Sen. Inouye Proves to be Prophetic When Remembering Pearl Harbor

“December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy.” Franklin Roosevelt, December 8, 1941

Seventy-four years ago FDR clearly and forcefully enunciated these words when he asked Congress to declare war on Japan after the devastating attacks on Pearl Harbor.  Thousands of sailors, soldiers and civilians perished that day and ushered US entry into a far ranging world war where thousands more would die as would millions around the globe.

America was gripped with fear and foreboding.  World War I wasn’t yet a distant memory and the sons of those veterans were going to be sent overseas to fight in a war dwarfing in scope the fight of their fathers. 

On the Homefront, already strained racial relations on the West Coast tore apart.  Fear took over and public and military pressure led to President Roosevelt signing Executive Order 9066 which effective opened up concentration camps in the United States.  Though not specifically mentioning Japanese-Americans, there was no ambiguity to whom this order was directed.

Roosevelt’s informal national security advisor J. Franklin Carter, in a memo to the President dated December 16, 1941, states as its first point that “There is no substantial Fifth Column activities by Japanese”. 

Attorney General Francis Biddle was very concerned about the Constitutionality of such action.  In a last ditch effort, Biddle advised against such action in a memo to the President on February 17, 1942.  In the memo he alluded to the fact there might be ulterior motives in forcing Japanese-Americans to leave rich agricultural land and excoriates columnists Walter Lippmann and Westbrook Pegler, calling them “Armchair Strategists and Junior G-Men” and their editorializing the equivalent of “shouting FIRE! in a theater.”

Roosevelt, however, signed the order two days later.  Its effect: over 110,000 of Japanese-Americans were forced to leave their homes, land, businesses and professions and relocate inland.

Proof wasn’t required.  Due process wasn’t a concern. Desperate times call for desperate measures and all.

For those of you that say it was a different time, take heed the words of Attorney-General Biddle, Frank Carter and others who had real concerns about not only the Constitutionality of the arrangement, but the morality of it as well.  They, and others, contemporarily warned about this becoming a blot on our nation’s history.

Still, in the face of the hatred and prejudice, second and third generation Japanese-Americans still were able to show their loyalty and devotion to their country.

Daniel Inouye, the late Senator from Hawaii and Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, talked about this extensively on the 70^th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.  His entire speech is below but pay special attention to the 4:00 mark where he lays out his reasons for joining the military and serving his country.  Inouye was attached to the 442^nd Regimental Combat Team – one of the most highly decorated regiments in US military history – comprised entirely of Japanese-Americans.

According to Stars and Stripes, “collectively, after a congressionally-mandated review of their wartime records, members of the 442nd received 21 Medals of Honor, 52 Distinguished Service Crosses, 560 Silver Stars, 4,000 Bronze Star Medals and almost 10,000 Purple Hearts.”

Another 442^nd Medal of Honor Recipient, George Sakato, passed away 2-days ago.  He also remembered when he learned of his classification a 4C or “enemy alien” as reported in Stars and Stripes in an article on his passing:

"Enemy alien?" Sakato said in a 2009 oral history interview with the Japanese American Legacy Project.  "What do you mean enemy alien? I'm an American."

At the end of his speech on the Senate floor in 2012 Inouye said that if September 11 taught us anything it is:

“…to be vigilant at all times, not just to avoid war but to be vigilant among ourselves so that we will not use this as a justification to set aside our most heralded document, the Constitution.  I hope it will never happen again.”

If some have their way it will happen again. 

The rhetoric being displayed by Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and others who are vying to be president flies in the face of not only Inouye’s words but the Constitution.  A war against Islam is NOT what is necessary.  Working more closely with our Muslim communities in rooting out evil as it manifests itself as a perversion of their religion will go much further in protecting ALL Americans than hate, fear and isolation.

A friend told me today that when he’s discussing politics and someone starts using the words “all” and “always”, they lose.  You can’t categorize people like that and, quite frankly, the Trumps of this world know that.  Yet they choose to play on fears and reduce complex issues to soundbites.  Apparently as long as fear-mongering gets votes then why not?

History taught us that the events of December 7, 1941 should never had led to the internment camps of 1942 and beyond.  Two lunatics in San Bernardino in 2015 shouldn'tlead to state sanctioned racism and discrimination of 2016.  Our own history shows us we wrong before, let’s not ignore the lessons of the past for political expediency of the present.

(Credits: Marist University Collection; Stars and Stripes; PBS NewsHour)