I love reading about interesting stories, about Americans. Actually I enjoy interesting stories about people in general. From now on every now, and then I will be sharing some of the stuff I read. Who knows? Maybe somebody out there will enjoy it.
A few months back I was listening to George Takei, (yes the gay guy who played Sulu on Star Trek) on the Adam Carolla Podcast, and he brought up the story of Tokyo Rose. Though I was very interested at the time, I forgot the specifics of the story, but just remembered it being very interesting. I don’t want to write a long explanation of it, because I don’t think I can really do the story justice. Tokyo Rose, real name Iva Ikuko Toguri, was an American women, of Japanese decent who became stuck in Japan after Pearl Harbor. After refusing to renounce her United States Citizenship, she was denied a war ration card. She was forced to broadcast propaganda. She made very little money for this, but still used, some to smuggle food to American POW’s. After Japan’s surrender, Iva Ikuko Toguri was offered $2000.00 to do an interview, as Tokyo Rose, with reporters Harry T. Brundidge, and Clark Lee. Still wishing to return to America, but lacking the money to do so, she did the interview hoping to get home. Instead she was arrested, on over 8 acts of treason. She spent a year in jail, but was released when no evidence of her committing treason was found. Eventually the reporters that, interviewed her and supposedly got the signed confession, were investigated for witness tampering. I think this is a story of a women, who should be considered a true American heroine, but was falsely accused, and wrongfully imprisoned, because of some overzealous reporters, and her wanting to go home. Here are a couple links to much better explanations. I think they are worth the read. Keep in mind the type of feel America had at the time. Japanese American citizens were force into internment camps, and we were at war, which I think tends to make people overly paranoid, and quick to judge.
The Permanently Undecided 