Bridge to the Sun: The Secret Role of the Japanese Americans Who Fought in the Pacific in World War II

by Bruce Henderson, Gerald Yamada (Afterword)

One of the last, great untold stories of World War II--kept hidden for decades--even after most of the World War II records were declassified in 1972, many of the files remained untouched in various archives, often incomplete or not easily located . . . a gripping true tale of courage, bravery and adventure from Bruce Henderson, master storyteller, historian, and New York Times bestselling author of Sons and Soldiers--the saga of the Japanese American U.S. Army soldiers who fought in the Pacific theater, in Burma, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, fighting two wars simultaneously--their ancestral nation and back home in America, with their families, under US Executive Order 9066, facing suspicion and racial hatred, held behind barbed wire in government internment camps.


After Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. military was desperate to find Americans who spoke Japanese to serve in the Pacific war. They soon turned to the Nisei--first generation U.S. citizens whose parents were immigrants from Japan. Eager to prove their loyalty to America, several thousand Nisei--many of them volunteering from the internment camps where they were being held behind barbed wire--were selected by the Army for top-secret training, then were rushed to the Pacific theater. Highly valued as expert translators and interrogators, these Japanese American soldiers operated in elite intelligence teams alongside Army infantrymen and Marines on the frontlines of the Pacific war, from Iwo Jima to Burma, from the Solomons to Okinawa.

Bruce Henderson reveals, in riveting detail, the harrowing untold story of the Nisei and their major contributions in the war of the Pacific, through six Japanese-American soldiers. The role of the U.S. Nisei soldiers was so far-reaching, General MacArthur said that because of their efforts, "never in military history did an army know so much about the enemy prior to engagement." After the war, these soldiers became translators and interrogators for war crime trials, and later helped to rebuild Japan as a modern democracy and a pivotal U.S. ally.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, Military Fiction, Japan, Biography, American History

480 pages, Hardcover

Published September 27, 2022

About the author

Bruce Henderson is the author of more than twenty nonfiction books, including a #1 New York Times that was made into a highly-rated network miniseries. His books have been published in more than two dozen countries. His latest book is Midnight Flyboys: The American Bomber Crews and Allied Secret Agents Who Aided the French Resistance in World War II. He is also the author of Sons and Soldiers: The Untold Story of the Jews Who Escaped the Nazis and Returned with the U.S. Army to Fight Hitler, the NYT bestseller about "The Ritchie Boys" being developed for a feature film. He won the coveted 2023 Gilder Lehrman Military History Prize in recognition of the best English language book published in the field of American military history for Bridge to the Sun: The Secret Role of the Japanese Americans Who Fought in the Pacific in World War II. Henderson has taught reporting at USC School of Journalism and nonfiction writing at Stanford University. He lives in Menlo Park, California.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bruce-Henderson...

Reviews

[Bruce Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My book, Bridge to the Sun: The Secret Role of the Japanese Americans Who Fought in the Pacific in World War II, will be published by Knopf on Sept. 27, 2022. The nonfiction narrative follows six Japanese American soldiers, among the first Nisei in combat in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor -- as their own families were being held in internment camps in America -- deployed throughout the Pacific, to the jungles of New Georgia, the caves of Okinawa, and the mountains of Burma with the famed Merrill's Marauders, and who were, in effect, fighting two wars simultaneously: one, overseas against their ancestral homeland; the other, against racial prejudice at home.

[Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book!!! It has been long overdue about what these loyal Japanese Americans did in WWII! Myself, I had read about the 442nd Regimental Combat team in Italy and the 100th Infantry did in the same theatre, but did not know about nisei in the Pacific. I also did not know much about Merrill's Marauders in the CBI. Impressive stuff. Well researched, but I have a couple of points that I feel are incorrect. He mentioned that a P-51 hit an ammunition target on Los Negros, I don't think P-51's were in the Pacific till maybe late 1944, the were too short legged earlier. Also, in the footnotes on page 316 he mentioned that the U.S. had "an inventory of 6 additional weapons that could have been used". In all my further readings I have been led to believe they had enough material for one more after August 9. Maybe later releases of information revealed a bigger stockpile. All in all, a great addition to anyone's library on WWII.

