"Tokyo Rose" - WW2 Traitor or Victim? 

It's extremely difficult to be forced to broadcast propaganda and trying to find the balance between doing a good enough job not to get killed and a bad enough job not to make the propaganda very effective.

My wife and I were fortunate to meet Ms. Toguri in Chicago in the late 1980’s. As I recall, she owned a mercantile store where my wife purchased some art. She was a delightful lady.

You know, Mark, I once knew a man with this kind of story when I was living in Dallas. I won't tell you his real name or the name he used as an American citizen because he was locally famous as an actor, but he did have a story. He was a German national who had grown up in the US. He had gone to Germany to visit family shortly before the war broke out. When the war began, he was regarded by the Germans as a German citizen and was drafted into the wehrmacht. He was eventually promoted to the rank of oberfeldwebel and was captured by the US Army during the Ardennes Offensive of late 1944. He spent the rest of the war in a POW camp in upstate New York, and chose to return home to Dallas when the war ended a few months after his capture. He then applied to Southern Methodist University and on his application was the question, "Are you a veteran?" in as much as he was never asked in which army he had served, he truthfully answered yes, and ended up attending school on the GI Bill. A few weeks after he began school, there was a knock on his door. He opened it to see before him a captain in the US Army who made him an offer he could not refuse. He was asked to enlist in the US Army and return to Germany to act as an interpreter. He agreed, and the US Army made him a captain. When he arrived, the first thing that happened to him is that an old man attacked him with an umbrella because the Allies had bombed his town. I can well imagine him explaining to the old man in perfect German that, at the time, he had been fighting for the Germans. He worked for the Army for a couple of years and finally resumed his education in Dallas. So far as he knew, he was the only soldier in the war who was legitimately awarded both the iron cross and the American occupation of Germany medal. I was a very young man when I met him, and what I remember most about him was that he was a very sophisticated man, and a great deal of fun to talk to.

Sixty Minutes had a story about her. A viewer, who had been stationed in a godforsaken corner of the Aleutians away from other radio, responded by writing that "far from being a 'morale destroyer', she was a morale booster for us".

Being in the wrong place at the wrong time should be the title of this production. Mark Felton never fails to put over his material so well.

I knew Ms Toguri. She was the owner and operator of a Japanese dry goods store on the north side of Chicago. She was kind and polite to all. I never questioned her about her past knowing that she had served her time.

My father-in-law told me Tokyo Rose was their favorite entertainment source in the Navy and that everyone listened to her. Sounds like she did a good job.

My image of “ Tokyo Rose “ was formed by her depiction in WW2 movies as a sinister stereotype , jeering at the allied forces she broadcast to . Thanks for telling the real story , Dr Felton .

Iva Toguri's roommate at UCLA was a close family friend. I found out about this the day after Iva passed away when it was in the papers. That day the roommates husband came over to visit in the afternoon and told us about the friendship that she had with his wife Rose. From everything that I was told Iva was your typical young American girl. If I am remembering correctly she went to Japan to visit her moms sister before she passed away. This poor girl was a victim of circumstances.

She and the broadcast crew managed to avoid being tortured and murdered. That's a great feat in itself.

I met Tokyo Rose in 2000. One of her good friends introduced my wife and I to her in a restaurant in Chicago. She was very pleasant and funny to talk to. We however did not talk about the war. Our common friend was a student in a girls university in Northern China and was rescued and fled from the Japanese envasion by the U S Navy. Her husband was a part of that team.

I grew up after WWII and many neighbors dad's were Pacific veteran's. They occasionally talked about any humorous experiences and all enjoyed Tokyo Rose broadcasts . The dialogue was funny and often over the top ridiculous. Especially they enjoyed the music she played.

My "old man" talked about listening to "Tokyo Rose" while on board the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10). He found her broadcasts to be quite entertaining and funny. Thanks for setting the historic record straight about her and nice to hear she was eventually pardoned by President Ford, regained her U.S. citizenship and lived a long life.

Had no idea her show was produced and written by Allied POWs. Changes my view of her a lot.

I am a proud amateur historian, I must say that, at first, I came to mr Felton’s videos with a bit of wariness, as so often you will find poorly documented, sometimes incorrect works. How pleasantly was I surprized! Mr Felton treated some subjects I have the pretention to believe I know, and he has been spot on every time. So now I just binge watch every video he does, trustingly. Admirable work you do, my good sir.

