Hang tight while we fetch the video data and transcripts. This only takes a moment.
Connecting to YouTube player…
Fetching transcript data…
We’ll display the transcript, summary, and all view options as soon as everything loads.
Next steps
Loading transcript tools…
Japanese Woman Risked Her Life to Feed American POWs — Then Her Own Country Betrayed Her | Letters Never Sent | YouTubeToText
YouTube Transcript: Japanese Woman Risked Her Life to Feed American POWs — Then Her Own Country Betrayed Her
Skip watching entire videos - get the full transcript, search for keywords, and copy with one click.
Share:
Video Transcript
Video Summary
Summary
Core Theme
The narrative recounts the complex wartime experiences of Iva Toguri, an American citizen stranded in Japan, who became a controversial figure known as "Tokyo Rose." It details her struggle for survival, her secret humanitarian efforts to aid American POWs, and her subsequent wrongful conviction for treason, ultimately highlighting the injustice she faced and her eventual pardon.
Mind Map
Click to expand
Click to explore the full interactive mind map • Zoom, pan, and navigate
July 1st, 1941 11:30, Tokyo Japan Iva Toguri stood on the dock at Yokohama
watching the SS President Coolidge disappear toward the horizon
carrying the last group of Americans being evacuated from Japan
as tensions between the two nations approach the breaking point
she'd come to the dock hoping to find passage back to Los Angeles
but the ship's passenger manifest had been full and the ticket agent had told her bluntly
that no more evacuation ships would be scheduled she was 25 years old born in Los Angeles
raised American in every way that mattered and now stranded in Japan
because she'd made the mistake of visiting her sick aunt in July 1941
three weeks before the US imposed oil embargoes on Japan
five months before Pearl Harbor would transform peaceful visit into wartime imprisonment
she'd planned to stay six weeks she would be trapped in Japan for four years
and what happened during those years would make her
simultaneously a lifeline for American POWs and a scapegoat
for a nation that needed someone to blame for wartime propaganda Iva walked
away from the dock carrying the small
suitcase that contained everything she'd brought from California
she had approximately $200 in American currency that was becoming increasingly worthless
as US Japan relations deteriorated she spoke limited Japanese
enough for basic conversation but not fluency
she had a college degree in zoology from UCLA that was useless in wartime Tokyo
and she had American citizenship that was about to become her greatest liability
five months later when Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor
and America declared war on Japan Iva Toguri became enemy alien
in the country of her parents birth 2 American for Japan and 2 Japanese for America
the choices she would make during the next four years
particularly her secret efforts to feed starving American POWs
while working for Radio Tokyo would save lives and cost her freedom
proving that mercy during wartime often receives punishment
rather than gratitude the stranded American after Pearl Harbor
Iva's situation became increasingly precarious the Japanese government required
all foreign nationals to register as enemy aliens
officials pressured her to renounce American citizenship and
accept Japanese citizenship which would have provided legal Protection
and access to ration cards she refused repeatedly
insisting she was American and would remain American
regardless of where geography had trapped her the refusal came with severe consequences
without Japanese citizenship Iva couldn't receive ration cards for food
clothing or other necessities that were distributed through government systems
she couldn't work in most occupations that required Japanese citizenship
she lived under constant surveillance as suspected foreign spy
the Kempeitai Japanese military police interrogated her multiple times
about her background her family in America
whether she was gathering intelligence the practical challenge was survival
without legal status or resources in wartime economy
where everything was rationed and controlled Iva found work where she could
initially as typist for a Japanese news service that needed someone who could type English
later at Radio Tokyo
where English language broadcasters were required for propaganda programming
directed at Allied audiences the radio work paid minimally
but provided access to the building and eventually to the American Po ws
who were forced to work there the POW broadcasters
by 1943 Radio Tokyo had begun using Allied POWs
in propaganda broadcasts designed to demoralize
American and Allied forces in the Pacific the prisoners primarily Americans
Australians and British we're forced to work in radio studios
producing programs that Japanese authorities believed
would undermine Allied morale and encourage defeatism
the POW broadcasters worked under guard lived in prison camps
and survived on inadequate rations that left them malnourished and sick
they were selected partly for their voices partly for their language skills
and partly because Japanese authorities believed their status as POWs would make them compliant
the reality was more complex the prisoners cooperated
enough to avoid execution while subtly undermining propaganda through tone
word choice and delivery that suggested
they didn't believe what they were reading the conditions in which POW broadcasters worked
were documented in post war testimonies Major Charles Cowans an
Australian radio announcer who had been captured in Singapore
and forced to work for Radio Tokyo described the situation we were starving
the Japanese gave us enough food to keep us alive but not enough to maintain health
many of us had beriberi dysentery and other diseases from malnutrition
we were weak constantly the work itself wasn't physically demanding
but the psychological pressure of being forced to produce propaganda for the enemy
