Today we celebrate the idea that is the United States of America – democratic, free and one would hope, fair. It is also an annual reminder of our fundamental values and patriotic spirit, an emotion which when taken to thoughtless extremes can leave in its wake hapless and helpless victims. When the nation’s stewardship is in the hands of a scoundrelly government such as the Bush administration, it is especially critical to know the distinction between wishing your country well and cynical and exploitative jingoism. On this day when the US flag will be flying everywhere, let’s also not forget that burning the flag as an expression of dissent against a corrupt government’s misdeeds is actually more in line with our democratic values than wrapping ourselves in it as a way of denying others their due rights and freedoms. A happy Fourth of July to all.
"They branded her Tokyo Rose, but Iva Toguri was no traitor. However, when she turns 90 today — the Fourth of July — that will give her little comfort. Because to many Americans, Toguri was Tokyo Rose — the sultry siren whose broadcasts demoralized GIs fighting in the Pacific during World War II.
Never mind that President Gerald Ford pardoned Toguri after her treason trial was revealed to be a sham. The shame and stigma still dog Toguri’s steps. So she will mark her birthday quietly and far from prying eyes.
"Her entire life was destroyed by a miscarriage of justice, and you couldn’t be more American than she was," said Ron Yates, a former Chicago Tribune reporter whose stories about Toguri’s rigged trial helped win her the pardon. Toguri, who declined to be interviewed, lives in Chicago. Born Ikuko Toguri in Los Angeles to Japanese immigrant parents, Toguri was a Girl Scout, a Methodist, a Republican.
Months before Pearl Harbor, Toguri traveled to Japan to visit a sick aunt. When the war broke out, she was stranded. Toguri resisted Japanese pressure to renounce her U.S. citizenship. But desperate for money, she worked on a propaganda radio show manned by Allied prisoners. Toguri did comedy skits and introduced newscasts. And she used some of her earnings to feed starving POWs and help support Felipe D’Aquino, her husband, a Portuguese national of Japanese descent.
After Japan surrendered, two reporters offered a $250 reward for the identity of Tokyo Rose — the name given by U.S. forces to several different English-speaking female broadcasters of Japanese propaganda. Toguri was arrested and jailed for a year. She was released after the FBI found no evidence she aided the Japanese. But columnist Walter Winchell led a crusade to have her rearrested and tried.
Toguri was convicted of treason and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Two former colleagues testified that she had made propaganda broadcasts. She served six years. Yates tracked down her accusers, who admitted they lied. That led to a 60 Minutes report that persuaded Ford to restore Toguri’s citizenship."
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