Thank you for your outstanding work Mark. My grandfather defended Americans of Japanese descent in court during the war. Needless to say he lost the case but fought the good fight for our constitutional rights. He was a WW1 veteran and loved America. The many death threats towards our family didn't dissuade him from pursuing the case. I think he would love your work.

It seems Iva Toguri never forgot she was American despite all her difficulties. Thank you for telling us the back story, Dr. Felton.

It seems like justice was eventually done to the poor woman. All she wanted to do was to get home. Thanks for bringing this to a wider audience, Mark. It does you great credit.

This is another great example of the hard work of a true historian who is FREE to tell the truth about topics with no serious pressure to slant a story one way or another. This is very, very rare. No politics, no racism, no sexism, no nationalism or any other ism. This is why I love this channel and look forward to viewing it daily. ❤️

My Dad was a Pacific War vet. He said that when she reported American loses, the numbers actually represented what the Japanese had lost.

Thanks for a very balanced presentation of her history. My father was born in Los Angeles and served in WW2 as an interpreter for the US Military Intelligence Service and served on the defense teams for the War Crimes Trials. Dad was a sergeant assigned to US Army G2 under General WIlloughby, They assigned G2 people to the defense teams as it allowed military intelligence to readily sift through enemy records and classified material in order to represent the defendants. I do not know if he served on her team, but he may have been assigned to some of the early interviews and investigation for her. Right across the courtroom from my Dad during the war crimes trials was a man who would become one of my professors at UCLA - Dr Hans Baerwald, acting as an interpreter for the prosecution. My dad knew her, and spoke of her as a friend. Whether he met Iva in Los Angeles before the war or as a part of his service in the Occupation Forces of Japan after the war, I do not know for sure. As a child, I do remember meeting her in person in the 1960s at her Japanese store in Chicago. She was a friendly, kind and gracious storekeeper and always took time to stop and talk with both Dad and Mom. I was grateful when her segment on CBS 60 minutes appeared, and when she was pardoned.

Poor girl, got caught up in a whirlwind of conflict while she was just trying to peacefully live her life.

Putting the record straight . As normal the good doctor works his magic. Informative and compassionate.

My dad served in the Pacific from 43 until 46 on a carrier and he told me that the crew actually liked listening to Tokyo Rose mainly for the music but a lot of them were amused by the propaganda they tried to spout. He said it gave them a lot of material to make jokes about. He even told me once that the captain would sometimes let the music play during actual combat against the kamikazes. He said it actually helped with the crews morale.

My dad told me that he and other US Army soldiers listened to her while in the Philippines in 1945. Everyone just laughed at the broadcasts and didn't take her seriously. How bad could she have been if the Army didn't care if their troops listened?

Mark Felton's content is better than random alien conspiracies.

What I like about Mark's presentations, is that they are well researched and above all, truthful. Thank you for that Mark.

That’s an Impish little smile she’s got. An unexpected start to the day. A crush on Tokyo Rose.

I met her once when she was running a curious shop on Chicago’s north side . She was a very quiet, reserve woman.

My dad was a U.S. Marine Radioman in WW 2. He and I talked about her when President Ford pardoned her in the seventies. He said most of her propaganda was along the lines of "your families back home have forgotten about you", and "your girlfriends are cheating on you". He said that none of her propaganda really hit home, and no one was particularly demoralized by any of it. He said they (the Marines) enjoyed her sense of humor, and appreciated the entertainment. He said he didn't doubt that she was forced to broadcast under duress, and was glad that she was pardoned.

She ran a Japanese import curio shop in Lincoln Park, used to shop there, didn’t know she who she was till after her passing.

My Dad was always talking about her. Thanks for posting this informative video. Now I got the chance to hear her myself. I'm glad she was pardoned. Definitely a victim of circumstances.

My wife's friend used to chat with her at the Asian gift shop she worked at near the Chicago Wrigleyville neighborhood.

Her story is a lesson in staying curious and not judging. A skill that can serve us all well.

I was 15 years old when President Ford pardoned Miss Toguri and I remembered hearing about her during history class when I was school. I knew some of the backstory but not much until I saw your video. She was really a victim of circumstances and had to find a way to keep herself safe and sane during the war because she couldn't find a way back home to the US. She was a very a smart lady who didn't let what happen to her during and after the war affect her love for her country.