while our comrades were fighting and dying was devastating
Iva Toguri encountered the POW broadcasters when she was assigned to Radio Tokyo
as announcer her initial role was reading news scripts
and introducing musical programs she had no broadcasting experience
but spoke English fluently with American accent that Japanese producers
thought would sound authentic to Allied audiences the work was uncomfortable
she was reading propaganda for Japan against the country she still considered her own
but refusing would have meant arrest and possibly execution the secret feeding
Iva recognized immediately that the POW broadcasters were starving
their gaunt appearance the way they moved slowly to conserve energy
the fact that they'd focus intensely on any food that appeared in the studio
all indicated severe malnutrition she began bringing extra food from her own
limited rations and secretly passing it to the prisoners
when guards weren't watching the feeding started small
rice balls wrapped in paper smuggled into the studio in her bag
and slipped to prisoners during breaks pickled vegetables
occasionally fruit when she could obtain any the quantities were tiny by normal standards
but significant for men who weren't receiving adequate nutrition
a rice ball containing a few ounces of rice provided hundreds of calories
that could mean the difference between functioning and collapsing
the risk was substantial Japanese authorities
treated any assistance to POWs as serious crime that could result in arrest
torture and execution the Kempeitai monitored everyone at Radio Tokyo
for signs of disloyalty or sabotage being caught feeding prisoners
would have been interpreted as collaboration with the enemy and dealt with accordingly
but Iva continued bringing food because she couldn't watch men starve
when she had resources however limited to help
Major Cousins later testified about Iva's assistance
she brought us food when she could not much she didn't have much herself
but a rice ball or some vegetables when you're starving
means everything she risked her life doing it
if the guards had caught her feeding us they would have killed her
she knew that but she did it anyway she was the only Japanese person at Radio Tokyo
who treated us like human beings rather than propaganda tools
the food smuggling expanded as Iva found additional sources
she'd use her small salary to buy food on black markets
where transactions were illegal but available she'd trade possessions for food
she could pass to prisoners she'd save portions from her own meals
going hungrier herself so prisoners could eat the systematic assistance over months
probably saved lives among POW broadcasters whose malnutrition was severe enough that small
additional calories made medical difference the broadcasts Iva's work at Radio Tokyo
required her to participate in propaganda broadcasts
that were designed to demoralize Allied forces the Zero Hour program featured music
comedy sketches and commentary that Japanese authorities believed
would make Allied soldiers homesick and reluctant to continue fighting
Iva served as announcer and occasional participant in sketches
the broadcasts used the name Tokyo Rose a generic term that Allied servicemen
applied to various female announcers on Japanese radio rather than specific individual
multiple women broadcasters worked for Radio Tokyo
during the war but Tokyo Rose became catch all designation
for any female voice on Japanese propaganda radio Iva was one of several women who filled that role
at various times though post war she would be singled out as the Tokyo Rose
despite never using that name herself the propaganda content was relatively harmless
Japanese script writers weren't sophisticated about American culture
and produced material that was more amusing than demoralizing
Iva and the POW broadcasters deliberately emphasized the entertainment aspects
while minimizing propaganda effectiveness they'd read scripts in tones that suggested
skepticism they'd insert
subtle humor that undermined messages they'd play music that boosted morale
rather than diminishing it American servicemen who listened to Zero Hour
generally enjoyed it as entertainment rather than being demoralized by it
the music was better than what most Armed Forces Radio could provide
the comedy was unintentionally funny because the cultural
misunderstandings produced absurd content the propaganda was so heavy handed
that listeners recognized it as propaganda and dismissed it post war
surveys of veterans who'd heard zero Hour broadcasts
found that approximately 80% considered them entertaining
rather than demoralizing and approximately 60% believed the broadcasters were actually
sympathetic to Allied forces despite being forced to work for Japanese radio
the double life throughout her time at Radio Tokyo
Iva maintained precarious double life publicly working for Japanese propaganda
while secretly assisting Allied prisoners the psychological strain was considerable
she had to appear cooperative enough to avoid suspicion
while undermining propaganda effectiveness when possible
she had to feed prisoners secretly while maintaining professional relationships
with Japanese staff who would have reported her if they'd known
she had to preserve her American identity internally
while presenting acceptable face to authorities who watched for disloyalty
the strain was documented in what little personal correspondence survived the war
in a letter to her family in California that was smuggled out through neutral diplomats
Iva wrote I am doing what I must to survive
but I have not forgotten who I am or where I belong
I help where I can even when helping is dangerous
I am still American regardless of what anyone here believes
or what you might hear about what I am doing trust that I remain loyal to what matters
the P O W broadcasters who worked with Iva
understood her position and protected her as much as they could
