggressive war against France (Indochina).
7. Ordering, authorizing, and permitting inhumane treatment of prisoners of war and others.
He was hanged in Sugamo Prison outside Tokyo on December 23, 1948. Tojo remains the only head of state to be executed for war crimes.
Shortly after the surrender, Tojo had a doctor mark with charcoal on his chest where his heart was and he shot just on the mark, but didn't die. There is a convincing historical argument that Tojo was merely doing what the Emperor directed but MacArthur chose to protect the Emperor. Tojo, many Japanese believe, was a scapegoat who did only what he had been ordered to do. Only following orders is no defense to war crimes, however, but I'm not sure the defense of duress has been fully explored.
Labels: Post WWII history; Pacific theater
Sunday, September 09, 2007
This Day in the History of Evil
On this day in 1948, the People's Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea) was created out of the former Japanese possession captured by Russian troops during their week long entry into the Pacific theater of WWII. The Great Leader, Kim Il-song, became one of only two autocratic leaders the country has known. At first, North Korea was Marxist-Leninist but now follows Juche (created by the Great Leader) which has come to mean 'on our own' but which really means 'doing without most things' like food or electricity. Within less than 2 years, on June 24, 1950, the North Koreans would start a war to conquer the South. We didn't let them but the war has never ended. The less than adequately grateful South Koreans live in a hit or miss democracy but with much greater freedom and a higher standard of living (as opposed to 2 million dying of starvation) due to our efforts. It is difficult to believe that North Korea will remain so poorly led through a third autocrat, but perhaps that's wishful thinking.
Labels: Post WWII history; Pacific theater
