Curio Cabinet

Traitor, hero or someone who was just in a bind? Iva Toguri D’Aquino, also known as “Tokyo Rose,” was convicted of treason this week in 1949, but she was pardoned for the crime in 1977. Though she was reviled for a long time by the American public as a traitor, she was also vindicated later on. And all of this because she happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time during WWII.
 
Iva Toguri was born in Los Angeles, California, on July 4, 1916, to Japanese immigrants. Despite her timely birthday and citizenship, Toguri would go on to become one of the most infamous civilian figures in WWII, even if that reputation was undeserved. Toguri grew up in the U.S. and attended UCLA. Soon after graduating, she traveled to Japan to visit a sick relative. It just so happened that she was traveling with a Certificate of Identification instead of a passport, which wouldn’t have been a problem…if the Japanese Imperial Navy hadn’t attacked Pearl Harbor while she was still in Japan. In the wake of the attack, the U.S. refused to grant her a passport or certify her citizenship, effectively stranding Toguri in Japan. The Japanese government wasn’t any friendlier, declaring her an “enemy alien” after she refused to renounce her American citizenship. Nevertheless, she was able to find work for a while as a typist while taking Japanese language classes. Then, in November of 1943, Toguri was forced to begin working on an English-language propaganda radio show called “Zero Hour” alongside Australian and American POWs.
 
In some ways, Toguri’s situation was far from unique. During WWII, the Japanese military forced many of its English-speaking prisoners and civilians to work on propaganda broadcasts aimed at the Allies. Zero Hour was aimed at American troops with the intent of demoralizing them. However, it didn’t always go as planned, as was the case with Toguri. Under the shared moniker “Orphan Annie,” Toguri was one of many women who worked as a DJ on the show, all of whom were collectively called “Tokyo Rose” by American listeners. When she was on air, she frequently used slang terms and made double entendres that her Japanese overseers didn’t understand with the purpose of undermining the propaganda efforts. Indeed, according to various accounts, her show had the opposite of the intended effect. Instead of feeling demoralized, American troops actually enjoyed her show, which often featured popular American music of the time. Also while working with the POWs, she smuggled food and other supplies to them whenever she could, though her efforts weren’t recognized for decades. Before she returned to the U.S. in 1947, she married Felipe D’Aquino, but divorced after he was unable to get permission to enter the U.S. with her. As soon as she arrived in the U.S., there was a massive public outcry to prosecute her. Though she wasn’t the only “Tokyo Rose,” she found herself held accountable as the only one. After she was convicted of treason in 1949, she spent six years in prison.
 
Toguri was pardoned in 1977 by President Gerald Ford thanks to several factors. An investigation into her trial revealed that several witnesses for the prosecution had been coerced into committing perjury. Secondly, her subversive actions against the Japanese military during her time as a propagandist came to light. In recognition of her innocence and her efforts to aid the American POWs, Toguri was awarded the Edward J. Herlihy Citizenship Award by the World War II Veterans Committee in 2006. Toguri passed away that same year, and today she’s remembered mostly as a hero, not a traitor. Is there any better way to be vindicated?

One man’s unexploded ordnance is another critter’s treasure. Using an undersea submersible, researchers at the Senckenberg Research Institute in Germany have found that marine life is thriving on what used to be the deadliest weapons in the sea. World War II shaped many aspects of our curent political age, but more tangible and literal remnants of the war can be found at the bottom of the ocean in the form of discarded weapons and unused explosives. It’s estimated that there are currently 1.6 million tons of WWII-era weapons lying in German waters alone. These dumped weapons pose a number of threats. On land, explosives might detonate when disturbed after decades of slumber. That’s less likely underwater, but dangerous chemicals can still leak out as their containers deteriorate, causing harm to people and the environment. It would seem, then, that the deadly refuse of the past would prevent modern day sea life from thriving. Oddly, though, scientists exploring the seabed of the Bay of Lübeck have found that a cache of failed V-1 flying bombs have become an unlikely home for a variety of underwater fauna. V-1 flying bombs were rockets developed by Nazi Germany during WWII with the intention of striking at long-distance targets. Due to their unreliable nature, though, many of them simply ended up crashing into the water before making it anywhere near their targets. Now, starfish, anemone, crabs, marine worms, and other creatures are living on the “metal carcasses” of the rockets, seemingly unperturbed by the undetonated explosives inside. Based on observations made with a submersible, it appears that the twisted metal shell of the rockets has filled with sediment, creating a rich and varied environment for marine fauna to thrive on. Settling down on a fallen bomb? It gives new meaning to the phrase “volatile housing market!”

