Flowers for ‘Tokyo Rose’
Japanese-American accused of being Tokyo Rose dead at 90
ChicagoTribune.com /AP, September 27, 2006, 12:10 AM CDT
CHICAGO — Iva Toguri D’Aquino, who was once accused of being World War II broadcaster Tokyo Rose, died Tuesday in Chicago at age 90….Tokyo Rose was the name given to a female radio broadcaster responsible for anti-American transmissions intended to demoralize soldiers fighting in the Pacific theater during World War II….in 1945, she was arrested in Yokohama and accused of treason. She served six years in prison following her conviction in San Francisco…doubts about her possible role as Tokyo Rose later surfaced and in 1977 she was pardoned by President Gerald Ford...more…
Many times on the Chicago Northside I have met her. She was a fine old lady and till the late 1980s she often generously handled Japanese language questions and students at her shop at Clark and Belmont which only few steps away from my house. She got a bad rap since there were several Tokyo Roses (maybe as many as 20) and she didn’t have much of a choice.
More info at straightdope.com
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September 28th, 2006 at 6:05 am
that news story is shameful, totally utterly shameful. tokyo rose never broadcast “anti-american” messages– she was an american citizen forced to do propaganda work, and in fact she gave uplifting messages to american POW’s that her minders weren’t privy too.
i’ve seen testimony from american soldiers that have affirmed this.
that chicago tribune article is ignorant, insulting, and a dishonor to her memory.
September 28th, 2006 at 1:37 pm
Hey, you’re preaching to the choir. It would be cool if you sent this Chicago Tribune Letters to the Editor!
Chicago Tribune news : Voice of the People
Letters: Send e-mail or fax to 312-222-2598 or write to Voice of the People, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611