Ben Kuroki was a Technical Sergeant in the Air Force and is the only Japanese American known to have flown air combat missions in the Pacific Theater during WWII.

He completed 58 combat missions over Japan, Europe, and North Africa. He was awarded three Distinguished Flying Crosses and an Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters. In 2005, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.

In 1991, the New York Times recalled how “Gen. George Marshall asked to meet [Kuroki]; so did Generals Bradley, Spaatz, Wainwright and Jimmy Doolittle.”

Kuroki’s exploits were highly publicized, and he was even sent to Japanese American concentration camps to encourage people to enlist. My mom remembers seeing him when he came to Heart Mountain.

Here is video excerpt from a 1998 interview of Kuroki describing that controversial visit and how he felt about it.

I was really quite shocked when I approached Heart Mountain and came up to the, to the gate and saw these armed guards and they were all wearing the same uniform I was wearing. And inside, behind the barbed wire, were all these, my own people, so to speak. Most of them, as you know, they were American citizens. It was really quite a shock. I never did get over that.

Ben Kuroki, 1998