[Bethany Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a minority with my rating, but it was just ok. I flirted with giving it a 2. It is a history book. I am not a fan of straight history, I want a story weaved around the historical events to make me feel like I am there, experiencing what the protagonist is experiencing. This tells the history of many U.S. Japanese citizens who fought for their country, while their families were held in Ghettos for their "protection." There is zero connection made with the myriad of characters. There are a LOT of characters. If you want to read about irony of how the U.S treated its Japanese CITIZENS, during WWII vs. how they treated their Japanese soldiers, who were instrumental in intercepting communications, read this book.

[Zack Ruskin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review for the San Francisco Chronicle: https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/book...

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Wanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book I love historical books of any kind, and this one was very interesting.

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful! Fascinating story of Japanese Americans who fought and served in WWII. Historic and brave young men help us win the war despite how the US government treated them and their families. I was aware of the Japanese Americans who fought in Europe, but had no clue about those that fought in the Pacific. What a welcome surprise!!

[Bobby D · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 2017 Bruce Henderson wrote one of my favorite books of the past several years, SONS AND SOLDERS (the story of German Jews who escaped Nazi Germany only to return with the US Army). Now Henderson is back with what I would call a companion volume: BRIDGE TO THE SUN (The secret role of Japanese Americans who fought in the Pacific in World War II). I have nothing but praise for both books.
This latest book follows six young Japanese who lived in Japan where they learned Japanese (mostly by attending Japanese High Schools). They returned to the United States before Pearl Harbor and they or/and their Parents were interned by the US in camps because of racist fears and suspicions deemed security risks. Then it became apparent to the US military that they needed interpreters and with some amazement I learned that the Japanese thought their language so difficult that they never bothered communicating high level military messages in code.
These stories are simply eye opening (and entertaining reading). They cover personal stories and then follow individuals into the war. They gather at Camp Savage in Minnesota and they are assigned to teams given their various abilities. The fear was that our own troops would discriminate and perhaps kill these men and worse what the Japanese would do to them if they were captured as traitors to the Emperor. The book follows campaigns at Guadalcanal, Alaska (yes Alaska), Merrill’s Marauders in Burma (this is large section of the book), Los Negros, Iwo Jima (another major section of book),Okinawa (a deeply personal section), and finally the roll played in the surrender and occupation of Japan. Ending with a wonderful Epilogue (featuring a heart moving return to Okinawa in 1995). I will leave it to you to discover the individuals, their brides, families and the invaluable contribution made by these Japanese American heroes. (I often ask myself how I would have reacted to being in these young men’s place. No doubt I would have been bitter, felt betrayed by my country, and would have wanted to lash out.)
A third book with a somewhat similar theme is the excellent 2021 FACING THE MOUNTAIN By Daniel James Brown. It has a similar structure but features the Japanese who fought in Europe with the 442 regiment. It is simply an outstanding read.
One thing about the Japanese military that stands out in these books and most notably in two others I would recommend is the blind cult-like allegiance to the Emperor. The individual accepted state virtue. These other two books are THE RAPE OF NANKING By Iris Chang, and John Toland’s THE RISING SUN. Both add a great perspective to an ugly, tragic total war. It is this militarism that these young Japanese Americans and their Marine, Navy, and Army combat troops faced in gruesome conditions. (I might add that my father served in the Pacific in the Marine Corps for a little over two years.)

[Edna Caluza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea..what an amazing story of a hidden part of history..

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first Bruce Henderson book. I'm impressed with his writing. It's easy to understand and appears to be well-researched. I rated this a 4 because I didn't read the battle portions. I'm particularly interested in reading about people in the internment camps. I enjoyed the discussion of each Japanese person who became a translator.

[Ms.pegasus · Rating 5 out of 5]

The men who served as translators and interpreters in the Pacific during World War II had little in common. Hiroshi (Roy) Matsumoto was born in an agricultural community in California's central valley region. Takejiro Higa was born a decade later on Oahu.

