Karl Bendetsen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karl Bendetsen
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| United States Under Secretary of the Army | |
| In office May 1952 – October 1952 |
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| President | Harry S. Truman |
| Preceded by | Archibald S. Alexander |
| Succeeded by | Earl D. Johnson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 11, 1907 |
| Died | June 28, 1989 (aged 81) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1940-1945 |
| Rank |  Colonel |
| Unit | Washington Army National Guard |
Karl Robin Bendetsen (born October 11, 1907 – died June 28, 1989) was an American Colonel who served in the Washington Army National Guard. He was active during World War II. Later, he became the United States Under Secretary of the Army.
Bendetsen is mostly known for his part in the Japanese American internment. This was when Japanese Americans were forced to move to special camps during World War II. He tried to make his role seem smaller in later years.
Contents
Early Life and Military Start
Karl Bendetsen was born in Aberdeen, Washington. His family was Lithuanian Jewish. His parents, Albert M. and Anna Bendetson, were born in America.
Karl changed how his last name was spelled in early 1942. He later claimed his family came from Danish lumbermen. They supposedly came to America as early as 1670.
Joining the Military
Karl joined the Washington National Guard when he was only fourteen. This was younger than the legal age. But the National Guard often allowed young men to join.
As he got older, Karl joined the Army ROTC. He later became an infantry officer in the Army Reserve.
World War II Role
By 1941, Bendetson was a major. He worked for Major General Allen W. Guillion. This was in the Wartime Civil Control Administration.
Trip to Hawaii
In September 1941, Bendetson went to Hawaii. He talked about the need to hold "enemy aliens" if war started. He worried that "good Americans" might be too kind to people of Japanese descent.
Taking Over a Factory
In November, Bendetson was sent to New Jersey. His job was to take over an aircraft plant. President Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted to make more war supplies.
Bendetsen had written orders for taking over factories. He later told a story about facing down striking workers. However, the army had already taken control of the plant before he arrived.
Leading the Japanese American Internment
After the Attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested about 5,500 Japanese American leaders. These arrests happened in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii. The government worried they were working for Empire of Japan. But later, all of them were found innocent.
Executive Order 9066
In early 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. This order let military leaders create "exclusion zones." These were areas where certain people could be removed for military safety.
Bendetsen then created a plan. This plan forced all people of Japanese background to leave the West Coast. This included both those born in Japan and those born in America. He convinced Lieutenant General John L. DeWitt to use his plan. DeWitt had wanted a less strict plan.
Forced Relocation
At first, only parts of Arizona, Washington, Oregon, and California were "Military Area No. 1." Many Japanese Americans moved to other parts of their states. Some moved to other states entirely. Bendetsen later called this "voluntary relocation." But these moves were ordered by the government.
Then, the Western Defense Command expanded the "exclusion zone." It included all of California. Japanese Americans were not allowed to leave these military areas. Only those who had moved out of California avoided being rounded up. They were first held in "assembly centers." These were often horse stalls at racetracks. Later, they were moved to "relocation centers."
Reasons for Internment
Bendetsen and others said the internment was needed for military safety. But reports from the FBI and the Office of Naval Intelligence said otherwise. They stated that most Japanese Americans were loyal to the U.S. Their parents, who could not become citizens, were also loyal.
Bendetsen also ordered that anyone with "one drop of Japanese blood" be confined. This meant even babies and children from orphanages were removed. Hospital patients were also moved. Some even died because their care was stopped. He later said the orders were not so broad. But even Japanese American soldiers in the Military Intelligence Service were forced to leave California.
Throughout the war, Bendetsen and DeWitt opposed army orders. These orders would have allowed Japanese American soldiers to visit coastal states. They feared ridicule. The soldiers had proven their loyalty. Yet, their families were kept behind barbed wire.
Opposing Reparations
After the war, a group called the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians held hearings. In 1983, they decided there was no good reason for the actions against Japanese Americans.
Bendetsen joined others who had been involved in the internment. He spoke against the commission's findings. He strongly opposed paying money (reparations) to those who had been held in the camps.
Changing His Story
After the war, Bendetsen often changed his stories. He made his role in the army seem bigger. At the same time, he made his part in the internment seem smaller.
Pearl Harbor Claims
In 1972, he was interviewed for the Harry S. Truman library. He claimed he was a "Special Representative of the Secretary of War" in late 1941. He said he met with generals in the Philippines and Hawaii. He claimed he left Hawaii just days before the Pearl Harbor attacks.
He told a detailed story about flying back to Washington. He said he had an important message for Army Chief of Staff George Marshall. He claimed he was told to go home first. Then, he said, he got an urgent call about the Pearl Harbor attacks.
Family History Claims
Bendetsen's grandparents came from Lithuania and Poland in the 1860s. His father was born in New York.
However, Karl changed his name in 1942. In 1970, he claimed his family came from Denmark in the 1800s. He said they were lumbermen. In truth, his grandparents were from Germany and Poland.
In 1983, he claimed his first Danish ancestor came in 1670. He said his family had been in the timber business ever since. He also said he sold lumber to Japanese ships. In reality, his family only entered the timber business after he retired from the army. He became a consultant for a paper company in 1952.