they'd create opportunities for her to pass food by asking to speak with her privately
about scripts they'd position
themselves to block guard sight lines when she was handing over food
they'd divert attention when necessary to give her time to complete handoffs
the collaboration was mutual assistance she helped them survive physically
they helped her survive legally by covering for her assistance
the wars end when Japan surrendered on August 15th, 1945
Iva Toguri experienced brief period of relief before disaster
she was free from Japanese authority could potentially return to America
and might resume normal life after four years of strain and danger
the American P O W's she'd been feeding were liberated and processed for repatriation
several told their liberators about the Japanese woman
who'd helped them describing her assistance in terms that should have resulted in gratitude
instead American
occupation authorities began searching for Tokyo Rose as suspected war criminal
journalists covering the occupation wanted to identify the woman
whose voice had been broadcasting Japanese propaganda for years
the story had dramatic elements that would sell newspapers
American woman broadcasting for enemy exotic nickname
propaganda work that could be portrayed as treason
the fact that multiple women had worked as announcers
that the broadcasts had been relatively harmless that listeners had found them entertaining
rather than demoralizing none of those complications
interfered with narrative that journalists wanted to tell
Iva was arrested on October 17th, 1945 identified as one of several women
who'd broadcast as Tokyo Rose and held for interrogation
the initial questioning focused on her citizenship status
whether she'd renounced American citizenship whether she'd accepted Japanese citizenship
what her legal status was during the war she maintained
she'd remained American citizen throughout had refused Japanese citizenship offers
and had worked at Radio Tokyo only because she needed employment to survive
the betrayal begins the arrest initiated
betrayal that would consume
the next six years of Iva's life despite initial investigations
finding no evidence of treason or deliberate propaganda on her part
despite testimony from liberated P 0 W's describing her assistance to them
despite recordings of her broadcasts showing relatively innocuous content
American authorities and journalists pursued prosecution with determination
that seemed disconnected from evidence the initial investigations
recommended against prosecution army investigators concluded
that Iva had not committed treasonous acts that her broadcasts were entertainment
rather than effective propaganda and that her assistance to P O
W's demonstrated loyalty to Allied forces rather than to Japan
the investigators recommended she be allowed to return to America
without charges but political and media
pressure demanded prosecution journalists had built
Tokyo Rose into symbol of wartime treachery and retracting the narrative
would have been embarrassing the American public still angry about the war
wanted someone to blame for Japanese propaganda Iva as American citizen who'd worked
for enemy radio was convenient target
regardless of whether evidence supported prosecution
The Justice Department reopened the case in 1948 under political pressure to prosecute
new investigators were assigned with apparent mandate to build prosecution case
rather than objectively assess evidence witnesses were pressured to change testimony
p 0 W's who'd initially described IVA's assistance
were asked leading questions designed to elicit statements
that could be interpreted as evidence of propaganda work
the investigation's outcome seemed predetermined the trial Iva Toguri
was indicted for treason on September 25th, 1948 seven years after she'd been stranded in Japan
three years after war's end she was charged with eight counts of treason
based on her broadcasts from Radio Tokyo the prosecution alleged
she'd broadcast propaganda designed to demoralize American forces
had given aid and comfort to the enemy and had done so with treasonous intent
the trial began on July 5th, 1949 in San Francisco
it lasted three months and became media spectacle the proceedings were documented extensively
providing detailed record of what was either justice
or persecution depending on perspective
the prosecution case was thin recordings of Iva's broadcasts
showed relatively innocuous content music introductions comedy sketches
news readings that were obviously propaganda but not particularly effective
the prosecution relied heavily on testimony from two witnesses
who claimed Iva had made specific broadcasts that supported prosecution theory
both witnesses later recanted stating they'd been coerced by FBI agents
who'd threatened them with prosecution if they didn't cooperate
the defense presented testimony from multiple P 0 ws who'd worked at Radio Tokyo
and described Iva's assistance Major Cousins testified extensively
about the food she'd smuggled to prisoners and the risks she'd taken
other P O W broadcasters corroborated the assistance
several testified that Iva had deliberately undermined propaganda effectiveness
by her delivery and that she'd never expressed support for Japanese war effort
the prosecution countered by arguing that whatever assistance
Iva had provided to individual POWs was irrelevant
to the question of whether her broadcasts constituted treason
the broadcasts had occurred she'd been paid for them by Japanese authorities
and intent could be inferred from her
willingness to work for enemy radio
the legal theory was questionable but sufficient for jury instructions
the verdict and sentence on September 29th, 1949 after 13 hours of deliberation
the jury convicted Iva Togary on one count of treason
specifically that she had broadcast statement that Allied forces had suffered military losses
which was alleged to give aid and comfort to the enemy
the jury acquitted her on seven other counts several jurors later stated