Kazuo Komoto's mother, concerned by the anti-Asian discrimination she was witnessing, sent Kazuo to Japanese school on Saturdays and in 1928 took him to Japan to live with his paternal grandparents in western Japan. There, he had a ringside seat to the country's rising militarism and brutal training tactics of its own soldiers. "He disliked how the people were conditioned to think and act the way the government wanted them to. Here, it was about conforming, and being docile....Kazuo never forgot he was an American, and he never accepted all the fuss about what he later derided as 'emperor love'.” (p.6) Borrowing money for his passage, he returned to California in 1938. He had lived in Japan for a decade.

Hiroshi (Roy) Matsumoto had an even longer stay in Japan. When his grandfather retired he moved back to Jigozen, a coastal village near Hiroshima. At age eight, missing his grandfather, Roy and his brother were allowed to sail there for a visit which might have been permanent had he not fallen in love with Fumiko. His parents sent him back to California in 1930 to deter the budding romance. It was the year before China invaded Manchuria. He had spent nine years in Japan.

Nobuo Furuiye was sent to live at a Buddhist Temple in Denver to attend high school. At the temple he and other student Nisei boarders were tutored in Japanese language and culture by visiting native speakers. His interest in the country was piqued. In 1936 he embarked for Japan and stayed with his father's cousin at a location about 60 miles from Nagasaki. He attended the prestigious Kyushu Gakuin high school where military classes were compulsory. After a mere two years he came to realize he would be drafted into the Imperial Army if he stayed. He returned to his family in Colorado in 1938.

The very significant commonality the men Bruce Henderson follows in this book was their fluency in the Japanese language. They were called 'kibei' – ethnic Japanese educated in Japan. They were also lucky, having left well before Pearl Harbor. They joined the Military Intelligence Service Language School (MISLS) at Camp Savage, Minnesota, while, for most, their families were incarcerated at hastily assembled barbed wire enclosed camps in some of the most desolate locations in the country. Their unique proficiency in the Japanese language and culture was a necessary platform for the intensive and urgently needed training they would undergo at MISLS. Heigo (military terminology), conversational Japanese, geography and sosho (Japanese script and shorthand which were needed to translate hastily scrawled letters, diaries and notebooks) were only part of the curriculum. (Army officer Kai Rasmussen was shocked to find that few Nisei had any proficiency in Japanese. “His unofficial survey found that less than 10 percent of Nisei soldiers could read, write and speak Japanese.” (p.8)

Henderson later highlights the unique abilities of two of the translators. Hiroshi (Roy) Matsumoto had worked in Los Angeles delivering produce to Japanese immigrants since 1933) He was amazed at the variety of dialects he encountered. He capitalized on his knowledge during the Burma campaign. He tapped into a phone line and was surprised to recognize the Kyushu dialect. He quickly identified the specific enemy division opposing his unit and their locations. He pinpointed their ammo dump and a U.S. Bomber destroyed it the next morning.

One of the most appalling episodes occurred in Okinawa where Takejro Higa had lived from from ages two through 16. He was proficient in both Okinawan and Japanese and was able to save countless Okinawan lives. The population had been bombarded with propaganda claiming that the Americans would rape and torture any captives. The Japanese military urged and even ordered mass suicides of the Okinawans. Thousands died needlessly, and the horror of those suicides has been documented by the handful of survivors. Higa was able to coax hundreds from caves where they were hiding, poised to detonate grenades on themselves.

With meticulous research, Bruce Henderson describes individual Nisei and the roles that they played in the Solomon Islands, Burma, the Admiralties, Iwo Jima, the Philippines and Okinawa. He details the logistical challenges and strategies in each campaign, supplemented by maps and photos. At the same time he gives a human face to the many participants. A section entitled “Dramatis Personae” gives satisfying closure to the lives he has documented. This was a highly readable account of a little-publicized aspect of Japanese-American history.

NOTES:
These are the Nisei Henderson tracks in his book.

Nobuo Furuiye. b.4/21/1918, Lafayette, CO
Takejiro Higa, b.7/22/1923, Waipahu, HI
Grant Hirabayashi, b.11/9/1919, Kent, WA. Family incarcerated: Tule Lake, CA; Heart Mountain, WY
Kazuo Komoto, b. 11/9/1918, Sanger, CA. Family incarcerated: Gila River, AZ
Hiroshi (Roy) Matsumoto, b. 5/1/1913, Laguna, CA. Family incarcerated: Jerome, AR
Tom Sakamoto, b. 3/5/1918, San Jose, CA. Family incarcerated: Rohwer, AR

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

He had not fired a single shot from his rifle in the war; rather, he had used his dictionairies, a bullhorn, and languages to save them.

