Sgt. Ben Kuroki: Japanese American B-24/B-29 Gunner

Only Japanese American to fight over Japan WW2

Straight from a Nebraska farm, Ben joined the U.S. military after the attack on Pearl Harbor but his fight to fight had just begun. All Japanese American servicemen were not allowed to fight in combat but Ben managed to get assigned to a B-24 while a clerk in England: they needed extra gunners. He was shot down and taken prisoner in Spain; escaped prison and was recaptured; got back in a B-24 and was wounded and served extra missions past his requirement (30 out of 25). Forbidden to fight the Japanese, he managed to get a gunner position in a B-29 where he served til wounded by a fellow soldier who knifed him in the face for being of Japanese descent. Passed over for awards given the rest of his crew, he returned to the U.S. to be greeted as a hero by many including generals Wainwright, Doolittle, Bradley, and Spaatz. His medals include: a Distinguished Service Medal, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, five Air Medals with oak leaf clusters. Ben died in 2015 aged 98.

The Valorous never give up the fight for honor. Valor is in you. Set it free.