Toguri, Cousens, Ince, and Reyes really deserved medals. Entertaining allied troops(like my own uncle KIA in May 1944) from the enemy’s capital without undermining morale was a brilliant feat.

it's always amazing to me about how the public is fed one thing, and reality is often to the contrary. I wonder what things will be uncovered about the times in which we are all living now and how that information will differ from what we gather in any of the news medias we can tap. Great story, Mark. Well done!

Dad listened to her show all the time in the Luzon mountain jungle That was the only entertainment they had There was just nothing but enemy troops where he was

she probably did more good than harm.....playing all that good music. she never renounced her citizenship. glad to hear she was pardoned in the end. R.I.P.

I'm Australian and grew up thinking all the terrible things about Tokyo Rose from the old movies. It is appalling that she was imprisoned when she did nothing malevolent. And I never knew anything about the Australian Major who ran the operation. They took an incredible risk to provide entertainment instead of propaganda. If they hadn't been so crafty they would have been shot and some-one much worse taken over. In their own way they were still patriotic and helping the war effort. Thank you Mark for telling the true story.

She opened up a little import shop on Belmont Avenue in Chicago, importing Japanese china and bronze foo dogs saki cups etc. I used to go there and speak to her but nothing about the War. She got older and gained a considerable amount of weight!

You could have found her in her store in Chicago until she passed. She was there every day, you'd never have known.

I've heard her name sneered since 1953. This video is stunning. Thank you, Mark, for this.

My Father, a WW2 Vet had no love for this woman. With your great work Mark, I know now that Dad's hatred was misguided.

Thank you Mark. I admit I was one of those many people who assumed Tokyo Rose was a nasty piece of work.

It's funny how I was looking for videos about her ever since they announced the movie about Axis Sally

I grew up listening to Toyko Rose stories from pop's who served in WWII. Pop's was in the Midway campaign after seeing the carnage of Pearl Harbor as a young sailor. Based on Pops stories I never was interested in seeing what she looked liked. Thank you Mark Felton you were born to narrate. Excellent narration.

it is with great sadness that she had to go thru all of that before during and after the war, may she find piece with our lord.

What can a person do against an unfair system?.... They ruined a big chunk of her life.

Thanks Mark. You helped me understand a little more of what my dad would talk about. He was a Marine in the Pacific and often spoke of Tokyo Rose broadcasts but mostly about the humor they found in them.

Bravery comes in many forms. Staying alive without betraying your principles and your country is a very fine balancing act.

That’s a real hard and sad life. Here in British Columbia Canada we had a 2nd generation Japanese Canadian who also was in Japan when the war broke out. He was known as the Kamloops Kid and very enthusiastically became an interpreter in the Imperial Army. He was tried twice after the war and found guilty of causing the deaths of eight Canadian POWs. He was executed in Hong Kong in 1947.

As a kid my friend's dad talked about listening to Tokyo Rose while in the navy. He said that they really liked the music on her show.

Mark is the king of history!!! I bet he knows more about WW2 than any person alive or dead!!! The 🐐 of historians!!!!

Amazing story of Tokyo Rose's history Mark, one small criticism would be that the recording of Tokyo Rose are a little hard to understand due to the age of the recording. Might have helped to place some subtitles. Besides that mate flawless work as always!

Excellent find Dr Felton. to put footage to the voice of 'Tokyo Rose' is a feat in itself. Thanks for sharing!

I never knew the circumstances she worked under, nor the real story. Thanks Mark, you run a great channel.

i'm not even massively into the subjects covered by this channel yet it's still my favourite channel on youtube. first class.

Love you Mark! Wow thanks for shedding light on this “thorny” topic! My dad served in the Pacific in ‘45. He said he only remembered the music! She was a UCLA grad caught out without a passport wow. Gerald Ford was a decent guy, good of him to balance his pardon of “Tricky Dick” with “Orphan Annie!”

It's a shame that she was scapegoted and imprisoned. Good for President Gerald Ford.

Yep, I was one of those who associated "evil" with "Tokyo Rose". Thanks, Dr. Felton, for relating the truth and story of her.

May she rest in peace.

Absolutely fascinating how the reality of this situation differs from popular belief. Thank you Mark.

I first met her when I was 13 yrs old. My father took me to shop at.the family store in Chicago I did not know her history till my 30's. I saw her one more time.but fore she passed. I paid my respects to the family at the store. It is now gone on Belmont. So many sweet memories of her helping me shop the massive selection of Japanese goods in the store. Always so kind to this eager girl in awe of all.Japanese it was like a mini department store.