Bridge to the Sun is a historical account of Japanese Americans that took part in World War II, specifically the Pacific Theater. Historian Bruce Henderson follows six soldiers who were first generation Japanese Americans, known as Nisei, who acted as translators, interpretors, and interrogators for military intelligence. While this is a story of WWII, it's also a story of rampant racism.

The men followed in this book were among the first Nisei to see combat after Pearl Harbor. They were deployed in major battles of the Pacific Theater, seeing war firsthand in Burma, New Guinea, China, Guadacanal, Leyte, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Their main goal was to decipher captured Japanese documents and interrogate POWs. This is the story of men who fought for their country--a country that did not necessarily want to accept them.

To be perfectly honest, I have been sitting here for an inordinate amount of time trying to come up with the words for this review. The subject matter is heavy, as is expected from WWII history, but it is also very important. It discusses, in depth, the double-edged sword that Japanese Americans faced in this time period. Because while an entire group of people were viewed with suspicion, enough that an executive order would see them forced from their homes and placed in internment camps, people who spoke Japanese, lived in Japan, and had insight into their enemy were great commodities for the military.

And yet, the book itself was rather long and dry. The hardcover edition is listed at around 480 pages on Goodreads. What is actually read is closer to 350 pages; as the last chunk is made up of a comprehensive list of Nisei servicemen, a bibliography, and an index. 350 pages is not a particularly large book, and yet I struggled to get through it. I unforutnately found it a little on the dry side.

I think I also struggled a bit with the way in which the book was ordered. It follows six men, but the lengthy chapters jump back and forth between them. Thus, readers are going back and forth in location and in timeline. I found myself struggling to differentiate the men. Perhaps in anticipation of that, Henderson gets a little reptetitive in order to remind readers the finer details in each man's story. By the time I was in the last third of the book, I had resorted to skimming.

I consider myself relatively new to nonfiction books still. I do know that I prefer more personal narratives, which I thought this book would be. For me, it was still a little too distant and a little too dry to hold my attention. So while I find the subject matter important and worth noting, I can't really say I truly enjoyed reading this book.

[Kemp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished this book a couple weeks ago. Rating it has proved elusive. Its good. And it highlights some really special people who chose to fight for the US when their families were, essentially, imprisoned by the same government they enlisted. How many of us would make that choice?

They also played a vital role in the Pacific Theatre of World War II. Deciphering and translating messages, teaching Japanese to others, and joining invasion parties in the island hoping fight of the war. It created unique opportunities – to confuse the enemy by barking orders the Japanese thought were given by their side – and to great risk – if captured they would be treated as traitors.

The heroism comes out in Henderson’s work.

This is the second book I’ve read on Japanese American military personnel during World War II. Both dig deep into the lives of a small set of soldiers.

If I could read only one book on Japanese Americans during WWII I’d read Daniel James Brown’s Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II. It delves deeper into the plight of those American families interned in relocation camps as well as the Nisei who fought. I also liked Brown’s work because it felt more personal as we learn about a few individuals, their live and fears, and their family. If your interest is the Pacific theatre then Bridge to the Sun is your book as Brown covers the regiment that fought in Europe.

One Japanese American is covered in both books: Gordon Hirabayashi, a conscientious objector to the forced relocation order 9066 but Brown gives us more of Hirabayashi’s background and family.

It would be a great book if I wasn’t comparing it to Facing the Mountain.

[Marshall Marvelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bruce Henderson has written a moving and revelatory exposition of the history of Japanese American men who played a little known but crucial role in the Pacific theater during World War II.Known as “Nisei,” that is people of Japanese descent, born in the United States, or Canada, these young men played critical roles and the defeat of the Japanese empire throughout the Pacific region. They’re import to military war effort was premised on the fact that Japanese leadership believed that Americans would not be able to read let alone understand written Japanese language well the Japanese empire did use special ciphers. However, many times in the battlefield the Japanese used open language broadcasts, and written materials that were readily understood by speakers of the language. The misconception was a fatal error on the part of the Japanese military leadership. They could not understand that there was a vital core of American men of Japanese descent who were willing to confront battlefield danger against members of their own nationality. Their identity is as American citizens was more important to them, ironically in the face of the terrible interment of their own families and relatives in the United States. The intelligence, the nisei gathered on the battlefield many times proved to be critical to American military success. Henderson tells the story through the lives of six young men and explains how their skills were especially valuable.

