The Secret Role of Japanese Americans Who Fought in the WW2 Pacific Theatre

Several thousand Japanese Americans were trained by the US Military Intelligence Service and sent to the Pacific to serve as interpreters, translators, and interrogators, even as their own families were being held in internment camps in America. Why haven’t we heard about their story? Today’s guest is Bruce Henderson, author of “Bridge to the Sun.” He follows six of these soldiers, who were among the first Japanese Americans to serve in combat after Pearl Harbor, as they fight two wars simultaneously: one, overseas against their ancestral homeland, the other, against prejudice back home in America. Exploring several first-person accounts including personal interviews, oral histories, diaries, and previously classified records, we look at the courage, heroism, and patriotism of these troops. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.