Changes

==Alone in a Hostile Land==

==Alone in a Hostile Land==

As a foreign national, Iva was regarded as an enemy alien by the Japanese authorities, who instructed her to renounce her American citizenship and register as a Japanese citizen. She refused, requesting instead to be sent to an interment camp along with other foreign nationals. Her request was refused, because of her gender and also because she was of Japanese descent. Alone, frightened and unable to read and barely able to speak Japanese, she returned to live with her uncle.  

As a foreign national, Iva was regarded as an enemy alien by the Japanese authorities, who instructed her to renounce her American citizenship and register as a Japanese citizen. She refused, requesting instead to be sent to an interment camp along with other foreign nationals. Her request was refused, because of her gender and also because she was of Japanese descent. Alone, frightened, knowing little of Japanese culture, and unable to read and barely able to speak Japanese, she returned to live with her uncle.  

However, problems arose when she was overheard expressing happiness at the [[James Doolittle#The Doolittle Raid|Doolittle Raid]] and neighbours accused her uncle of harbouring an enemy spy. In order to protect them, she left their house, renting a small apartment. She gave piano lessons to pay the rent, as well as for Japanese lessons.

However, problems arose when she was overheard expressing happiness at the [[James Doolittle#The Doolittle Raid|Doolittle Raid]] and neighbours accused her uncle of harbouring an enemy spy. In order to protect them, she left their house, renting a small apartment. She gave piano lessons to pay the rent, as well as for Japanese lessons.

Following the Japanese surrender in September 1945, the search began for Japanese military leaders and others who may have committed war crimes. The military took the lead in this, with the press joining in the hunt, often following, but sometimes beating the military in tracking down the suspects.

Following the Japanese surrender in September 1945, the search began for Japanese military leaders and others who may have committed war crimes. The military took the lead in this, with the press joining in the hunt, often following, but sometimes beating the military in tracking down the suspects.

Two of these reporters, Henry Brundidge, from Cosmopolitan, and Clark Lee, from INS, set out to find “Tokyo Rose", unaware that no such person existed and the name was created by ''American'' troops. Still, their investigations - and the offer of $250 <ref>In post-War Japan, the $250 reward was equal to ¥3,750, or about three year’s income. Likewise, $2,000 was worth over ¥30,000 - a sizeable fortune back then</ref> for information leading to Tokyo Rose - eventually led them to Iva Ikuko Toguri d’Aquino. Iva's name was provided to them by Leslie Nakashima, a ''nisei'' working at Radio Tokyo and Clark Lee promptly released this information to the public at large.

Two of these reporters, Henry Brundidge, from Cosmopolitan, and Clark Lee, from INS, set out to find “Tokyo Rose", unaware that no such person existed and the name was created by ''American'' troops. The United States Office of War Information had even reported, after a brief investigation, that, "There is no Tokyo Rose; the name is strictly a GI invention. The name has been applied to at least two lilting Japanese voices on the Japanese radio…Government monitors listening 24 hours a day have never heard the words "Tokyo Rose" over a Japanese-controlled Far Eastern radio."<ref>World War II Chronicles; Quarterly Publication of the World War II Veterans Committee; Issue XXVII; Winter 2004-05; Pg 11</ref>

 

Undeterred, they continued to investigate - and the offer of $250 <ref>In post-War Japan, the $250 reward was equal to ¥3,750, or about three year’s income. Likewise, $2,000 was worth over ¥30,000 - a sizeable fortune back then</ref> for information leading to Tokyo Rose - eventually led them to Iva Ikuko Toguri d’Aquino. Iva's name was provided to them by Leslie Nakashima, a ''nisei'' working at Radio Tokyo and Clark Lee promptly released this information to the public at large.

Upon meeting Iva, Brundidge and Lee offered her $2,000, which they later reneged on paying, for exclusive rights to interview her. Iva agreed, and signed a contract that identified her as “the one and only ''Tokyo Rose''”.  

Upon meeting Iva, Brundidge and Lee offered her $2,000, which they later reneged on paying, for exclusive rights to interview her. Iva agreed, and signed a contract that identified her as “the one and only ''Tokyo Rose''”.  

