After the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, life for Americans of Japanese descent became terrible. Their nightmare worsened with President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s February 19, 1942, Executive Order 9066, which allowed the military to relocate Japanese Americans at its discretion. This resulted in over 110,000 first-, second-, third-, and fourth-generation Americans on the West Coast being forcibly detained in internment camps. Most were full U.S. citizens.

The small Asian population of Hershey, Nebraska, was never considered a threat, and no Japanese Americans living there were removed (although their bank accounts were frozen and their weapons and cameras were confiscated). Ben Kuroki, 24, was angry and embarrassed by Japan’s sneak attack on Hawaii. Born in Nebraska to Japanese-immigrant parents, he was an American who wanted to prove his loyalty. When Ben asked his father about enlisting in the military, he was told, “This is your country. Go ahead and fight for it.”

It’s Ben’s story that investigative journalist Gregg Jones ably tells in Most Honorable Son: A Forgotten Hero’s Fight Against Fascism and Hate During World War II. Thanks to his impressive research, he also provides a good overview of the war in North Africa, Europe, and the Pacific along the way.

Both Ben and his brother Fred enlisted and were assigned to the Army Air Force (AAF) 8th Air Force, where Ben later served in its 93rd Bomb Group. Once in uniform, he was immediately subjected to the unrestrained racism and bigotry rampant throughout the military. To make matters worse, most bases were in the Jim Crow South. There was no relief from the hate whether he was on duty or off.

The Kuroki brothers were sent for training at Sheppard Field in Texas, where they were openly ridiculed, given menial tasks, and made to feel unwelcome. Ben had to fight every day to stay with his unit, go to gunnery school, and eventually be allowed to deploy overseas. He was relentless in his efforts to join a bomber crew and get in the fight. While stationed in England, he garnered a few friends and supporters, one of whom recommended him to the pilot of the “Red Ass,” which needed a replacement gunner. The selection was put to a vote by the crew. With no objections, Ben was brought aboard. He was now really in the war in Europe.

Jones’ detailed description of Ben’s many hazardous missions is thrilling. There was anti-aircraft fire from the ground, flak all around, whizzing bursts of bullets from fighter planes, and countless crashes, injuries, and deaths. Thousands of bomber crews on both sides perished, and the losses of comrades were wrenching. Most Honorable Son — which takes its title from the nickname given to Ben by his unit — covers Ben’s improbable 58 combat missions. Only 25 were required; he volunteered for the rest.

Ben’s command recognized his outstanding service — which included a bizarre stretch as an “internee” in neutral Spain after a forced landing — and he returned to the States a national hero. But he wasn’t done yet: He wanted to fight in the Pacific. Military policy forbade airmen of Japanese descent to do so, but Ben used his newfound celebrity to get an exception, becoming the only Japanese American airman to fight against Japan in the sky. Soon, he was serving as a tail gunner on the new B-29 Superfortress bombers strafing Japanese cities.

After the war, Ben was stationed on the West Coast. Though he exuded confidence, he was frequently scorned in public and cursed as a “damn Jap,” even while in uniform. Nonetheless, he was invited by the military to tell his story for recruitment purposes. He usually gave a patriotic message but didn’t shy away from mentioning the disturbing truths about bigotry in the military. The brass wasn’t pleased, but he was never directly censured. He also visited Japanese internment camps, where he criticized draft resisters, whom he didn’t understand. This, too, caused several brouhahas.

In time, Ben married, raised a family, and used his GI Bill to earn a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska. A celebrity-hero, he was always in demand by groups eager to hear his stories. He accepted these requests and spoke boldly about racism and the loss of civil rights at a time when these issues were fomenting across the country. By the end of his long life, he knew he’d proven his loyalty to the United States. 

In bringing Ben Kuroki’s story to life, Jones has crafted a sweeping piece of military and civilian history. His research is amazing, and he covers a lot of material while simultaneously whetting readers’ appetites for more. Most Honorable Son has motivated me, a former U.S. Army captain, to further explore the AAF, WWII bombers, and our country’s own concentration camps that once stripped thousands of our fellow citizens of their constitutional rights.

Paul D. Pearlstein is a retired attorney and a docent at the National Museum of American History.

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