Kenjiro Akune: Internee, M.I.S. veteran
Early Life:
Ken’s father owned a small store in Stanislaus where Ken delivered Japanese food to nearby farmers. His mother unfortunately passed away in 1933 in Japan. Ken and his family went to Japan, however only Ken, Harry, and their father returned to Southern California.
World War II:
On December 7th, 1941 Ken was 18 years old when the bombing of Pearl Harbor occurred. Shortly after, Executive Order 9066 was passed and both Ken and Harry were relocated to the Granada Internment Camp in Amache, Colorado. There, Ken farmed on nearby land until he enlisted in the war. Although hesitant at first for his young age, the government drafted Ken into the Military Intelligence Service. As a part of MIS, Ken travelled to Burma and China and interrogated Japanese prisoners. Ken admits that this job wasn’t easy. The Japanese were very hard to interrogate because they were very loyal and willing to sacrifice themselves for Japan, but by fulfilling his promise of four cigarettes a day to the prisoners, he was able to gain some trust. Ken also experienced discrimination during his service. Though treated with disrespect during the war, Ken’s efforts were vital to the success of American victory in Asia.
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Post War:
After the war ended, Ken returned to Japan to visit his family. Here, while reconnecting with his two younger brothers, he found out that they fought against each other since the younger brothers fought for Japan during the war. There grew tension between the brothers, but was quickly stopped by their father reminding them that the war was over. Now, Ken is 93 years old and currently resides in Gardena, California where he lives with his wife Alice. He also volunteers his time for the Go For Broke Organization. He volunteers as a docent at the Go For Broke Monument in Little Tokyo where he tells his story.
Biography:
Kenjiro “Ken” Akune was born in 1923 in Pacific States (Stanislaus), California. He is the second oldest of four sons with a total of nine children. Ken was sent to the Granada War Relocation Camp in Amache, Colorado under Executive Order 9066. There, both Ken and his older brother Harry enlisted into the war and both became a part of MIS (Military Intelligence Service). Ken currently volunteers for the Go For Broke Organization.