However, the most damning evidence against her came from two former co-workers, Kenkichi Oki and George Mitsushio. Both were former ''nisei'', both of whom had given up their American citizenship. They worked on "Zero Hour" with Iva and the POWs, although Iva was never close to them, due to their renouncing of their citizenship. Both were bought in to testify, because a person can only be convicted of treason if there have been at least two witnesses to each overt act of treason. Their testimony was clearly well-prepared, almost identical in wording and devastating for the defence. Both claimed that during a broadcast following the [[Battle of Leyte Gulf]], she made reference to the loss of U.S. ships during the battle and had spoken the following words into the microphone: "Now you fellows really have lost all your ships. Now you really are orphans of the Pacific. How do you think you will ever get home?" Iva denied ever speaking  these words, or even writing them in her script, during her testimony and she appeared clearly shocked by their testimony. <ref>World War II Chronicles; Quarterly Publication of the World War II Veterans Committee; Issue XXVII; Winter 2004-05; Pg 15</ref>

However, the most damning evidence against her came from two former co-workers, Kenkichi Oki and George Mitsushio. Both were former ''nisei'', both of whom had given up their American citizenship. They worked on "Zero Hour" with Iva and the POWs, although Iva was never close to them, due to their renouncing of their citizenship. Both were bought in to testify, because a person can only be convicted of treason if there have been at least two witnesses to each overt act of treason. Their testimony was clearly well-prepared, almost identical in wording and devastating for the defence. Both claimed that during a broadcast following the [[Battle of Leyte Gulf]], she made reference to the loss of U.S. ships during the battle and had spoken the following words into the microphone: "Now you fellows really have lost all your ships. Now you really are orphans of the Pacific. How do you think you will ever get home?" Iva denied ever speaking  these words, or even writing them in her script, during her testimony and she appeared clearly shocked by their testimony. <ref>World War II Chronicles; Quarterly Publication of the World War II Veterans Committee; Issue XXVII; Winter 2004-05; Pg 15</ref>

The defence was bolstered, however, by the arrivals of Charles Cousens, who flew from Australia at his own expense, and Wallace Ince. Both delivered glowing testimony in her favour. In addition, Normando Reyes recanted his earlier testimony for the prosecution and claimed his statements had been coerced.  

The defense was bolstered, however, by the arrivals of Charles Cousens, who flew from Australia at his own expense, and Wallace Ince. Both delivered glowing testimony in her favour. In addition, Normando Reyes recanted his earlier testimony for the prosecution and claimed his statements had been coerced.  

Sent to consider their verdict, the jury remained hung, unable to unanimously declare Iva's guilt or innocence. The judge issued the jury with an "[[Allen charge|Allen Charge]]", informing them - in contravention of the guidelines of such a charge - that the trial had already cost the U.S. government over half a million dollars, before instructing them to resume deliberation and bring in a verdict.  

Sent to consider their verdict, the jury, led by foreman John Mann, remained hung, unable to unanimously declare Iva's guilt or innocence. The judge, Federal Judge Michael J. Roche, issued the jury with an "[[Allen charge|Allen Charge]]", informing them - in contravention of the guidelines of such a charge - that the trial had already cost the U.S. government over half a million dollars, before instructing them to resume deliberation and bring in a verdict. The full text of his charge read: "This is an important case. The trial has been long and expensive for both prosecution and defense. If you should fail to agree on a verdict, the case is left open and undecided. Like all cases, it must be disposed of sometime. There appears to be no reason to believe that another trial would not be equally long and expensive... nor does there appear to believe the case can be tried better or more exhaustively..."<ref>World War II Chronicles; Quarterly Publication of the World War II Veterans Committee; Issue XXVII; Winter 2004-05; Pg 15</ref>

In their final determination, the jury found Iva not guilty on seven of the eight counts, returning a guilty verdict on one count (Count VI), which read, "That on a day during October, 1944, the exact date being to the Grand Jurors unknown, said defendant, at Tokyo, Japan, in a broadcasting studio of The Broadcasting Corporation of Japan, did speak into a microphone concerning the loss of ships." This verdict was based on the testimony detailed above. This charge carried a minimum possible sentence of five years imprisonment and a $5,000 fine; the maximum penalty was death. Once again, going against the consensus, who were expecting the minimum penalty, the judge sentenced Iva to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, with Collins, her lawyer, describing the verdict as "Guilty without evidence". At the time, her conviction made her only the seventh U.S. citizen to be convicted of treason.

