Ben Kuroki facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ben Kuroki
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Ben Kuroki in flight jacket
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| Nickname(s) | Most Honorable Son, Sad Saki |
| Born | May 16, 1917 Gothenburg, Nebraska |
| Died | September 1, 2015 (aged 98) Camarillo, California |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |
 United States Army Air Forces |
| Years of service | 1941–1946 |
| Rank | Technical Sergeant |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Flying Cross (×3) Air Medal with oak leaf clusters (×5) |
Ben Kuroki (May 16, 1917 – September 1, 2015) was a brave American soldier. He was the only American of Japanese descent to fly combat missions in the Pacific part of World War II. He served in the United States Army Air Forces.
Ben flew a total of 58 dangerous combat missions. These flights took him over Europe, North Africa, and Japan during World War II. He was a true hero who fought for his country.
Contents
Ben's Early Life and Joining the Army
Ben Kuroki was born in Gothenburg, Nebraska on May 16, 1917. His parents, Shosuke and Naka Kuroki, were immigrants from Japan. Ben was one of ten children in his family.
When Ben was just one year old, his family moved to Hershey, Nebraska. There, they owned and worked on a farm. Ben went to Hershey High School. He graduated in 1936 and was even the Vice-President of his senior class.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, Ben's father encouraged him and his brother Fred to join the U.S. Military. At first, recruiters in Grand Island said no to them. But they tried again in North Platte. This time, they were accepted without any problems.
Ben joked that the recruiter might have thought "Kuroki" was a Polish name. He also said the recruiter told him nationality didn't matter because he earned money for every person he signed up. Later, two more of Ben's brothers, Bill and Henry, also served in the military during the war.
When Ben and Fred joined the U.S. Army, they were among the first Nisei (second-generation Japanese Americans) to do so. They went to basic training in Texas in January 1942. This was just over a month after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Ben's Military Adventures
Ben was first sent to the 93rd Bombardment Group in Florida. He was told that Japanese Americans could not serve overseas. But Ben didn't give up! In 1942, he asked his commanding officer for permission. He was then allowed to work as a clerk for the Eighth Air Force in England.
There was a big need for aerial gunners. Ben volunteered and went to gunnery school for two weeks. He became a dorsal turret gunner on a B-24 Liberator. This was a very common American heavy bomber used in World War II.
One time, Ben's B-24 plane crash-landed in Spanish Morocco. He and his crew were captured by Spanish officials. After three months, the U.S. Department of State helped get them released. Ben then went back to England and rejoined his squadron.
On August 1, 1943, Ben took part in a famous bombing mission called Operation Tidal Wave. The goal was to destroy a major oil refinery in Ploiești, Romania. Ben flew 30 combat missions in Europe. This was more than the usual 25 missions required.
After a medical check, he was allowed to fly 5 more missions. Ben said he did it for his brother Fred, who was still in the U.S. On his 30th mission, he was slightly hurt when his gun turret was hit by enemy flak.
When Ben returned to the United States for rest, the Army asked him to visit Japanese American internment camps. He encouraged young Japanese American men to join the military. Ben was featured in many news stories, including one in Time magazine.
Ben wanted to fight in the Pacific part of the war, but his request was denied. Only after Henry Stimson, the Secretary of War, stepped in was his request granted. Ben then joined the crew of a B-29 Superfortress plane. His crew even named their plane Sad Saki after him!
This new assignment took him to Tinian Island. From there, Ben flew another 28 bombing missions over mainland Japan and other places. Ben Kuroki is the only Japanese American known to have flown air combat missions in the Pacific during the war.
Ben received many awards for his bravery. He earned one Distinguished Flying Cross for his 25 missions in Europe. He got another for his part in the Ploiești raid. After his 28 missions in the Pacific, Ben was awarded a third Distinguished Flying Cross. He also received the Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters. By the end of the war, Ben Kuroki had completed 58 combat missions. He was promoted to the rank of Technical Sergeant.
The New York Times newspaper once wrote about Ben. They said that famous generals like George Marshall and Jimmy Doolittle wanted to meet him.
Fighting for Fairness
Ben Kuroki was very proud to be an American. But he also knew that people of color faced unfair treatment. After the war, he continued to speak out about the need for racial equality and against racial prejudice.
He went on many speaking tours to share his message. He used his own savings and small donations to pay for these trips. A book about him, Boy From Nebraska: The Story of Ben Kuroki by Ralph G. Martin, also helped fund his efforts.
When asked about his struggle to overcome prejudice, Ben said something powerful: "I had to fight like hell for the right to fight for my own country."
Life After the Military
After the war, Ben went to the University of Nebraska. He earned a Bachelor's degree in journalism in 1950. He worked as a reporter and editor for newspapers in different states. He retired in 1984.
On August 12, 2005, Ben Kuroki received the Distinguished Service Medal. This was for his amazing service in the war and for overcoming so much prejudice. The next day, he received an honorary Doctorate degree from the University of Nebraska. His story is also told in a Public Broadcasting Service documentary called "Most Honorable Son: Ben Kuroki's Amazing War Story".
Ben Kuroki passed away on September 1, 2015, in Camarillo, California. He was 98 years old.
See also
- History of Nebraska
- Frank Fujita, a Japanese-American soldier who was captured by the Japanese during World War II.
Book list
- Martin, Ralph G. (1946). Boy from Nebraska: The Story of Ben Kuroki. New York: Harper & Brothers. OCLC 1287006
- Sterner, C. Douglas. (2007). Go for Broke: The Nisei Warriors of World War II Who Conquered Germany, Japan, and American Bigotry, Clearfield, Utah: American Legacy Media. ISBN: 978-0-9796896-1-1 OCLC 141855086
- Yenne, Bill. (2007). Rising Sons: The Japanese American GIs Who Fought for the United States in World War II. New York: Macmillan. ISBN: 978-0-312-35464-0
