Yankee Samurai: The Secret Role of Nisei in America's Pacific Victory [Hardcover]

Joseph D. Harrington (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Pettigrew Enterprises (August 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0933680112
• ISBN-13: 978-0933680111
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #485,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding historical account of Japanese-Americans in WW2, December 31, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Yankee Samurai: The Secret Role of Nisei in America's Pacific Victory (R163) (Hardcover)

Thanks to the Freedom of Information Act and the efforts of the author, Joseph Harrington, the accomplishments of the over 5,000 Nisei to the American victory of Japan are now documented. Virtually unknown before the publication of this book, these loyal Americans volunteered from the concentration camps their families had been condemned to by Executive order 9066 in 1942. By using their knowledge of the Japanese language, U.S. intelligence knew the order of battle of Japanese forces in the Pacific almost down to the level of sergeants and corporals. This book recounts the many personal experiences of the men who so gallantly served the United States in the Pacific war, and who were commended by General MacArthur's staff for shortening the war by two years and saving a million American casualties. They have even been honored by the Japanese government! It has been my honor to know many of these fine men personally through the MIS Service Club of Southern California. All Americans, especially those who still think of Nisei as "Japanese" need to read this book, and find out what the color of honor is all about.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Challenging the Establishment Version of Anything is a Civic Responsibility "and Great Fun", August 23, 2006

By 

James E. Egolf "James E. Egolf, MA" (Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Yankee Samurai: The Secret Role of Nisei in America's Pacific Victory (Hardcover)

Joseph Harrington's YANKEE SAMUARI is an important book that has been neglected. Yet, this book is a necessary tribute to Americans of Japanese Ancestry (AJAs)who served in the U.S. military during World War II. These men served in combat in North Africa, Europe, and the South Pacific. Mr. Harrington's book is an antidote to those who refuse to recognize such valor or too cowardly to report it.

Harrington makes clear that when World War II erupted, the American military authorities lacked intelligence officers who could translate Japanese intercepts. Their desparation was so great that U.S. milirary officials had to enter American concentration camps where AJAs were confined due to Pres. Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066 which ordered all U.S. citizens to these camps for no reason whatsoever. Even the FBI Director, J. Edgar Hooever, was clear that AJAs were not a threat to American security. The Munson Report which was issued on November 7, 1941 clearly indicated that AJAs were remarkably loyal to the United States. Yet, these unfortunate men, women, and children were forced into these camps. When U.S. military authroties asked these men to volunteer for very dangerous intelligence duty, they did so in spite of their most unfair circumstances.

Harrington gives anecdotes of the heroism and effectiveness of the men who volunteered for both dangerous combat duty and intelligence work. These men infiltrated Japanese units, gathered intelligence, and helped American POWs escape. These AJAs did so at great personal risk. They knew that if they were detected and captured, they would be tortured to death.

The effectiveness of the AJA intelligence operatives is amazing. These operatives knew when members of the Japanese officer corps visited their girlfriends and exactly where. Such intelligence information enabled American pilots to attack the appartments and houses and destroying the Japanese officer corps. When the Americans wanted to attack part of the Aleutian Islands that the Japanese had previously captured, the AJAs' intelligence was so accurate, that they knew that less than ten Japanese soliders were there.

General MacArthur openly admitted that the AJAs intelligence officers saved over a million American lives. When some members of the Marine Corps and Navy refused to permit the AJAs on naval vessels, General MacArthur stopped this nonsense because he knew just how important the AJAs were.

The AJAs not only distingusshed themselves in the Pacific, they also distingushed themselves in North Africa. Some of the AJAs were among the first to see combat in North Africa in 1942. The AJA Unit known as the 442nd. rescued a unit from Texas in France or Italy. The Germans had these Texans trapped, and the Army asked for volunteers to rescue these men. Harrington gives a good description of the AJAs of the 442nd. successfully rescuing these troops from Texas. Readers should note that the AJAs in the 442nd. had more casualties than men they rescued.

Readers should also that proportionally the AJAs were the most highly decorated American units during World War II. These men took great risks while their wives, children, parents, and other relatives were in concentration camps in the U.S. Readers may know that some of these men were given The Congressinal Medal of Honor (some posthumously)as their courage was fully recognized due to anti-Japanese nonsense.

Joseph Harrington wrote a solid book on a neglected part of U.S. History. Much of the heroism of the AJAs has been neglected or dismissed by "mainstream" historians. Yet, Mr. Harrington cites documents and shows that the AJAs were vital for U.S. military intelligence during World War II. There is little record of such historical work, and Mr. Harrington's book is a good place to start.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Harrington's writing may not be great, but his research is, January 17, 2006

By 

History Buff (Seattle, Wa., USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yankee Samurai: The Secret Role of Nisei in America's Pacific Victory (Hardcover)

Harrington may not be a great writer technically, but his "Yankee Samurai" is a fascinating read. Who else has bothered to interview some Nisei soldiers allowed into the Pacific and written up their contributions? Let's not let arguments over Nimitz and Marines vs. MacArthur sidetrack us, since no leaders were perfect. The Pacific stories of the Nisei soldiers themselves are what count, and Harrington's critics should prove them untrue before dismissing his contribution. Many outstanding researchers aren't great writers. Most of us remain massively ignorant of the several important Japanese cultures around the world during the 1930s and 1940s, and Harrington's work helps to fill our voids of knowledge. The Japanese militarists operated a vast spying and intelligence system around the world before and during WWII, but Harrington notes that most of our American Nisei who enlisted in the U.S. military had to take crash courses in Japanese after they joined the American military, since they couldn't speak, read or write the difficult Japanese; and the militarists in Japan didn't trust their allegiance.