Ben Kuroki passes
From the New York Times comes the sad news that Ben Kuroki, the only aircrew member of Japanese descent to fly in his bomber over Japan during the Second World War has passed at the tender age of 98. According to the story, when the Nebraskan first tried to enlist for the war, he was rejected by the recruiter, so Kuroki went shopping for a recruiter who would sign him up.
He flew missions over Europe for most of the war, Kuroki’s plane went down once in Morrocco and him and his fellow crew members were captured, but they escaped and returned to the business of war.
[T]here were only a few Japanese-Americans who somehow slipped through the Army Air Forces’ enlistment ban and served in combat crews. And Sergeant Kuroki’s commanders had rejected his request to fly in raids over Japan, evidently reflecting a fear concerning the fate that would befall a Japanese-American, and any family members in Japan, if captured.
But War Secretary Henry L. Stimson, citing Sergeant Kuroki’s “splendid record” in air combat, made an exception for him at the behest of a Nebraska congressman.
“I have the face of a Japanese but my heart is American,” Sergeant Kuroki was quoted as saying by The Omaha World-Herald when he learned of the decision.
He became a gunner in the 505th Bombardment Group, flying in B-29s based on the island of Tinian, and participated in 28 raids over Japan, including the firebombing of Tokyo in March 1945. His fellow crew members honored him by naming their bomber “The Honorable Sad Saki.”
According to the Times, when he was in the States, during the war, he would tour the internment camps and speak to the detainees about service and patriotism, you know despite where they found themselves.
Kuroki earned three Distinguished Fly Crosses, the Distinguished Service Medal and six Air Medals.
Category: Blue Skies
Ben Kuroki had four major fights between December 7, 1941 and his discharge date. The first was to enlist at all. The second was to get into a bomber. The third and fourth were to do combat with the Germans and, later, the Japanese. His is a remarkable story of perseverance and pugnacity that is characteristically American. Helluva man. Helluva soldier. He had many options open to him, including joining his fellow American citizens of Japanese ancestry in a camp. He could have railed against the institutional and popular prejudice and learned to hate his country for waging a bloodless war against Japanese Americans. Whether he had to fight off those understandable inclinations I do not know. Clearly, he could not have been oblivious to them. He chose none of those easier roads. He took the tough ones. He was, as his fellow soldiers called him, a Most Honorable Son.
Some people ask “where do we get such men?” I’m guessing Sgt Kuroki would say “from America.”
Thank you, Soldier.
What a stud.
RIP
That is all.
this is total Awsomness ! ! !
REST WELL
Damn it!!!! Why aren’t we learning about these men until after they pass away? This is what’s wrong with America today. So many men of all races who fought for a better future are dieing daily without their stories being told. My grandfather flew on B-29s. I took my kids to the beaches of Normandy. Army brats. In college now. They understand sacrifice for something bigger and they are disgusted with their so-called peers.
Got bless Sgt Kuroki.
One hardcore badass.
Absolutely a dedicated AMERICAN AIRMAN. Visiting those who had to suffer in camps was awesome ? Adding him to my HERO LIST.
Time to buy another journal and it’s my third. So many….
The fear of what the japs would do to SGT Kuroki was legit. SGT Frank Fujita of the 131st Field artillery experienced it after his unit was forced to surrender in Java. More than once the only thing that saved him from being beaten to death was his fellow prisoners (mostly white Texans, by the way, as the 131st was a Texas National Guard unit) dogpiling on top of him to shield him from the guards. One account I read mentioned an Australian POW meeting SGT Fujita and wanting to know what a jap was doing among the prisoners. One of Fujita’s Soldiers allegedly replied, “Sarge ain’t a jap. He’s a Texan.”
SGT Kuroki had the balls of a hundred men to volunteer for duty in B-29s, as he likely had a pretty good idea of what fate awaited him if he ever had to bail out. These men were American heroes in every possible way.
As General Patton said, “It is foolish and wrong to mourn these men who died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived!”