This should be made into a 40's-like noir style movie. Damn, that would be a great flick to watch!

I got to know Ms. Toguri in her later years, when she worked at the family business, Toguri Mercantile Co, a big Oriental knick-knack shop on Belmont in Chicago. I have no insight into what she did or didn't do during the war, didn't know about the Tokyo Rose connection until much later, but I always found her to be a very laidback and friendly person.

As a historian I read many times about her. And always it was in a mean way. So I thought she was a real nasty collaborator. Thank you for restoring her honor and true identity.

Thank you Mark this was interesting, I had never heard of this before

Proof that there are often multiple perspectives and "truths" in any story. Thank you for an unbiased look at this moment in history.

Well, my estimation of Gerald Ford has improved since watching this.

Mark showing something I didn't know yet again. Always very interesting.

Another sad part of the story is that she was forcibly separated from her husband, Felipe D'Aquino (who I worked with in Tokyo).

My dad listen to her show during the war and thought it was great because the jazz was good he was a radioman so he said he piped her show to the boat. His boat was sunk off the cost of Borneo in June 45. My dad took me to meet her at her shop in Chicago starting when I was a kid in the 70s that was a short walk from our home they had great relationship and they were always warn and friendly to each other and she was a very sweet person and always nice to see and it was a very coo shop like you don't see any longer

I read somewhere that Lord Haw Haw only got caught when he needlessly engaged a British patrol in conversation and they recognised his voice. True or false?

Mark - Thank You for Setting the Record Straight - Stay Safe, Great Historical Presentation as Usual...

This is one of my favorite's touching stories of WWII! Thank you Mark for bring it back in your channel, and so good explained with every detail.

Excellent! Fascinating. I wonder if subtitles could be added when Rose speaks? It's muffled to me and I only caught 20% of the words.

this is an outstanding video Mark. You really opened my eyes on this topic. American flyers imprisoned in Vietnam's Hanoi Hilton were pressured in many ways too. Have you done or could you do a video on that? yes I know about the famous morse code blinking. Thanks President Ford for pardoning this woman. Peter from Canada

My Grandfather was her attorney in the 50’s. It was the most expensive trail back then. I met Tokyo Rose at my Grandfather’s funeral in 1973. My Grandfather became a very good friend of hers. Thank you for sharing this video.

Thank you for the balanced analysis. I always find your clips informative on par with educational lectures & documentaries.

She is a good example of showing how a speck of dust from the era can feel like a mountain on the head of an ordinary individual

Her voice was soothing and a comfort to listen to nevertheless. I enjoyed her routine and laughed a lot. RIP T.R

Thanks for sharing Ms. Toguri's story, Mark. Back in the 60's I'd occasionally stop at Ms. Toguri's store - located just east of the 'L' station on Belmont in Chicago. She had a welcoming smile and always eager to chat. I still have the Japanese game 'Go' I bought there. It was a popular game with us while I was attending Southern Illinois University. I haven't played the game in years, but I always remember her when I come across it.

Thank you, Doctor Felton, for informing us about someone of who we have all heard, but have never been told.

How have I not heard of this?! Why I love this channel, you find all sorts of unknown but amazing stories and tell them to the world.

Thank you for another wonderful slice of history!

Very, very interesting! I've heard the name "Tokyo Rose" all my life but I never knew the true story about her. Thank you.

Learn something new every time I tune into this channel. Thanks Mark

Always good to see a Mark Felton video.

Best history channel!

Well done, Mark. These are important stories to tell, to set the record straight.

Just when we think we have the answers, Mark Felton changes the questions.. Another great listen right there.

Life: Hold please, Dr Felton just uploaded!

So much of her life taken by both Americans and Japanese and still stood strong.. .what true hero's are made of

I remember a Reader's Digest article from when I was a kid called, "Tokyo Rose, the traitor who loved her country". I should have read it but at the age of eight it was a bit above my head.

As always, awesome content Dr. Felton...I look forward to your videos.

Interetesting...I never knew she lived out her days in Chicago until 2006. I lived there for 40 years, and just found that out. Thanks Mark!

I’ve always admired the subversive work they did and respect the crew and Toguri immensely. Thanks for doing a segment doing them justice!

Respect to you, Mark ! You have once more drawn a picture with more than one color or shade, and shone the light of truth and respect on a fragile being.

Another little gem by Dr Felton that was very informative and changed my belief!! Thank you, Sir. 👍