Japanese pilot who led Pearl Harbor WWII attack became US citizen

examiner.com ^ | 09/18/11 | Gil Guignat

[SGW]

This man [ Mitsuo Fuchida ] who led the first wave of airplane attacks on Pearl Harbor during the Second World War was honored with United States citizenship in 1966. His attack caused the deaths of 2500 Americans the morning of December 7, 1941.

“After World War II ended, Fuchida became an evangelist Christian preacher and frequently travelled to the United States to minister to the Japanese expatriate community. He became a United States citizen in 1966.”

[SGW]

I still cannot believe that the US government honored this Japanese pilot who caused the deaths of 2500 Americans with US citizenship. It is no wonder our immigration policy is in shambles. Next thing you will know is that Obama will sign an executive order to give the family of the dead 9-11 terrorists retroactive social security benefits. You laugh but our immigration policy is so ridiculous now that this would not surprise me. Or maybe the family of the 9-11 terrorisat will sue the airlines for not having better security thus causing the deaths of the terrorists. We live in madness.

[MinorityRepublican]

The past is the past. We have to move on. The USA was right in granting him citizenship. After all, he converted to Christianity.

[dragonblustar]

My grandfather must be rolling in his grave.

[Last Dakotan]

At least US citizenship isn’t granted on the basis of racial purity as is with the Japanese.

[gorush]

We elected a muslim after 9-11...our government has been infested with commies since the ‘20’s...what other result could one expect.

[skeeter]

Blame the military leaders who set Japan's foreign policy. Fuchida was a soldier & spent alot of time and energy reaching out to his old enemy after the war. By all accounts he was a decent man.

Besides, at least one of his kids moved to the states. I suspect this had something to do with his becoming a citizen.

But your are correct - our immigration policy today is totally insane.

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

I don’t see what the big deal is. He was a legal naval combatant fighting for his country at the time. If you read the wiki article, it goes on to state how he came to reject the bushido code he believed in as a Japanese citizen, converted to Christianity and came to respect and believe in American values of the country he eventually adopted as his own...

[Protoss]

I agree that our immigration policy is messed up and we shouldn’t have let this guy in. But, not because he killed Americans in a war. He was a Soldier doing his job.

[mr_griz]

Why so horrified? The man acted honorably by any standard. It was his government which decided to attack us, not him. He simply performed his duty to country, a value which is pretty universally respected, or used to be anyway. I’d be much more horrified to read about a coward or deserter becoming a US citizen.

[Larry Lucido]

You link to the examiner blog a lot, but it is really a crappy site full of flash and trackers. Do you have a better source for this story besides the examiner blog? If not, could you just post the entire blog instead of making folks go there and pick up malware?

[Pigsley]

I heard this story the other day...must be going around. It did shock me.

I can see both sides...How could the U.S. govt do this? But, then if, by 1966, he had renounced the gvt that HE SERVED AS A MILITARY MAN....and, then becoming a Christian, becoming a pastor? It's an enormous amount to think about.

I must say...when I heard it...I thought: Uh-oh...Urban legend. But...what do I know? If it's true I'd love to read more about it...ALL ABOUT IT.

This sounds like an epic movie with a fantastic ending.

I'm still wondering about the urban legend thingy.

[Berlin_Freeper]

This is what happens when you make peace.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

It is rough. I guess folks feel he repented?

[SGW]

Well I am stuck on the idea that he spearheaded the killing of 2500 Americans.

Why did we pursue German soldiers for war crimes? We should have forgiven them too after all they were doing their jobs.

Come to think of it, I don’t recall the Japanese showering the Americans who dropped the nuclear bombs in Japan with Japanese citizenship. They too were doing their jobs.

while we are at it, what is the big deal with building a Mosque at ground zero. Those wanting to build the mosque had nothing to do with 9-11.

[Larry Lucido]

Here - Much better than the examiner blog.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsuo_Fuchida

Mitsuo Fuchida 3 December 1902 – 30 May 1976) was a Japanese Captain[1] in the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service and a bomber pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy before and during World War II. He is perhaps best known for leading the first air wave attacks on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Fuchida was responsible for the coordination of the entire aerial attack working under the overall fleet commander Vice Admiral Nagumo.

After World War II ended, Fuchida became an evangelist Christian preacher and frequently travelled to the United States to minister to the Japanese expatriate community. He became a United States citizen in 1966.[2]

[eater-of-toast]

I’m with you. God may forgive him, but I won’t.

[max americana]

I read Fuchida’s story many years ago so this is not news to me. In an interview, he respected the United States and it’s soldiers and during war, you have to obey the commands of your superiors. Unlike in America, the hierarchy of Japanese culture is in the senpai’ or senior class that you HAVE to obey. I know...I co-translate Japanese animes for a fansub group.

He became a US citizen not only because of his children but he also believed that in America, Christianity is more accepted than it is in Japan where the prevalent religion is in the shinto’. I will give him a pass on this. I have an issue and real problem if he preached against the United States but he didn’t.

[Reily]

I don't have a problem with this.
He did what a soldier does.
If he were alive today, would anyone here have a problem with giving Robert E. Lee back his citizenship?
He became citizen of a rebelling section of the country, that for all intents and purposes was another country. He made war on the country he had sworn to serve. He was the leading military figure in a conflict that costs the North (i.e. the USG!) 300000 lives (the South roughly the same!) Heck I would even give Jeff Davis his citizenship back if he was alive to accept it and wanted it.
I once met an American citizen who had been a U-boat captain. He was an engineer at a local plant where I grew up.
If this guy had been a commander of a POW camp, then I would ask a lot of questions & demand documentation before I would even consider. Remember Japanese POW camps had a higher mortality rate then German concentration camps.

[Pigsley]

Heard this story the other day...must be going around. It did shock me.

I can see both sides...How could the U.S. govt do this? But, then if, by 1966, he had renounced the gvtmt that HE SERVED AS A MILITARY MAN....and, then becoming a Christian, becoming a pastor? It’s an enormous amount to think about.

I must say...when I heard it...I thought: Hmmmm...Urban legend. But...what do I know? If it’s true I’d love to read more about it...ALL ABOUT IT.

This sounds like an epic movie with a fantastic ending.

I’m still wondering about the urban legend thingy

[Tonytitan]

Blame the military leaders who set Japan's foreign policy.

That's absolutely correct. Isoroku Yamamoto, who planned and let the Pearl Harbor attack, studied 3 years at Harvard and knew America well. He begged the Japanese High Command to leave us alone. He was overruled and ordered to attack, which he reluctantly did. He was not proud of attacking a "sleeping giant".