[Gregg Lines · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book. Starting out by examining these men’s backgrounds, the author paints a picture that is complex and profound. Many of these American born Japanese navigated a space between two worlds. After the war begins, despite their families being interned or being interned themselves, many volunteer to assist the Army by becoming intelligence specialists. The book follows the lives of men who had spent years in both Japan and America, and whose knowledge of language, culture, and military education enabled them to be incredibly valuable assets. After their individual background, the book follows chronologically the war in the Pacific and Burma (now Myanmar). The book eloquently details their experiences in a range of roles: interpreter, translator, interrogator, and in the front lines. Not only do we see their valor as soldiers, but their compassion as relatives to the men on the other side. In particular, in the battle of Okinawa, the author shows how one man’s service helped avoid the loss of life among Okinawa civilians.

In addition to their experiences overseas, the author shows us the challenges they faced at home. Losing jobs, homes, etc. and being challenged as “un-American” even though for some it had been their only home.

This book shows the power of language and knowledge both on and off the battlefield. I highly recommend.

[Rachel Carlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The role of Japanese-American interpreters in the US military during WWII is barely discussed but was instrumental to the war effort in the Pacific. Serving not only in intelligence capacities but also as active soldiers and humanitarians, these Nisei soldiers interpreted enemy correspondence and maps, interrogated captured POWs, and saved the lives of thousands of civilians of soldiers who, having been wrongly convinced by Japanese propaganda that the American military would brutalize them, often chose suicide rather than surrender. Despite facing serious discrimination, racism and persecution at home, most infamously being forcibly relocated to unconstitutional internment camps for no reason other than the accident of their race, these brave men volunteered to serve their home country even though it had disrespected and violated their rights as American citizens. Although decorated with medals for gallant actions in the War, they deserve to be recognized on a larger scale by American society today, for demonstrating such moral courage in the face of enemies at home and abroad. If that isn’t patriotism, I don’t know what is.

[Sally Fouhse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a terrific read. I knew about the WW II 442 Regiment, made up of Japanese Nisei, but this story of Nisei translators and interrogators was new to me. Suffering from discrimination and suspicion from both Americans and Japanese, these Nisei were Americans just like me, but had to prove their loyalty to the US over and over again. So many great details, such as the translator who was able to read captured Japanese military orders on wet rice paper, and thereby alert our forces to details of an impending battle, and the fellow who was born in the US, but grew up on his aunt and uncle's farm on Okinawa, and was therefore fluent in Okinawan, a separate language from Japanese. He was able to coax hundreds of villagers hiding in caves from American forces to come out instead of blowing themselves up in shame. Even though he was an American soldier, they trusted him because he could speak the local, rare, language. What a gift. This book should be made into a moviel

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Brian Nishii. I am usually not a historical nonfiction and especially not military historical nonfiction, but this book captured my interest, and the hours flew by. The book is meticulously researched and traces the journeys of 6 second-generation Japanese-Americans, who become linguists in American intelligence in the war against Japan in World War 2. With the excellent narration, the book has it all - coming-of-age, conflicted loyalties and high suspense, even a slight thread of romance.

It is a long book, and there were times that I was tired about hearing about “the enemy.” And even the moments when the linguists found evidence that prevented attacks, I couldn’t help but think about the gruesomeness of war. Someone has to die. But the author did try to represent the Japanese army men as people as well.

My favorite story is toward the end, about the Hawaiian-American and Okinawan raised linguist. It brought tears to my eyes.

