The story of Iva Toguri is a sad chapter in American history, but with a bitter-sweet ending. When I was child, the name of Tokyo Rose was met with loathing and disgust. Even today many people do not know the truth about this patriot.
Iva was born to Japanese immigrants in Los Angeles on the 4th of July, 1916. Her parents wanted her to be a proud American and did not speak any language but English in their home. Iva attended UCLA hoping to become a physician, but when she learned her aunt in Japan was ill she left to help her. Iva did not know the Japanese language nor customs and felt like a stranger in her parents' homeland.
Soon the attack on Pearl Harbor took Americans into war, and eventually many Japanese were placed into internment camps throughout the United States, including Iva's parents.
Iva was unable to return to the United States, her home, because of the restrictions. Soon she found herself being harassed by the Japanese secret police and was forced to renounce her U.S. Citizenship. In 1942, with Iva's aunt too sick to help, Iva found work at a Japanese radio station which was producing a propaganda show called 'The Zero Hour.'
There is confusion as to the involvement of the U.S. intelligence service in obtaining this position for Iva, and her reluctance to follow their orders to propagandize while secretly sending messages to the America troops.
Her feminine American voice would be used to demean and demoralize American soldiers and sailors, or so the Japanese would be led to believe. She felt she was doing a patriotic duty while being unaware that on ships and stations, and eventually worldwide, she would become known as Tokyo Rose.
With a humorous voice, she often tried to give the soldiers information on Japanese military movements, but without the knowledge of the non-English speaking Japanese listeners. It only worked part of the time though, while many soldiers declared her a traitor. The people back home in her beloved America did not know that Iva was secretly taking food and supplies to the American prisoners of war. And Iva, unfortunately, did not know that Tokyo Rose was very much a hated woman.
After the war, Iva returned to Los Angeles as a prisoner, and discovered why she had such a difficult time communicating with her parents. They had been interned throughout the war without being able to let Iva know anything about their whereabouts. Iva had been put on trial for treason and imprisoned for over a year. Some from the intelligence community defended her actions but it was not enough to keep her from prison. However, she was finally released due to lack of evidence against her.
Iva was well known in her community and many were unconvinced of her patriotism. She found her parents living in Chicago and remained there with them. But she bore the insults and harassments for much of her life after prison.
In May of 1976, a group of U.S. veterans petitioned Senator Hatfield to give Iva Tuguri (known as Tokyo Rose) a full pardon. On July 4, 1976, Iva's birthday, she received a full presidential pardon.
Iva died in 2006 as an "undisputed American citizen." Some of her broadcasts are available via you-tube and other channels under the nickname of Tokyo Rose.