In their final determination, the jury found Iva not guilty on seven of the eight counts, returning a guilty verdict on one count (Count VI), which read, "That on a day during October, 1944, the exact date being to the Grand Jurors unknown, said defendant, at Tokyo, Japan, in a broadcasting studio of The Broadcasting Corporation of Japan, did speak into a microphone concerning the loss of ships." This verdict was based on the testimony detailed above. This charge carried a minimum possible sentence of five years imprisonment and a $5,000 fine; the maximum penalty was death. Once again, going against the consensus, who were expecting the minimum penalty, the judge sentenced Iva to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, with Collins, her lawyer, describing the verdict as "Guilty without evidence". At the time, her conviction made her only the seventh U.S. citizen to be convicted of treason.

Oki then burst into tears and said, "She never said those words. I can say that now. Iva never said anything like that. She never did anything wrong, she never uttered a treasonous word, not once. She wouldn’t even work on Sundays or American holidays."

Oki then burst into tears and said, "She never said those words. I can say that now. Iva never said anything like that. She never did anything wrong, she never uttered a treasonous word, not once. She wouldn’t even work on Sundays or American holidays."

Armed with this new information, "60 Minutes" went on to broadcast a segment highlighting the plight of Iva Toguri D'Aquino, and the movement to have Iva pardoned became public knowledge. A third application was successful and President Ford, as one of his last acts in office, signed the Presidential Pardon on 19 January 1977. At the same time, her U.S. citizenship was restored to her.

Based on what he had been told, Yates published a series of articles in the Tribune, which were picked up by the international media. Shortly after Yates' stories appeared, he received a telephone call from the White House, requesting additional information regarding Iva's case and the confessions of Oki and Mitsushio. In 1976, Iva's case became public information due to an interview on "60 minutes" between Iva and Morley Safer and the effort to have Iva pardoned gained momentum, led by Wayne Merrill Collins, the son of her former lawyer.  

 

The third application for a presidential pardon was successful and President Ford, as one of his last acts in office, signed the Presidential Pardon on 19 January 1977. At the same time, her U.S. citizenship was restored to her. To this day, she remains the only American citizen, convicted of treason to be pardoned. Ironically, if she had originally renounced her citizenship, not only would she not have been harassed by the Japanese, but she could not have been tried for treason, as she would not have been classed as a U.S. citizen.

Iva reluctantly divorced Felipe d’Aquino in 1980, having never seen each other since she was shipped back to the U.S. in 1948. Iva refused to leave the U.S. again, fearing that if she did, she would not be allowed back in. Felipe, meanwhile, was forbidden entry as he had been declared "an undesirable alien". Her family said she had never stopped loving him, and his death in November 1996 devastated her.

Iva reluctantly divorced Felipe d’Aquino in 1980, having never seen each other since she was shipped back to the U.S. in 1948. Iva refused to leave the U.S. again, fearing that if she did, she would not be allowed back in. Felipe, meanwhile, was forbidden entry as he had been declared "an undesirable alien". Her family said she had never stopped loving him, and his death in November 1996 devastated her.

Iva Ikuko Toguri D'Aquino passed away in Chicago on 26 September, 2006.

Iva Ikuko Toguri D'Aquino passed away in Chicago on 26 September, 2006.

It was Ron Yates, the man who helped Iva clear her name, who probably offered the best summation of Iva's life: "Her entire life was destroyed by a miscarriage of justice, and you couldn't be more American than she was."<ref>http://archive.japantoday.com/jp/quote/1860/all</ref>

 

However, it was Ron Yates, the man who helped Iva clear her name, who probably offered the best summation of Iva's life: "Her entire life was destroyed by a miscarriage of justice, and you couldn't be more American than she was."<ref>http://archive.japantoday.com/jp/quote/1860/all</ref>

==Also see==

==Also see==

* Russell Warren Howe; The Hunt For Tokyo Rose; Madison Books; 1990; ISBN 0-8191-7456-4  

* Russell Warren Howe; The Hunt For Tokyo Rose; Madison Books; 1990; ISBN 0-8191-7456-4  

* Stephan G. Christianson; The Tokyo Rose Trial: 1949; included in Great American Trials (ed.  Edward W. Knappman; Gale Research; 1994  

* Stephan G. Christianson; The Tokyo Rose Trial: 1949; included in Great American Trials (ed.  Edward W. Knappman; Gale Research; 1994  

* Yates, Ronald E; The Legend of Tokyo Rose; The News Gazette; 9 July 2006 (available at http://yates.ds.uiuc.edu/new/articles_books/tokyorose-2006_07_09.pdf)

* Yates, Ronald E; The Legend of Tokyo Rose; The News Gazette; 9 July 2006 (available at http://yates.ds.uiuc.edu/new/articles_books/tokyorose-2006_07_09.pdf)