Even a short tenure can have a lasting impact. Pope John Paul I, also known as “the Smiling Pope,” passed away around this time of the year in 1978, just 33 days after becoming the pope. This brief pontificate (the term referring to the tenure of a pope as well as the position itself) is one of the shortest in history. Born on October 17, 1912, in Forno di Canale, Italy, with the birth name Albino Luciani, Pope John Paul I was ordained a priest in 1935. He was elected pope on August 26, 1978, and he was unique in a number of ways.
 
Pope John Paul was one of the few pontiffs to have a pastoral reputation, despite never serving as a pastor, and was known for being accessible as a result. Even his nickname comes from the ever present smile on his face, which endeared him to the public. He was also the first pope to be born in the 20th century, the last to die in the 20th century, and—as of now—the last Italian pope to be elected. He was the first pope to have two names; “John” and “Paul” refer to Popes John XXIII and Paul VI.
 
As short as his pontificate was, it’s not the shortest ever. That “honor” goes to Pope Leo XI, who passed away in 1605 just 27 days after becoming the pontiff. Pope John Paul I passed away in his sleep, presumably of a heart attack, though the exact cause was never officially established. Due to the sudden and unexpected nature of his death, there were unsubstantiated rumors at the time that he had been assassinated. Decades after his passing, he was beatified and became Blessed John Paul I, meaning that he is at the second stage on the way to becoming a saint. The beatification came after an 11-year-old girl in Argentina with Febrile Infection-Related Epilepsy Syndrome reportedly recovered after praying to the pope. Even in death, his reputation keeps improving!

[Image description: An illustration of the obelisk in front of the Vatican.] Credit & copyright: The Vatican Obelisk, from "Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae" Publisher: Antonio Lafreri (French, Orgelet, Franche-Comte ca. 1512–1577 Rome). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1941. Public Domain.
 

Throwing spears by hand is so last era! Dozens gathered in Vermont for the Northeast Open Atlatl Championship in Addison, Vermont, to determine who is the best at utilizing a very ancient weapon. While everyone knows about the bow and the spear, few seem to remember the atlatl, which served as a sort of fusion of the two. Of course, that doesn’t apply to the members of Franklin Pierce University’s atlatl team, who competed at the championship to show off their deadly skills. Atlatls, also called spear throwers, are weapons made of two components. One part consists of a short board or stick with a groove carved into one end. This part of the weapon is held in the hand. The other part is the dart, which resembles a thin javelin with fletching. When the dart is thrown, the handle provides additional leverage, propelling the projectile much farther than if it had been thrown by hand. At the championship in Vermont, competitors have managed distances as far as 800 feet and more.
 
It’s impossible to say exactly how old the atlatl is, but the earliest surviving example is at least 17,000 years old. The weapon fell out of favor as bows and arrows became more popular around 3,000 years ago, though the atlatl remained in use in some places. In fact, the name for the weapon comes from the Aztecs, who were found to still be using the atlatl by the time the Spanish encountered them. While the bow and arrow had long surpassed the atlatl in popularity by then, the weapon still had its advantages. Each dart was heavier and more deadly than an arrow, and it could also be used as a harpoon with a line attached. When it comes to choosing an atlatl over a bow, don’t nock it till you’ve tried it!

[Image description: An ancient Atlatl, a metallic rod with two protrusions, one near each end.] Credit & copyright: Silver Atlatl Spear Thrower, Chimú culture, Peru. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bequest of Jane Costello Goldberg, from the Collection of Arnold I. Goldberg, 1986. Public Domain.