they'd felt pressured to convict on at least one count
despite believing the evidence was insufficient that the lengthy trial and political atmosphere
made complete acquittal seem untenable even if it was legally justified
Judge Michael Roche sentenced Iva to 10 years in federal prison
and a $10,000 fine harsh sentence for conviction based on broadcasting
factually accurate statement about military losses
the sentence reflected less the specific crime than the symbolic
importance that had been attached to prosecuting Tokyo Rose
regardless of whether the individual prosecuted had actually committed substantive offenses
Iva was incarcerated at Federal Reformatory for women
in Alderson West Virginia she served six years
before being released on January 28th, 1956 for good behavior
the imprisonment was documented in prison records that showed she'd been model prisoner
who worked in prison library maintained perfect discipline record
and counted days until release that would allow her to resume life
that had been stolen by prosecution the long fight for justice
after release from prison Iva lived in Chicago
where her family had relocated from California she worked in her father's import business
avoided public attention and lived quietly while maintaining her innocence
and hoping for eventual exoneration the hope seemed unrealistic
presidential pardons for treason convictions were extraordinarily rare
and the political atmosphere that had driven prosecution
hadn't changed significantly the campaign for justice
gained momentum in the 1970s as journalists began investigating the case
more carefully investigative reporters discovered evidence
that had been withheld from defense during trial found witnesses who'd recanted
coerced testimony and documented FBI
misconduct during investigation the revelations raised serious questions
about whetherIva had received fair trial and whether conviction
had been product of political pressure rather than legal evidence
veterans who'd listened to zero hour broadcasts organized to support Iva's pardon petition
they testified that the broadcasts had been entertaining
rather than demoralizing that Tokyo Rose had been viewed as friend
rather than enemy that the propaganda had been ineffective
several former P O W's wrote statements describing Iva's assistance
and arguing that she'd helped Allied forces rather than aiding Japan
the campaign culminated in petition for presidential pardon filed in 1976
the petition documented trial irregularities presented evidence
that had been unavailable during original proceedings
and argued that justice demanded correction of wrongful conviction
the petition was supported by veterans organizations
civil rights groups and journalists who'd investigated the case
the pardon on January 19th, 1977 his last full day in office
President Gerald Ford granted Ivana Togary full and unconditional pardon
for her treason conviction the pardon didn't address
guilt or innocence directly but acknowledged that substantial doubts existed
about whether justice had been served by prosecution
and conviction Ford's statement accompanying the pardon
noted that Iva had served her sentence and that clemency is warranted
based on her personal situation the pardon restored Iva's civil rights
and removed the legal stigma of treason conviction
but it didn't restore
the years she'd lost to imprisonment or repair damage to her reputation
she was 60 years old when pardoned had spent six years in prison
and had lived nearly 30 years under cloud of treason
conviction the justice
came too late to undo most of the harm that wrongful prosecution had caused
Iva's response to the pardon was characteristically understated
in a brief statement she said I am grateful to President Ford
and to everyone who worked for justice in my case I have always maintained my innocence
and I am pleased that I have been pardoned but I would have preferred
that the trial had never happened that I had been allowed to return home
without being prosecuted for helping prisoners and working for survival during wartime
the Quiet Remainder after receiving her pardon Iva Toguri
lived quietly in Chicago for another 29 years she granted occasional interviews to journalists
researching the Tokyo Rose case but generally avoided public attention
she maintained that she'd done nothing wrong during the war
that she'd helped American p 0 W's rather than harming American forces
and that her prosecution had been miscarriage of justice
driven by political pressure rather than legal merit
she died on September 26th, 2006 at age 90 survived by family
who'd supported her throughout ordeal that had defined much of her adult life
her obituaries finally told the full story not just the prosecution and conviction
but the assistance she'd provided to P O W's the food she'd smuggled at risk of execution
the years she'd spent in prison
for helping the men she was later accused of betraying
the veterans who'd known her broadcasts and the P 0 ws she'd helped
wrote tributes describing what she'd meant to them
they emphasized that Tokyo Rose had been friend rather than enemy
that the broadcasts had boosted morale rather than undermining it
and that Iva Togoori had sacrificed her freedom to help prisoners
who needed assistance the tributes provided closure
that legal proceedings had never achieved recognition from the people who actually mattered
that she'd been on the right side despite everything that had happened to her
Click on any text or timestamp to jump to that moment in the video
Share:
Most transcripts ready in under 5 seconds
One-Click Copy125+ LanguagesSearch ContentJump to Timestamps
Paste YouTube URL
Enter any YouTube video link to get the full transcript
Transcript Extraction Form
Most transcripts ready in under 5 seconds
Get Our Chrome Extension
Get transcripts instantly without leaving YouTube. Install our Chrome extension for one-click access to any video's transcript directly on the watch page.