[Betsy Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nisei were first generation Americans whose parents were immigrants from Japan. In late 1941, but before Pearl Harbor, the Army reckoned it might need men who could speak and read Japanese so it started to recruit Nisei for a language school. After Pearl Harbor, the recruiting stepped up in a big way because the Army knew it would need translators and interrogators in the Pacific. So while their parents and little brothers and sisters were being sent to internment camps in American, these young men were being brought into the Army. These were dangerous assignments, because the men looked like the enemy. But their work was vital to waging the war. And on Okinawa, speaking Japanese and Okinawese, they coaxed terrified civilians out of caves. Nisei fought bravely in the war in Europe (see “Facing the Mountain” by Daniel James Brown) but the many Nisei who fought valiantly in the Pacific should be remembered too.

[Gin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is unequivocally the most comprehensive book on the Japanese-Americans that served in the Pacific against Imperial Japan. Anyone who has an interest in this subject must have this in their library.

Bruce Henderson’s narrative and deeply engrossing. There are a few key characters that he focused on but these he also used as a way to shed light on the larger role played by these Nisei soldiers.

The best chapter (and they are all good) I felt was the one on Okinawa, and that is likely because of the central role played by one of those key characters in saving the lives of thousands of Okinawa civilians who would otherwise have perished.

A 5-star read for me. I will be sure to check out Henderson’s other book on the MIS Ritchie Boys.

[Alban Civeja · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely a great read if you're a history nerd like I am! The book takes you along the lives of various Japanese Americans and how their lives completely changed after Pearl Harbor. Most would be surprised at how much of a critical role they played in the fight against Imperial Japan; and I feel it needs to be talked about much more than it is. It also does a good job of conveying the images of anti Japanese sentiment at the time and how it affected people of Japanese descent. It is a unique way of presenting history as it doesn't really feel like a traditional history book which some would feel is boring. It was a longer read but I certainly do not regret it!

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

In an effort to learn more about the role of the Nisei, I grabbed this new release the first time I saw it on my local library's shelf. I'm glad I did.

The book follows the individual stories of a half dozen US Army soldiers, stationed in the Pacific theater, starting with recruitment, to (then) top-secret training, and combat contributions that helped contribute to battlefield victories in several Pacific campaigns.

I enjoyed every page.

[Amanda Irving · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was superbly written! Bruce Henderson is a highly talented writer and historian. I learned much about Japanese Americans' role in World War II. The Japanese were placed in internment camps in the United States, primarily out West. The impetus behind this atrocious act stemmed from racism and xenophobia.

Henderson effectively humanized the individuals who fought in WWII and demonstrated the full range of human experiences of the Nisei (U.S.-born Japanese).

[Viva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good WW2 read by Bruce Henderson. Most of his subjects seem to be about the less well known or the minorities in the US armed forces. This one is on Japanese Americans. I didn't know about the incarceration of Japanese-Americans until I met one in school who told me all about them and the 442nd. This book tells about those who served in the army and mostly became translators who were of great help in the Pacific War.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

When it only takes me 5 days to finish a book that has over 400 pages then it must mean that I wanted to prioritize reading this book than doing any other activity. I didn’t want to put it down as the narrative was so wonderfully written. But most of all it was on a subject matter that I enjoy, World War 2 in the Pacific arena.

[Austin Gibbons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding. Thorough, in-depth, personal account of a little-known but critical aspect in the war against Japan. What must have been such a difficult sacrifice, the service these men and their families gave to this country in the face of the internment of loved ones back home is astonishing. Their patriotism boundless. I am better know their stories.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Similar to the Code Talkers of WWII, the role of the Japanese Americans who went to war in WWII is a little know area for many but was a great benefit to the effort to win the war all the same. I did some research and wrote a term paper on the internment camps during my undergrad work and I still learn something about them when I read new work on them. Well worth the time investment to read.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Focusing upon the lives and families of six Japanese American soldiers, this tells the untold and prevously classified story of how hundreds young Japanese males who volunteered to fight the Japanese in the Pacific during WW II using their Japanese language skills to aide the American cause while they are and the families faced racial prejudice at home.

[Patricia Stoltey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henderson has done a fine job of bringing this group of young Japanese Americans to life. I had never heard this piece of history about the translators and the facts about Japanese warfare that made these American soldiers so valuable during the war. Highly recommended.

[Auston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible stories of the Japanese Americans serving America during WW2. Truly inspiring to see how despite the duality of citizenships and love of 2 nations they found a way to help America, and the world, even while their families in the USA were being treated harshly.